Class Tier Rankings for D&D 5e: Who is the best Infiltrator/Explorer? 

My first thought was Druid as well. Hiding in plain sight is invaluable. One time our party was infiltrating a castle with a broken wall on the side. This required a small climb. There were 3 guards inside at our entry way. Our rogue was going to try and slip inside but 1 guard was sitting in a chair that was facing the broken area while reading a book. The other two were sleeping. I flew in as an owl and landed in the broken ceiling. The guard ignored me at first until I started to do the whole owl “upchuck” thing causing me to grab his attention in disgust. Just in time for the rogue to slip behind him and assassinate him. The rogue then went and killed the other 2 sleeping guards in the room and the party slipped in without further issue.

I feel like the rogues got the short hand for not having magic. With expertise and reliable talent their natural abilities are advanced enough to be concidered magic. A rogue that cant roll under a 20 for stealth, acrobatics, or thieves tools may as well be concidered a ghost. Yes they have to play by the rules but they can exploit the rules in a way no other class can, regardless of subclass. If you stack on arcane trickster or a few select feats they absolutely blow the other classes out of the water, and even more so if you have a race like say the earth genasi that gives pass without trace. You also cannot defang the rogue in a way you can other classes. Taking their weapon doesnt really hurt them, antimagic stuff doesnt stop them, darkness and terrain doesnt slow them down, their "spell list" is the entire environment and that cant be taken away allowing the rogue to excel in any scenario. Not to mention cunning action allows for exceptional mobility or to disengauge and dash as an action allows for quick retreat. Also warlock has a lot of abilities that werent really touched on like pact of the chain or the genie warlocks lamp that can carry a whole party into or out of an area or just hide in plain sight.

I think it is harsh to rank Barbarian a D solely based off roleplaying anecdotes. They get Unarmored Defense which means they can be a strength character who can sneak without disadvantage, and most subclasses get some exploration feature: Ancestral Guardian, Beast, Storm Herald, Totem Warrior and Wild Magic. I'm not saying Barbarians shouldn't be in D tier per se, but they do get some options.

Another point for the monk, as compared to the fighter, they don't need weapons and they have the potential to stun people if they are found. They can walk into a place completely unarmed and still be at basically full capacity, so they can be good for certain social infiltrations similar to the bard. If they do get caught, they have the speed to escape, and a number of defensive abilities to avoid getting killed in a sticky situation. I could see a B tier. As for cleric, I think they would belong in (low) C, as I'd rather have the average cleric compared to the average paladin. Almost no cleric is going to be great in this arena, but roughly half might have tricks to put them above the average metal wearing martial (Knowledge, Twilight, Nature, Trickery, Peace).

A critical option i think was missed here was the Chain pact warlock; take an imp, and suddenly you have an infinitely invisible scout you can see through the eyes of, and with Chain Master even communicate through; and you still have your patron choice untouched.

One of the overlooked things that make Druid the best in my book: not only do they have great navigation/stealth spell options, these can be swapped on a long rest. While bards and rangers do have good options, if they build more for combat or other utility, they won't have these options unless they swap out on level up. (Then they are stuck with those for a whole level!) If a druid is built for combat/utility? All they need to do is take a nice long nap, then wake up with a full suite of spells to handle the unique environment or encounter in question, and can swap back a day later.

I remember my druid got captured by some slavers. She just wildshaped into a tiny spider and walked through the bars of the cage and left.

Monty didn’t have an s? Was that a mistake or did I miss something. Also I’d say ranger is S because infiltration isn’t just getting In an around. It’s the jobs you do after getting into the place. disarming traps, talking to people, using tools, stealing things, everything. You need to be able to do everything a rogue can do yet you also need to do everything a Druid can do. Ranger does both. I feel Druid falls short after getting into said place. Can’t really do anything else beyond that.

