Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition doesn’t have strictly defined party roles like D&D Fourth Edition. Nonetheless, some character classes and subclasses lean significantly more in one direction than the other.

A support party member is welcome for any D&D 5e party. Adventuring is perilous. Having somebody who can patch up the party’s wounds is always a good idea. There’s more to the role than restoring hit points. D&D 5e also has a wide selection of buff spells to help other party members fight at their best.

It’s not mandatory to have any one job in your D&D 5e party. Characters can get by with no support abilities, or with a handful of healing spells they throw when things take a turn for the worse.

Nonetheless, many players enjoy taking a more backseat role that elevates others rather than being center-stage themselves. Fortunately, some of D&D 5e‘s best support subclasses can help these players live out their dreams.

Life Domain Cleric Wears Its Healing On Its Sleeve

I’m going to post a brief disclaimer here. The D&D Cleric has come a long way since its origins. Despite popular beliefs, they have been far more than heal bots and buff bots for several editions now. With that said, expect to see Cleric a lot on this list.

Almost all of the Life Domain Cleric’s features in D&D 5e revolve around healing in some way. From first level, it boosts the number of hit points creatures regain from spells. Most healers prefer to heal unconscious allies rather than attempt to outheal enemy damage. The Life Domain Cleric comes closer than many with every spell they cast, especially if they target multiple allies.

The D&D 5e Life Domain Cleric’s Channel Divinity can heal any creatures within thirty feet as an action, splitting up a hit point pool that reaches 100 at max level. Even with the caveat that it only heals up to half hit point maximum, this is absurd up to three times per short rest.

Life Domain Clerics don’t just support their allies. With heavy armor, they’re very hard to hit. Later on, they also heal themselves every time they cast a healing spell on others. This doesn’t just add to their healing output as a D&D 5e support build, but also lets them focus on allies without neglecting themselves.

Supreme Healing drops any pretense of balancing the D&D 5e Life Cleric’s healing and lets them pretend they rolled maximum on any healing spell with dice. Enjoy a guaranteed minimum of 12 hit points with Healing Word (assuming sensible stats).

On top of that, they get the Cleric’s D&D 5e spell list. Although most of their support options focus on healing, this lets them ramp up the buffs as well. If you want almost-unkillable allies who are roided-up, check out a D&D 5e Life Domain Cleric build.

Divine Soul Sorcerer Gets the Best of Both Worlds

The D&D 5e Sorcerer subclasses from before Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are often underwhelming. This is primarily due to too few spells known and a tight restriction on their resources.

The Divine Soul D&D 5e Sorcerer subclass does better than the others due to the sheer breadth of options available. Uniquely among any subclass in the game, it can choose from both the Sorcerer and Cleric spell lists for its magic.

These two spell lists contain the bulk of the support spells in D&D 5e. The Divine Soul’s options range from Cleric spells like Shield of Faith, Healing Word, and Aid; to arcane buffs like Fly, Haste, and Polymorph.

No other D&D 5e support build gets this.

However, there’s more in the Divine Soul Sorcerer’s favor. Most buff spells require Concentration. With their innate Constitution saving throw proficiency, Sorcerers are far less likely to lose Concentration and leave their allies in the lurch.

Metamagic is also a godsend for a D&D 5e Divine Soul Sorcerer support build. Twinned Spell can apply your buffs to two targets, even those that don’t normally upcast for this effect. This is incredibly good value for any support caster.

Just be prepared for your party to throw things if you lose Concentration on a Twinned Haste.

Peace Domain Cleric’s Abilities Stack Painfully Well

The D&D 5e Peace Domain Cleric from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is eye-wateringly powerful, despite only being the second-best Cleric subclass from that book. It’s still well worth it.

Like all D&D 5e Clerics, it benefits from some of the best support spells in the game. However, Peace Domain Clerics get to add their own native features on top of those to staggering effect.

Emboldening Bond gives several creatures – eventually up to the entire party – a d4 to ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws just for being within thirty feet of each other. This is a surprisingly significant buff in D&D 5e, serving to throw the maths off-kilter.

Even better, it doesn’t require Concentration. Even more better (that’s how grammar works), it stacks with effects that do the same thing. Bless and Emboldening Bond in D&D 5e let characters add 2d4 to their attacks and saving throws to almost never fail.

Later levels only make this ability better. Eventually, allies can teleport to each other within this bond and take damage. Effectively, your party can democratically take harm to prevent anyone from getting downed. Later on, its range stretches to a staggering sixty feet.

The Peace Domain Cleric’s D&D 5e bonus spell list includes many support spells you were going to prepare anyway, such as Aid and Greater Restoration.

