Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Class Tier List

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous offers 25 base classes, each with multiple archetypes, creating hundreds of possible builds. Some are powerhouses that trivialize content on the hardest difficulty. Others require deep system knowledge to function. This tier list evaluates classes based on their performance across the full campaign.

S Tier: The Unstoppable

Oracle (Nature or Battle): Oracle with the Nature mystery and a Wolf-Scarred Face curse is arguably the strongest class in the game. Nature’s Revelation grants Charisma to AC, allowing you to dump Dexterity entirely. Combined with heavy armor and shield, you become nearly unhittable while casting full divine spells.

Sorcerer (Arcane Trickster): Start Sorcerer, take a Rogue dip at level 2 for sneak attack, then go Arcane Trickster. Sneak attack applies to every ray from Scorching Ray and Hellfire Ray. At high levels, a single Hellfire Ray deals 30d6+ damage. Nothing survives.

Paladin (Angel Mythic): Paladin combined with the Angel mythic path creates a character with obscene saving throws, merged spellbooks for high-level divine casting, and Mark of Justice that shreds boss encounters.

A Tier: Excellent Picks

Bloodrager: Melee powerhouse. Rage plus bloodline powers plus full BAB progression. The Primalist archetype lets you trade bloodline powers for Barbarian rage powers, cherry-picking the best from both.

Cleric: Full divine caster with heavy armor. Domain powers range from good to incredible. Animal domain gives a pet. Community domain’s Guarded Hearth is one of the best abilities in the game.

Shaman (Spirit Hunter): Hexes are incredibly powerful in Pathfinder. Evil Eye reduces enemy attack, AC, or saves with no saving throw. Spirit Enhancement adds elemental damage to weapons. Spirit Hunter is a versatile hybrid that does everything well.

B Tier: Solid and Reliable

Fighter: Nothing flashy, but full BAB, all weapon and armor proficiencies, and bonus feats every other level. The Mutation Warrior archetype adds Alchemist mutagens for significant stat bonuses.

Ranger: Good ranged damage, a pet companion, and some utility spells. The pet alone makes Ranger worthwhile. Instant Enemy removes favored enemy restrictions for key fights.

Witch: Hexes carry this class. Slumber puts enemies to sleep with no save limitation on uses. Evil Eye debuffs stack. The downside is fragility and a spell list less impressive than Wizard or Sorcerer.

C Tier: Niche but Workable

Monk: Requires specific builds to shine. Scaled Fist (Charisma to AC) with a Paladin or Oracle multiclass works. Traditional Monk struggles with accuracy and damage.

Rogue: Sneak attack damage is excellent but hard to trigger consistently. Flanking requirements and enemy immunity to precision damage limit effectiveness. Better as a multiclass dip than a primary class.

Build Philosophy

Pathfinder rewards system mastery. A well-built C-tier class outperforms a poorly built S-tier class. The most important factors are: ability score allocation, feat selection, buff stacking, and understanding action economy.

For the magic system underlying Pathfinder’s casting, see our magic systems guide. For tabletop Pathfinder advice, read our tabletop RPG beginner guide.

D Tier: Not Recommended for Beginners

Cavalier: Mount-based combat does not work well in many of the game dungeon environments. The mount AI can be frustrating, and mounted charges require specific positioning that tight corridors prevent.

Kineticist: Unique elemental blaster class with a burn mechanic that deals damage to yourself. Powerful at high levels but requires understanding complex interactions between elements, infusions, and burn management.

Mythic Path Interactions

Your mythic path dramatically affects class performance. Angel merges spellbooks with divine casters, making Clerics and Oracles extraordinarily powerful. Demon enhances rage abilities, making Bloodrager and Barbarian significantly stronger. Lich merges with arcane casters and adds powerful undead-themed abilities. Azata provides excellent support abilities that benefit any party composition.

The strongest combinations in the game involve matching your mythic path to your class. A Lich Oracle or Angel Cleric has access to spell levels that no single-class build can reach, including 9th and 10th level spells that reshape encounters entirely.

Companion Builds

The game provides twelve companions with pre-built classes that range from acceptable to suboptimal. Respeccing companions is strongly recommended. Seelah works well as a pure Paladin, Wenduag excels as a Fighter/Slayer multiclass, and Daeran is devastating as an Oracle regardless of path.

Ember deserves special mention. Her Witch class gains access to hexes that trivialize encounters throughout the entire game. Evil Eye reducing enemy AC or attack with no saving throw limitation is one of the most powerful abilities available to any companion.