When I realized that Monty didn't give anyone S tier till rough, I thought for a minute he will convince us to give it to wizard😂

On monks: They *are* at least a Dex/Wis-based class, and both of those abilities lend well into exploration and infiltration. Even if you don’t take proficiency in skills like Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Perception, Survival, or lock-picking, you’ll probably be above average-ish in those skill checks since Monks are typically required to prioritize those ability scores. And if all else fails and you need to escape, your Improved Unarmored Movement, Step of the Wind, and Slow Fall could work together to help you flee more effectively than the average rogue I guess. …Could I rank them higher than casters with access to invisibility, teleportation, or sensory spells? Probably not lol, but I do at least see them as more capable of practical exploration/infiltration than most of the other martial classes. A Ranger would obviously make them redundant though since, they’re also Dex/Wis-based 😅…

The only one I disagree with is barbarian. Unlike the paladin or fighter, they don't need armor at all, which allows them to be better at stealth. Additionally, they get some better options for doing naturey and survivaly things that make them a little better. I would give them a C for the exploration aspect in the same sense that monk gets a C for the infiltration aspect.

I’m surprised the pact of the chain warlock didn’t get mentioned. By the definition, it wouldn’t change the result from B, but pact of the chain with voice of the chain master, gives some of the most talked about advantages of the Druid/ranger (talking with animals/becoming one to be innocuous), and adds in the control over the familiar at unlimited range. A familiar which, thanks to the options from pact of the chain, can also go invisible or be different small animals.

I would place the ranger as the S tier. The fact that they get some of the best qualities of both the Druid and the Rogue makes for a two hit combo on exploration and infiltration.

When Monty gave the rogue an A I thought he was about to give his S rank to the sorcerer.. but he didn’t give an S rank and now I’m confused

Roleplay aside, mechanically speaking Barbarians are at least one rank above Paladins and Fighters those two don't bring anything to the table in their classes mechanics, and probably will even hinder the party by using Heavy armor so definitely D tiers. Barbarians in the other hand get danger Sense so they deal with traps in their own way, they also have "goodish" Dex most times since they use it for unarmored defense (I'm assuming you would be using every class feature) so they are at least competent in stealth checks and won't have disadvantage. They can pick proficiency in nature and survival. Although Wis and int are probably going to be lower they still have those proficiencies built in, the whole barbarian flavor is around a guy who probably lives in a tribe somewhere and survives from the nature around him, assuming a barbarian is bad at exploration is just... weird. Also they can move an extra 10ft and since they are Strength based characters they jump quite well and probably will succeed in most athletics checks to climb stuff so they can get on probably anywhere they need to. If we start to consider some subclasses like the beast barbarian they at 6th level can get climb speeds and breathing under water so they can really get anywhere they need. And the Ancestor guardian get access to some divination spells so they can cover some exploration options. Yeah it's not a lot but if we consider builds you could do something that's definitely not a D tier by any means. In conclusion... If you don't just asume barbarians will be just acting recklessly and actually go along the rest of the team, they probably won't be the ones in the party that will be a hindrance, definitely not on the same boat as a paladin or any other heavy armored character that doesn't have any class features that do anything for exploring. Also something i thought after all of this and, it could be a good thing to consider as a positive, if a rogue get caught breaking in, they probably will be in a lot of danger and this could make a player consider not trying or thinking it's not worth risking invading a place, but a barbarian would definitely try to break in and scout ahead regardless of the risk. (And they can do it in a smart and stealthy way as i pointed out before, without the severe danger that a squishy rogue surrounded by enemies would be in) So yeah a Barbarian should be AT LEAST an C rank they are by no means incompetent at scouting and infiltrating places. And If you start to consider builds you definitely could build a barbarian infiltrator/explorer.

My Drakkenheim party has a druid, a Gloomstalker and an Eldritch Knight. Individually they all have had some clever infiltration ideas and put them together in the Rat's Nest. It was working out really well for them until the ranger got too close to a ratling and got sniffed out. It went from Mission Impossible to Die Hard SO FAST but it was a great moment for my players.

One fun trick for Infiltration with a Genie Pact Warlock is take Pact of the Chain and the Imp Familiar. At level 10, bring the non sneaky party members into your Genie's Respite and have your Familiar either follow the main infiltrator or scout ahead on its own. Then when the infiltrator gets caught or whatever, the rest of the party can all jump out and, if it's been ten minutes, with the effect of a short rest.