The D&D 5e Peace Domain Cleric’s Channel Divinity isn’t a slouch either. Balm of Peace is effectively a buffed Dash. It avoids opportunity attacks and heals every ally the Cleric moves near for 2d6 + Wisdom hit points. That’s enough to put most other D&D 5e support builds to shame.

Battle Smith Artificer Hurts and Heals

The Artificer is one of D&D 5e‘s most flexible classes. Nonetheless, many of its abilities indicate a support or utility role. The Battle Smith is nominally a combat-focused subclass that takes to the frontlines. However, it can match the Alchemist subclass for supportive abilities.

The D&D 5e Battle Smith Artificer’s spell list is chock full of support spells. Heroism, Warding Bond, Aura of Vitality, and Mass Cure Wounds can all turn the tide of a fight when used well.

Furthermore, the Battle Smith Artificer gets a unique feature in Arcane Jolt. This is similar to a Paladin’s Divine Smite, with a twist. It doesn’t use spell slots, and it can heal an ally within 30 feet instead of doing additional damage to the enemy.

Very few support builds in D&D 5e can deal damage and healing with the same attack. This perfectly exemplifies the Battle Smith Artificer’s role as more of a combat medic than an outright warrior or healer.

On top of that, their Steel Defender blurs the line between tanking and healing. By standing near an ally, it can impose disadvantage on attacks with its reaction. This keeps allies safe and encourages them to target the robot dog instead.

The Artificer as a whole can make for a top-tier D&D 5e support build in a way no other class can manage. Artificer Infusions can make the character themself better (and you should definitely reserve some for you). However, they can also give allies magical equipment and unique abilities. This possibility is well worth exploring to make dangerous party members even more lethal.

Order Domain Cleric Boosts Allies’ Damage

I did warn at the top there’d be a lot of Clerics in this article. We’re not nearly done yet.

The D&D 5e Order Domain Cleric blends buffing and debuffing in its bonus spell list. Options like Heroism and Mass Healing Word rub shoulders with spells like Hold Person, Slow, and Dominate Person.

Its abilities reverse this skew. Order Domain Clerics in D&D 5e can debuff enemies, notably by forcing them to drop their weapons. However, many more of their abilities are about helping their allies inflict monstrous damage.

Voice of Authority is one of D&D 5e‘s best support build abilities. When you target allies with the healing and buffing spells you were already going to use, they can make an attack with their reaction.

This is both fun and powerful with most allies. It’s particularly obscene with a Divine Smiting Paladin, a Great Weapon Master-ing Fighter or Barbarian, or especially a D&D 5e Rogue getting another sneak attack outside of their turn.

Later on, they get the ability to cast Enchantment spells (including beloved buffs like Bless) as a bonus action several times per day. At the highest levels, they let allies do additional damage when they land Divine Strike on an enemy.

The D&D 5e Order Domain Cleric is less about healing their allies and far more about letting them destroy enemies before any healing is needed.

Oath of the Crown Paladin Comes Surprisingly in Clutch

I’ve written before on Artificial Twenty how much I like D&D 5e‘s Oath of the Crown Paladin. I’m still on that horse, it’s still one of my favourite underrated subclasses.

Paladins are strong D&D 5e support builds regardless of subclass. Lay on Hands and Aura of Protection are some of the best heals and buffs in the game. Just in case being excellent warriors, tanks, and conversationalists felt stifling.

The Oath of the Crown doubles down on both support and tanking in a way that makes them difficult to separate from one another.

Its Channel Divinity Options can either force enemies to stay within thirty feet of the Paladin or effectively provide a Mass Healing Word from third level onwards. One leaves allies free to do what they wish without fear. The other brings them back from the brink.

Even with the caveat of not restoring allies over half, a Mass Healing Word every short rest is one of the best ways to turn losing battles into fights with a chance of victory.

Divine Allegiance is, admittedly, more of a tanking ability. Nonetheless, taking damage for your allies means less healing for you or another D&D 5e support build to provide in the future.

War Domain Cleric Is a Supportive Leader

From the War Domain Cleric’s name in D&D 5e, it might sound like a capable warrior in its own right. This isn’t strictly wrong. It does get decent combat capabilities. However, it’s much more effective when played as a frontline support character.

The subclass’s bonus spell list is full of ways to contribute in combat besides merely striking with a weapon. Many of its options empower other melee combatants, but none moreso than Crusader’s Mantle. This D&D 5e spell, normally reserved for Paladins, adds d4 Radiant damage to every attack that hits. This adds up, particularly in larger parties or with summons.

These come on top of the many supportive spells that every D&D 5e Cleric gets access to. With their magic and heavy armour, the War Domain Cleric is full of ways to stand on the frontline and bolster their allies. They even get to make weapon attacks sometimes.

