Summary
Survival campaigns inDungeons & Dragonsoften force players to think extremely carefully about their character build, not just in terms of resources, but in terms of features and abilities that might make the difference between life and death. Whether your adventuring party is trekking through an unforgiving landscape or trying to stay alive against a horde of undead creatures, having a strong build is going to prove paramount.
So, what are the best character builds for survival campaigns in Dungeons & Dragons? If your DM is preparing you for a survival-themed adventure, here are some of the best character builds you may have.
Background
Hermit
The forge domain is an underrated cleric subclass that features in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. This subclass is perfect for survival campaigns for two reasons. First, of course, your party is going to want a main healer to help restore them against diseases and effects. Two, this subclass offers a lot in terms of offensive support.
Clerics in this domain get access to spells like Magic Weapon, Heat Metal, and Elemental Weapon, which can help bolster allies' attacks. You also gain proficiency withtools like Smith’s Tools, meaning you can potentially repair armor and weapons. Select dragonborn for extra damage resistances and the hermit background for improvements to Constitution and Wisdom.
Farmer
The circle of spores is a druid subclass that’s rather macabre, but perfect for a post-apocalyptic or necrotic-based survival campaign. With this subclass, you’re able to deal necrotic damage to enemies and use spores from undead creatures to reanimate dead bodies. Plus, at 14th level, you become immune to tons of different conditions, which are often the bane of players in survival campaigns.
Select aasimar as your species to help round out your early-level cantrips and gain access to some minor healing abilities. In this way, you can function almost like a flex support in the party. Then, select the farmer background for access to the Tough feat and a Healer’s Kit, as well as ability score improvements to Constitution and Wisdom.
Entertainer
Rune knights are an underrated subclass of fighters that allow for both offensive might, in addition to some support abilities for yourself and your allies. With this subclass, you gain access to different runes that you’re able to imprint on objects, thus bolstering either yourself or your party with various advantages, ranging from advantages on certain Dexterity or Charisma checks to resistance to poison damage.
Select orc as your species to gain access to combat and mobility features that can help on the field of battle. Then, select the entertainer background to improve your Dexterity and Strength in addition to your Charisma. The rune knight subclass features a lot of Charisma-based runes, so this can prove useful.
Wayfarer
The way of mercy monk is a subclass of monk that allows you to heal your allies just as much as you damage your opponents. In survival-based campaigns, it’s essential that as many members of the party have healing abilities, so that the pressure is not allon the clericor paladin.
For this character build, you’ll want to select aasimar to improve your healing abilities, since most of your healing features as a monk are touch-based, similar to the aasimar species. Additionally, select wayfarer as your background for improvements to Dexterity and Wisdom, two key monk abilities, and proficiencies in skills like Insight and Stealth, which are immensely helpful for survival campaigns. After all, not fighting is sometimes the best option.
Sailor
The monster slayer subclass for rangers provides rangers of this conclave with access to a handful of defensive spells that can spell the difference between life and death in certain situations. In addition, you gain insight into weaknesses for attackers. In essence, this subclass allows you to bolster yourself and hinder enemies with expert precision, meaning you’ll have a ton of advantages going into combat encounters.
Select dwarf for your species to bolster your HP and grant you access to darkvision, which is always great for rangers so they don’t get taken out in combat thanks to dim light. Then, select the sailor background to gain improvements to Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom, all helpful for rangers as well as proficiency in Navigator’s Tools, which can help a party find their way out of difficult environments.
Charlatan
The scout subclass for rogues is essential for survival campaigns, as it gives rogues proficiencies in both urban and rural environments, both of which can pop up in these types of adventures. With this subclass, you gain extra abilities to avoid opportunity attacks, proficiency in Nature and Survival, extra mobility, and advantage on initiative rolls, meaning you’ll be extra-buffed in combat.
Select halfling as your species to give you halfling luck, meaning you can reroll ones, and can hide much more easily, which bolsters your sneak attack significantly. Then, select the charlatan background for bonuses to your Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma, as well as access to a Forgery Kit, which can prove useful if your survival campaign is urban-sprawl based.
Noble
The armorer subclass allows you to protect yourself and become a much more sturdy artificer for your party. While artificers aren’t necessarily squishy, this subclass allows you to get right into the heat of the action in a survival campaign, and you won’t go down nearly as easily. The best features in this subclass include gaining an extra attack at fifth level, as well as gaining temporary hit points at will thanks to your Defensive Field feature.
Select gnome for your species, as gnomes tend to synergize well with artificers thanks to their advantage in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws and innate spellcasting. Select the noble background to improve your Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma, which proves helpful for this character concept.
Divine soul sorcerers are a subclass of sorcerers that allows you to heal yourself and others just as much as you inflict damage. Similar to the way of mercy monk, this subclass can turn the sorcerer class into a flex support character for the party as opposed to just a magical machine built specifically to dole out damage. The most interesting element of this subclass is that your character alignment determines which healing spells you gain access to, so choose carefully.
Select tiefling as your species to help round out your spell list with some innate spellcasting and resistance to certain types of damage, meaning your sorcerer will be less squishy. Lastly, select the charlatan background to improve your Constitution and Charisma, two essential skillsfor a sorcerer.
The college of swords bard combines all of the support features that typical bards have, along with martial prowess typically found in melee combat classes like rogues and fighters, making them highly versatile and flexible for survival-based campaigns. With this subclass, you gain access to medium armor proficiency, different fighting styles, and can attack twice on your turn at sixth level.
Select the wayfarer background for this build to gain access to Thieves' Tools, which can really help round out this build and make your character highly flexible. Plus, you can improve your Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma with this background, which is great for bards. Lastly, select human for your species so that you can select an additional Origin Feat of your choosing, allowing you maximum versatility at early levels.
Sage
Last but not least, necromantic wizards can make for a great addition to any survival-based party, not just in terms of flavor but also optimization. This is largely thanks to their ability to create undead and siphon life from dead creatures, meaning they can bolster themselves through their kills.
Select drow elf as your species to gain access to extended dark vision and some innate spellcasting. Additionally, select the sage background to improve your Constitution and Intelligence, thus making your wizard a bit less squishy.