I think the artificer is a B - you can make a great infiltrator/explorer with the right build. At Level 6, if you go for the Armorer option, you can have: Both the Disguise Self and Invisibility spells. Double proficiency with thieves tools. Either advantage on stealth checks or no disadvantage despite heavy armour. Boots of the Winding Path OR Boots of Elevenkind, a Rope of Climbing and a lantern of revealing. (For exploration potentially swap Lantern for Ring of Water Walking.) The only problem is it doesn’t have stealth proficiency but take that with a background and you have a great infiltrator at level 6 who is also able to handle themselves in a fight should something go wrong.

I love how Bards are always about to get the S tier but they're stopped by the "only 1 S tier" rule lol. Once they're done with these videos they should see which class got the highest tier rankings across all party roles. I bet the Bard gets first place with all of their "A tier but would be S if not for 1 S tier rule" stuff.

Artificer got shafted here. To start, Armorers get a built in advantage on stealth mechanic. Then there are the skills. Their stats can lead to great checks on int based infiltrating/exploring skills. (arcane, history, nature, religion). They also get some of the best tools usage in the game. This is all bolstered by the 7th level feature flash of genius. They also get spells like guidance, invisibility, detect magic, pass without trace, and alarm. But where they really shine in this roll is infusions. The artificer gets little tools like darkvision goggles and boots of flying and even magical tinkering has some great options for clever players. But the huge scout enhancing infusion that solidifies them as at least an A tier in this roll is the homunculus. It is like an enhanced familiar with expertise in perception checks. As an artificer you can use the help option and have your little guy can be the eyes of the party. I can hardly think of a more useful toll to scout dungeons, keep watch, and snoop on your neighbors. And yes some of these things are specialized to a build but most are class universal. And even the armorer specific option I described has the versatility of transforming you into a tank after a short rest. There is no reason a class like this should get a C in this category.

I feel like their definition of infiltration was a little bit narrow. It mostly had to do with scouting out the area while remaining undetected. But I feel a big part of infiltration is being able to do 'something' useful while in there, such as steal a critical item, convince/deceive a key person to do something, etc. As someone who plays as a high charisma rogue, its amazing what you can do with expertise in persuasion and deception with a well placed lie.

By class, the barbarian is usually unarmored, probably has a decent Dexterity score, and can easily pick up proficiency in Stealth, Athletics, and Survival. They're a solid C in infiltration, role-playing aside. Otherwise, I think you are spot on!

Worth noting that Rouge is capable of the social infiltration as well

Pact of the chain warlock, use an imp familiar. That imp can be invisible or turn into a spider and you can see through its eyes and communicate with it telepathically at long distance. When I played one we almost never opened a door without knowing what was on the other side.

Additional notes concerning the Monk... There's a lot to be said for "hiding in plain sight" and the Monk excels in this regard - Unarmored Defense and Unarmed Strikes enable a Monk to blend into a crowd of commoners without compromising themselves in the slightest. Stealth, Athletics, and Acrobatics are all baseline Monk skills - while they only get two proficiencies from the base class, virtually every Background includes at least one of these three. Tongue of the Sun and Moon (13th-level ability) allows you to understand *ALL* spoken languages - easily coupled with a Feat like Observant (enhanced lip-reading) to eavesdrop on anyone they can see. Empty Body (18-th level ability) not only enables a Monk to become invisible (with resistances to all damage types except Force) momentarily but also use Astral Projection (self-only) without needing expensive material components.

i think a big boon you are missing with the Wizard and Warlock is Find Familiar. just like the Druid's wild shape, a familiar can be basically any small animal that will go unnoticed. this is even more apparent with Chain warlock when they have a spirit or imp which can both fly and be invisible.

I feel like you underplayed the rangers ability to stack pass without trace and stealth expertise. Along with the great subclasses like gloom stalker which you didn't talk about makes it a s tier.

What's up guys! I just started playing and being a DM in my own game a month ago and with so much content to learn, finding you guys was life saving. Thank you for all the great advice and what you do everyday.

I think a lot of the Dudes' ratings are heavily colored by stereotypes, and how people they play with play those classes. This skewed perspective has been less evident in other role-ranking videos, but really started to show in this one.

Barbarian for roleplay can vary greatly, but some subclasses give some pretty useful tools for exploration or infiltration, totem barbarian (tiger or eagle), ancestral guardian barbarian level 10 ability has this purpose, possibly even the beast barbarian with climb speed could possibly be helpful in exploration. So I'd not say they're good for infiltration nor exploration, but maybe they could squeeze a C rank.