In particular, the War Domain Cleric’s Channel Divinity is top-tier. Its Guided Strike version can be underwhelming, given the Cleric’s relatively low melee damage.

However, War God’s Blessing can confer a +10 to hit on an ally’s attack, after they’ve rolled it. With D&D 5e‘s relatively flat maths, this is a reaction to turn almost any vital attack into a hit. At up to three times per short rest, there’s little reason for the Paladin, Barbarian, or Rogue to have a hard time.

Circle of Stars Druid Doubles Down On Heals (Sometimes)

The D&D 5e Circle of Stars Druid is up against fierce competition, considering its competitors include the Circle of the Moon and the Circle of Wildfire. Nonetheless, it comes out as one of the Druid’s best subclasses in D&D 5e.

The Circle of Stars gets the support options all D&D 5e Druids get, such as Healing Word, Protection from Energy, and Polymorph. However, its own subclass features either add to these or make them even better.

The Chalice Starry Form for Druids in D&D 5e is a huge healing buff. Whenever the Druid casts a healing spell, they can heal themselves or another creature within thirty feet for 1d8 (later 2d8) + Wisdom. This effectively lets them double every Healing Word they ever cast.

Even the D&D 5e Circle of Dreams, theoretically the healing-oriented Druid subclass, fails to keep pace with this.

As a cherry on top, the Circle of Stars Druid only has to focus on healing when it needs to. It can instead deal significant damage to enemies or maintain near-perfect Concentration on spells (such as buffs), basically on a whim.

Cosmic Omen is a support feature the Circle of Stars Druid in D&D 5e has access to at all times. Depending on the day, they can either buff allies’ rolls by a d6 or hamper enemies’. Whether you’re helping allies pass checks or making enemies miss attacks, it’s ideal for a support build.

Twilight Domain Cleric Makes The Party Almost Unkillable

The Twilight Domain Cleric is infamous as D&D 5e‘s most overpowered subclass. It has very little competition for its role, mainly because of how overwhelming it is as a support build.

Many of its side features, such as advantage on Initiative, heavy armor and skill proficiencies, and limited flight, are excellent in their own right. However, they pale next to the D&D 5e Twilight Cleric’s claim to notoriety: Twilight Sanctuary.

Channel Divinity: Twilight Sanctuary provides 1d6 + Cleric level temporary hit points to allies who start their turn within 30 feet (in a pinch, it can also cure certain status effects). It does this every turn for a minute with no Concentration requirement.

This starts off as an impressive number of temporary hit points and quickly becomes overwhelming. Up to 26 temporary hit points per party member per turn is almost impossible for any reasonable D&D 5e combat to break through. Characters can tank almost anything with minimal loss of hit points.

Twilight Sanctuary practically forces the DM to focus fire on one target or have no chance of draining the party’s resources. It can be used up to three times per short rest, and cannot be dealt with short of Dispel Magic or knocking out the D&D 5e Cleric using it.

Oh, and at later levels it gives half-cover, just in case some peril somehow crept into the game. All of this comes on top of the D&D 5e Cleric’s impressive spell list. A lot of DMs ban the Twilight Cleric for a reason.

College of Eloquence Bard Will Force You to Succeed

The College of Eloquence Bard in D&D 5e raises eyebrows for its effective social and debuffing skills. Subtracting up to a d12 from enemy saving throws is vicious and can be a serious combat-ender.

On top of that, however, the D&D 5e Eloquence Bard is a fantastic support character. It mostly does this through enhancing the native abilities of the Bard, already one of D&D 5e‘s best support classes.

Unfailing Inspiration prevents the problem of helping an ally to do something and wasting that resource when they fail. When allies use the Eloquence Bard’s Inspiration, they get to keep it if they fail. In effect, they will eventually use it to succeed at something come hell or high water.

Infectious Inspiration makes one of the D&D 5e Bard’s best abilities even better. It’s effectively five free Bardic Inspirations per day, with the Eloquence Bard’s other buffs to the feature, that have a slightly situational activation cost.

There is very little reason for an ally to fail a crucial ability check, attack roll, or saving throw with a D&D 5e College of Eloquence Bard in the party.

They get the Bard’s top-tier support spell list on top of that, with Magical Secrets to fill any gaps in healing or buffing (or anything else) that they feel is lacking.

These have been the ten best support subclasses in D&D 5e. Do you want to stop your allies from needing healing in the first place? Check out ‘D&D 5e: Five Tank Subclasses To Protect Your Party‘.

Maybe you want to pair your excellent D&D 5e support character with something else high-power. If so, ‘The Best Paladin Races and Lineages in D&D 5e‘ has some tips for you.

What do you think make for the best healers and buff characters? Any of your favourite subclasses not on there? Please let me know! Likewise, please do like and read more if you’ve enjoyed this article.