Eladrin Guide 5e

Which 5e Classes Work With Eladrin?

Now that you can choose your ideal ability score array and the Summer Fey Step ability scales with your prof. bonus, eladrin are a strong contender for just about any build. The only thing that can get in the way of a truly optimized eladrin build would be if your bonus action Fey Step continuously conflicts with another class feature that uses a bonus action. That said, the Fey Step combined with the rider effects will likely outrank any other move you could make in a certain situation that calls for it. For example, if your bard is caught in a group of enemies, they wouldn’t necessarily be looking to use their Bardic Inspiration.

The real caveat to this is a build that is using a companion post Tasha’s, like the Revised Beast Master, Battle Smith’s Steel Defender, Artillerist’s Eldritch Cannon, or Drakewarden’s drake, which uses their bonus action every turn. Another case of bonus action interference would be if you’re planning on a Two-Weapon Fighting build and using your offhand attack often.

Artificer: Artificer's don't normally get misty step, so this is a solid baseline improvement. Unfortunately, half of the artificer subclasses (Battle Smith and Artillerist) have a consistent use for their bonus action. Still, this turns the eladrin's Fey Step from a "can use in combat when it's optimal" to "use in can of emergency", which means it's still a good contingency. The other passive eladrin abilities, like Darkvision and a proficiency in Perception are nice to have. But, the biggest boon outside of Fey Step is certainly the Trance ability, which gives you 4 extra hours per long rest to tinker. This can help buy time for creating magic items or your other mundane projects.

Barbarian: Barbarians love the ability to misty step in battle and it won't interfere much outside of the initial Rage activation. Whether they need to close in with an enemy or get out of the thick of it to be healed, a bonus action teleport is extraordinarily useful. Now, stack on the different rider effects from the Fey Step's seasons and it's even better. Obviously the barbarian's favorite will be the Summer ability because they're most likely to teleport into a large group of enemy to maximize the damage they put out. That said, the Winter ability would also be nice as it will allow them to focus fire on an enemy without risking too much incursion. On top of this, the passive abilities of the eladrin are nice to have, especially Fey Ancestry which can help resist nasty mind-control effects.

Bard: Even though you have a semi-regular bonus action in Bardic Inspiration, eladrin are still an effective race to start with. The misty step castings can allow you to spend your spell slots elsewhere, and the Autumn ability can act as a charm effect, which can combo with certain features like the Glamour bard's Mantle of Majesty.

Cleric: Clerics don't normally get access to misty step and it can be quite useful for zipping around the battlefield and bestowing healing, buffs, or debuffs. The bonus action may conflicts with other staples like spiritual weapon but usually using your Fey Step will be of higher importance than pumping out a bit of additional damage. Plus, you get a free proficiency in Perception, which goes great with your pumped WIS.

Druid: Druids don't normally get access to misty step and it can be quite useful for zipping around the battlefield and bestowing healing, buffs, debuffs, or just generally getting out of danger. The bonus action may conflicts with other staples like heat metal or the Circle of the Moon druid's Combat Wild Shape, but those conflicts should be relatively rare. Also, unlike the DMG's eladrin variant, you can use Fey Step while wild shaped, which can be useful for druids that plan on using their wild shape to tank. Plus, you get a free proficiency in Perception, which goes great with your pumped WIS.

Fighter: Fighters love the ability to misty step in battle. Whether they need to close in with an enemy or get out of the thick of it to be healed, a bonus action teleport is extraordinarily useful. Now, stack on the different rider effects from the Fey Step's seasons and it's even better. Obviously the fighter's favorite will be the Summer ability because they're most likely to teleport into a large group of enemy to maximize the damage they put out. That said, the Winter ability would also be nice as it will allow them to focus fire on an enemy without risking too much incursion. On top of this, the passive abilities of the eladrin are nice to have, especially Fey Ancestry which can help resist nasty mind-control effects.

Monk: Unfortunately, monks need their bonus action too much and are simultaneously squishy when in large groups and have terrible ranged options, which will make it difficult to Fey Step with any regularity. Monk's also get Step of the Wind, which can allow them to disengage for at the cost of a bonus action and a ki point, which overlaps with Fey Step's ability to get you out of trouble. Even though getting multiple misty steps per long rest may seem appealing, there are better options out there for a monk.

Paladin: Paladins love the ability to misty step in battle. Whether they need to close in with an enemy or get out of the thick of it to be healed, a bonus action teleport is extraordinarily useful. Now, stack on the different rider effects from the Fey Step's seasons and it's even better. Obviously the paladin's favorite will be the Summer ability because they're most likely to teleport into a large group of enemy to maximize the damage they put out. That said, the Winter ability would also be nice as it will allow them to focus fire on an enemy without risking too much incursion. On top of this, the passive abilities of the eladrin are nice to have, especially Fey Ancestry which can help resist nasty mind-control effects. Some paladin subclasses get access to misty step, but with their lack of spell slots most paladins will appreciate the free added mobility so they can focus on smiting instead.

Ranger: Rangers will certainly appreciate the movement option Fey Step provides and the free proficiency in Perception. Unfortunately, they're a relatively bonus action-heavy class. Hunter's mark, the Drakewarden's drake, Horizon Walker's Planar Warrior, and Monster Slayer's Slayer’s Prey are all multiple-combat abilities that will definitely compete with your free misty step castings. That said, melee rangers will like the ability to freely traverse the battlefield (with additional rider effects) and ranged rangers will appreciate the ability to freely disengage while still being to attack in the same turn.

Rogue: Unfortunately, rogues are just too bonus action-focused to make the most of the eladrin's star feature, Fey Step. Whether they're hiding or dashing with Cunning Action, offhand attacking to try to land a sneak attack, using the Steady Aim optional feature, or using a subclass feature, like the Mastermind's Master of Tactics, Soulknife's Psychic Blades, or Thief's Fast Hands, there are too many uses to commit to the eladrin's playstyle. All of this combined with the bonus action Disengage option provided by Cunning Action means that there's just too much overlap to make an eladrin optimal for rogues.

Sorcerer: Misty step is already available to sorcerers but, seeing as they have a small list of spells known, the free castings provided by Fey Step are a welcomed bonus.

Warlock: Misty step is already available to warlocks but, seeing as they are severely strapped for spell slots, being able to cast it for free using Fey Step is a welcomed bonus. Seeing as warlocks also recharge spell slots on a short rest, you can use Trance to your advantage by waking up before your party, casting a spell with a long duration like hex or mage armor (or both) and short resting to get the spell slots back.

Wizard: While you may not need the free misty step, gaining access to a couple of free castings per long rest will enable you to use your reserved spell slots for dishing out damage or utility. Seeing as wizards get access to Arcane Recovery, you can use Trance to your advantage by waking up before your party, casting a spell with a long duration like mage armor and short resting to get the spell slots back. Keep in mind that you can only use Arcane Recovery once per day and only to regain a spell slot up to 6th level.