Thank you for doing these videos, Dudes, they are fun, informative and well made :D

Thank you for the great conversation about this role! Going into this my only thought was Rogue, but you both convinced me that Druid has a whole bunch to offer. Rangers and Bards weren't classes I would have considered, but you made several very good points and I have to agree they are both very strong contenders. Good job Dudes!

Artificier can be VERY good at infiltration once they hit level 6 if they take Boots of Elvenkind and Gloves of Theivery as their infusions. They also have expertise with all their tools at that level as well.

You can make Batman & Robin with an Artificer Armorer (stealthy armor option gives advantage on stealth rolls and a lightning "batarang"), your homunculus turning into a small Robin, choosing spells like: Spider Climb, rope trick, disguise self, invisibility.... you can also choose proficiency in thief's tools and a bunch of others (there's even an ability or infusion that can give you any chosen tool proficiency after a long rest) . Probably one of the best infiltrators :D You can disguise yourself as anybody, and even actually do their job proficiently as some secret agent :D

I am so happy you guys are continuing this series!

Your insights and analysis of this game has helped make me a better DM, player and home brewer. Party on Dungeon Dudes 🤘🏻

28:40 The rogue may be the one the guard pays attention to, but the guard will get stabbed during the surprise round that the rogue had, knowing that the cover had been blown by the ranger’s bird, and readying an action. By doing so they get advantage which means they get sneak attack. Then because of their high dex they’ll most likely go before the guard again and because the druid is within 5 feet of the guard since they’re also in the bush, they get sneak attack again. That guard is most likely gonna go down in 2 hits before he has a chance to stab the rogue. Now the druid is down a use of wild shape. And if they’re infiltrating a big castle that will have several combat scenarios, or they’re a high level moon druid that wants to turn into an elemental where they can wreck shop, they need to take a short rest to regain their use of wild shape. While druids have great spells and abilities for exploration and infiltration, the cost of resources is what keeps them from being my S tier. Expertise + reliable talent makes it nearly impossible for rogues to fail stealth and thieves tools checks and it costs them nothing.

The Armorer Artificer would make an exceptional scout & infiltrator. The Infiltrator mode of Arcane Armor gives you advantage on all stealth rolls, so if you pick an armor with no stealth penalty you get permanent advantage. If you get proficiency in the skill, it's easy to have a high bonus plus advantage, so you've got sneaking down better than most Rogues. I think the C rating is accurate, and I'm still disappointed that y'all didn't mention this one notable exception. Personally, I'd take 3 levels of artificer on any character that I want to be able to sneak at the highest levels

Saw the video, said "Yes!" aloud and tuned in. I really like this series. Planning to share the class role video with my players.

Thank goodness you guys finally returned to the series. I loved the first 3 n been fiending!

To me I think it really depends on what tier of play you are dealing with. Early on the rogue is going to be much stronger, T2-T3 it would probably be the druid. I think in T4 it would probably go to Wizard - they can do their remotely with the correct spells. They, as well as the druid are blocked by anti-magic so at that point I would say you are looking at the rogue once more.

Armorer Artificer has the Infiltrator Armor option which gives a permanent advantage in stealth if not in an armorer that would give disadvantage in which it would cancel it out. while it is at 6th level being able to make Boots and Cloak of Elvenkind is quite good.

Echo Knight’s ability “echo avatar” is great for infiltration imo

Having played a Druid, I was already right there with you... ;) Also, there is a Battle Maneuver in Tasha's called Ambush that allows the Battle Master to add the superiority die to the stealth check.

I would give the Artificer a B or a low A. Several subclasses have infiltration capabilities. Armorer literally has Infiltrator Armor. Alchemist can make you fly with a potion. Not to mention flash of genius adding to rolls that would be used in those checks and the Replicate Magic Item to make Elvenkind and other exploration items. If you want your Artificer to be an infiltrator or explorer they will be, they will be a good one, and it won't take much to figure it out.

D. Dudes...I've Been TOO Busy last couple months...Currently catching-up on your vids! Kelly tho! Bringin' that sexy back, bruv! Particularly Appreciate this Ranking Classes by Role Series! Great Content & Presentation as ALWAYS. Much Love.. Happy Summer. Pitter Patter, Boys.

I have just started my tiefling scout/gloomstalker build. I am excited about what kind of explorer this character can be.

Another great video dudes. I know you don’t go into multi-classing, so that’s why I felt like commenting. I’ve been playing DND since 1984, and my preferred class is rouge.my current character a Scout/Gloomstalker is the best infiltrator I have ever played. Don’t sleep on the expertise in Survival and Nature that the Scout gets, also the Ranger’s favored environment (advantage on Wis and Int skill checks) combined with expertise in perception and stealth is borderline broken when combined with the alert feat. My party never needs to bring rations, I just hunt while they set up camp. The party can move stealthily at normal overland speed. Not to mention being invisible in darkness (finding something to hide behind is for losers). Anyways I love your videos.

The wizard has the bonus that they can change out their spells in a way that the Bard, Sorcerer and the Warlock cannot.

I do have to say, while the Barbarian generally is still one of the weakest classes for infiltration/exploration, the inclusion of the additional skill proficiencies from Tasha’s definitely helps. But more specifically, the Totem Warrior can be actually really good as a scout/recon character with Beast Sense and Speak with Animals. I had a Dragonborn Totem Warrior Barbarian in a pirate campaign, and I actually in a lot of ways was more of a Ranger than the actual party Ranger outside of combat. It also helped that I had been given wings by magic. I know this is a very specific occurrence, but I do think that the Barbarian more recently has gained some additional exploration ability. Still at most a C, but it has gotten a little better in this regard

Our group's Eberron session tonight had an instance of "barbarian stealth" lol. The barbarian's way of disarming the blast discs (basically landmines, for anyone unfamiliar) was to run in and chuck them away before they detonated. The DM had him roll initiative vs. the discs to see if he could do it quick enough before they blew, so between feral instinct, danger sense, and fire resistance, he was the best suited to deal with the threat.

can’t wait to see the overall states when comparing all the videos. will show what classes might need some work 😭

I don't think Barbarian is that bad at stealth, mechanically. Because of Unarmored Defense/Medium Armor proficiency, their stealth rolls probably won't be the one to bring the party down. Compared to Strength Fighters or Paladins, the usual dumping of dex plus heavy armor is going to be a huge detriment to stealth. Totem Warrior and Ancestral Guardian Barbarians also get spells like Speak With Animals and Augury to boot. I'd say probably a mid C tier mechanically for the class instead of D/F

OK NO WAIT I PLAYED A STEALTHY BARBARIAN Dex based barbarian is really good for infiltration. Mostly cuz if I get caught I'm better off than most builds cuz "*summons axe* no one can sound the alarm if there's no one sound the alarm... did you just stab me? How'd that work out for you buddy? *cleaves*"

In a campaign of a friend of mine, me and two of my buddies are playing a druid, a ranger and a rogue, AND we're all lizardfolk. There hasn't been any major exporation or stealth missions, but it'll be a lot of fun I think.😁

Hopefully in the final video of this series, there is a chart showing all the classes and their score in each role =D

These videos are awesome thought-starters for the "Challenge Accepted!" type of player.

I am an artifer batlesmith and have had to take the inful role for my party. I have prof in stealth, thieves tools, and do rather well. Flash of genius and the invis spell do wonders. Plus double prof in theives tools. And several infusions are good for stealth. I feel like we are a C plus or so maybe low B.

I'd be interested to see you guys each make a min/max video for this specific thing. Personally thinking Eloquence Bard with Actor and Eldritch Adept (Mask of Many Faces). You can be anybody extremely reliably, with advantage on deception checks and 20 is your lowest possible roll for it.

Great video. This is one of my current campaign characters, commando style! Shadar-Kai Gloomstalker Ranger + Rogue Multiclass. Infiltration: Nature's Veil + Stealth Expertise + Pass w/o Trace +Disguise Self + Actor Feat + Raven Queens Blessing + Cunning Action + Umbral Sight = "I'm already in" Commando style: Dual Wielder (DDs homebrew version) with Rapiers + Stalkers Flurry Feat (DDs homebrew) + sneak attack + Hunters Mark (+ Crit if Rogue Assassin)= "I already killed them" Escape Plan: Nature's Veil + Stealth Expertise + Pass w/o Trace + Disguise Self + Actor Feat + Raven Queens Blessing + Cunning Action + Umbral Sight = "I'm already back".

All right, you have convinced me about the druid. But I gotta say, the barbarian is at least better at stealth than the fighter and the paladin, and I don't think it's fair to factor in roleplay, it should just be pure mechanics. I mean, in regards to roleplay, my barbarian got more of a cold fury, gong dead silent when he rages.

Ok, I disagree with the bard losing credit for having to "build" with spells, literally just invisibility and expertise makes them a high A and they can have.... Major image? That's super powerful. The only things they're missing imo are thief's tools and find familiar. Saying picking a couple of spells is a specific build would make wizard definitely not S utility.

Your talk about Bards infiltrating fortresses under the assumption that the guards don't know everyone reminds me of Order of the Stick strip 766. A very genre savvy villain gave manuals to all the guards with tips to avoid being infiltrated such as... "SURPRISE INSPECTIONS: We do not have surprise inspections. Ever. Especially not at night, when other guards have been called away to another event. Those inspectors in front of you? They're intruders. Get them." "SOUND IN THE BUSHES: Someone is throwing a rock to distract you. Try looking in the opposite direction from where the sound originated." "TARQUIN'S TIPS: Pictures of all members of the prison staff are posted in the lounge. Get to know them!" For bonus points he also made sure that the helmets on the guard uniforms didn't conceal their faces.

I totally agree about the "built in" vs "built for" type of aptitude. Regarding the Druid, one thing you guys didn't mention, that I think really needs to be mentioned, is duration. When a Druid first receives Wildshape, each use is an hour long. That makes it feel kind of like a long duration spell. But even then it is special, in that you can take a short rest WHILE Wildshaped, thus regaining your Wildshape uses. By level 4, that has increased to 2hrs per use, making it even easier to maintain permanent Wildshape. By level 8, you can summon a familiar with a 4hr duration, become a flying creature with a 4hr duration, take an hour long rest, and then do 3hrs of exploring with your familiar, and have both uses of Wildshape still available. Even before getting to high levels, the duration of the Wildshape gets to the point of essentially being endless. The staggering number of ways to use it is a big deal. But the accessibility due to duration makes it a true S tier feature, regardless of subclass.

I disagree entirely about the cleric - yes, you are not going to tromp around the camp or the forest scouting out the enemy camp or the path ahead, but the cleric spell list, specifically the divination school coupled with their ability to select whatever spells they want every day, makes it so they don't have to. Locate object, Locate Creature, Divination, Find the Path, Clairvoyance, Scrying, etc. are all really powerful tools in their quiver. I'm not going to argue they should be S or even A tier, but if being able to run up a wall is enough to give a Monk a B or a C, I don't see how the cleric could be dropped so low. If infiltration and exploration is about your capacity to gain information about a person, an encampment, a castle, a location, etc. through observation and do so without being detected, Divination should not be underestimated.

I cannot reconcile "I'm tempted to give the Bard an S" with "Artificer is definitely a C". Artificer as an infiltrator: - Infiltrator model Armorer gives automatic universal advantage on Stealth, no qualifiers like 'unseen' or 'unheard'. - Can make their own stealth magic items with infusions, or other general-use items that can be used in exploration/infiltration. - Use medium armor and so will likely have at least 14 DEX. - Get Tool Expertise at level 6 (making and disarming traps). - Flash of Genius at level 7. - Have access to MANY exploration/infiltration spells they can change on a LONG REST between just Disguise/Alter Self, Enhance Ability, and Invisibility, let alone also cantrips like Guidance to improve critical ability checks. - Are very SAD with INT+CON and thus can afford to have higher DEX/CHA, or take feats. Kelly said himself that sneaky bards have to lean more into their subclass... But still gave them an A, on a 'Spells Known' spellcaster whose 'you have to build for it' comes at a big price compared to an artificer. So why are the 2/4 Artificer subclasses that have access to stealth and exploration bonuses (Alchemist, Armorer) with little other cost irrelevant when Bards in general are just 'I have Bardic Inspiration for my checks, and naturally have higher CHA/DEX' unless you take subclasses??? EDIT: Oh, and Bards do get expertise later too, so that helps stealth or social skills. If you build for it.

Excelente video. Opiniones pre-video Pícaro o Bardo, dependiendo si se tiene en cuenta la dimensión social del Infiltrador. Saludos desde Colombia, 👋

I think that it would be really cool if ya'll did like certain build types like a build focused on shields, a build focused on protecting allies, another on maybe having the highest AC or a build that has a reasonable high AC that isn't too wacky.

15:40 in my campaign, druid hid himself from an ancient dragon beneath the tree roots, by turning into mouse. Same druid dropped in on biggest number of NPC conversations unnoticed. Enhance Ability and Pass Without a Trace alone can turn the tide of exploration, and help evade combat. Ultimate spy/explorer.

Using Familiars for scouting is almost broken. If the Druid gets busted they need a solid (lucky) exit plan, whereas the Familiar can be resummoned.

You can laugh about a cleric trudging through Chult, but when we explored the city of Mezro my grave cleric was essential in traversing the drowned city with water walk, enhance ability, and guidance. Plus being a wisdom based class definitely helped with perception and survival rolls

Really want to see one of these about the best Blaster. It'll mostly be spellcasters but I'd love to see how you rank them against each other

After watching this I immediately had to build an infiltrator Druid. I went with a Firbolg, grasslands Druid with the criminal background and the skill expert feat for expertise in stealth. This gives invisibility, haste, Disguise self, thieves tools, and the rest of the druid skill set. Anyone else have good build ideas?

Nice job as usual. Of the big 4, the druid was not the obvious one to me going in, but after watching this video, I am totally convinced it could be the best explorer/infiltrator.

I'd like to see more noncombat vids. One of the great things about Rogues is their ability to create adventure scenarios with their socialization and business play. I have a Rogue arcane trickster/Shadow Monk who's a taylor, and he solicits business thru his shop and thru the assassins guild. He's got multiple disguises and can be the mouth of the party no matter the situation. He can use his mind effecting illusion and enchantment spells to get past anything he can't sneak by. He's a lot of fun.

I don't think it would bump up a tier but I think it's worth mentioning Aberrant Mind has an amazing mix of control/ communication, and movement features. Plus being able to swap out damage spells on spell list for more illusion and enchantments that can be cast subtly without material components. plus twinning spells to bring along the right member of the team needed on an important mission.

I kinda thought the wizard would be ranked higher because of that spell list and the ability to switch spells as the needs arise, but I guess the Dudes are right. That said, as someone who has pulled off a solo jailbreak as a warlock, warlocks can't be underestimated.

Just commenting after the Druid but already I feel like we need to make it a rule that Monty can't just give Wizard the S-tier in everything! 😂 Edit: I feel like the guys forgot that trickster Rogues can go invisible - meanwhile I'd say the lack of resource limitations feels undervalued by the Dudes. If you've ever been in a situation where your invisibility spell doesn't last long enough or your eagle would certainly be out of place in the underground dungeon? Rogues have weaker but more diverse methods for infiltration, whereas I would argue the Druid and Ranger have superior but somewhat more situational abilities that do have generally more limited uses.

Armourer Artificer/Psi Warrior. I plan on having mine (if I ever get to play him) use Longstrider and Jump alongside Telekinetic abilities to do his infiltrating.

Where do you put polls ? I'd like to vote next time. Thanks for all this awesome content

I feel like the barbarian can be a C to B tier in this. Yes they can be roleplayed as a screaming brute, but they can easily have a decent stealth as dex is one of their 3rd main stat. They don't wear armor often, and their dex is normally decent. They can also be built to be a very good stealth player with the right choices. I would say that mechanically they are high C tier and can reach B tier with the right build. My Barbarian was the 2nd best stealth of the party. I will not disagree that a barbarian is often rp'ed as a screaming brute, but that is player choice, not mechanics

I feel like the artifice is kinda slept on here. Especially the armorer artificer. Not saying they're top but certainly feel like they're high B

Excellent video, especially about rogues vs bards, druids & rangers. Don't underestimate the power of thieves' tools however, which goes for both the Rogue & Artificer (which both can get expertise in thieves' tools). The only other ways to open a locked door or container include breaking it or casting knock (both of which are loud as hell and not stealthy at all), or just having the key or waiting for somebody else to open it. Considering this, I'm not sure that it quite bumps the rogue up to S tier, but I think the Artificer deserves a B ranking. While it is true that an Artificer built the wrong way isn't very stealthy, the Artificer just has so much potential in it's kit for excellent infiltration. There are ways to get easy advantage on stealth checks through the armorer subclass or 6th level infusions, and the artificer gets access to great spells like invisibility and enhance ability, or disguise self and alter self. Along with having expertise with thieves's tools at level 6 and potentially even gloves of thievery, I think the Artificer has too much potential for stealth and infiltration to justify a C ranking.

I think it’s easy to say that a guard would never think the squirrel in the bushes is a druid. But if you have an intelligent enemy who knows a druid is coming and tells their guards to look out for animals in suspicious places, suddenly that druid is one attack away from splitting the party, potentially dying, but most importantly alerting the enemies. Knowing that a rogue or a bard is coming is different because the best way to combat them is traps, but depending on how you build them, the rogue and the bard can with a high investigation bonus easily navigate what a druid might get knocked out of wild shape from.

Wouldn't the fact there's some domain builds that can excel make cleric a C? Also counter point. Knowledge domain is pretty handy. Expertise in two knowledges could be handy for exploration. Good wisdom is going to make survival a decent skill for you. Arcane Eye, Legend Lore and Scrying can all help you gather important information for infiltrations. Suggestion could even turn someone who'd otherwise catch you into an accomplice or a distraction. Your channel can give you a tool prof you need, or a skill that you weren't expecting to come up. You can then read minds, and it expands on the suggestion at 6th At 17th level you can even just straight up read the past and learn about anything or anywhere you can access. Clerics can also pack Clairvoyance, Enhance Ability, Borrowed Knowledge, Guidance. I can see an argument for a knowledge cleric being S-tier. especially if that cleric goes on to pick up some feats that can add utility to the role.

I'll give a corner case for warlock that makes it the best imo. Genie, chain pact, get an imp, make it to level 10, put the entire party in a ring, have imp go invisible or turn into a raven (whichever fits the situation) and you have an invisible flying party that can jump out and attack whenever they want

I was watching this during my workout today. I almost fell off the treadmill when you labeled the barb F-tier

if I may point out, we had a heist mission to save some kids from a secret npc warlock/witch ladies basement in her house. She was a magic user in secret. And I... was a Human Eldritch knight fighter tank build sitting outside in my full-plate as a back up plan. We had a homebrewed charisma focused Succubus Swashbuckler rogue, and storm cleric working as a a sort of bard face negotiator coming to distract the "Witch/warlock NPC" while the ranger and druid were sent in to get the kids. The ranger was ready, the druid turned into a cat, they went over to the back door. It was locked... a rogue could have picked the lock So they adapted and climbed up and into an open window. and creeped back down the stairs. They got to the basement door and the druid obviously can't even open it as a cat. so it was up to the ranger, the ranger grabbed the door handle and was turned into a frog by a magic glyph on the door.(She turned me into a newt.exe) the druid went grabbed them and dragged them away to safety back outside the house but it was already to late, the NPC knew their trap was set of and cast hold person on both members of the distraction party. Que payday loud music as My fighter does his best "FBI open up" impression busting down the door and shoving the NPC witch to the ground as the rest of the loud party circled around and got melee advatage as we beat the shit out of her. Turns out the door was trapped with a glyph and locked anyway. Im not saying a rogue would have guaranteed discovered the glyph of warding better, but they can usually have a higher investigation skill then the other two and can get it way higher. also, just about every rogue subclass adds to this. Assassin and swashbucklers can lean into the suave spy aspect, and the thief can climb and has advantage on stealth, while the inquisitive can detect those traps way better. and the arcane trickster as you already mentioned can turn invisible, mage hand, and have a familiar. the druid and ranger can scout a lot of ways and places but is sometimes stopped by a locked door, and can't do as much when it gets there.

I don't think exploration should be grouped with infiltration. The combo of those two options made me disagree with most of your opinions this time around. Nature, Survival and Investigation (exploration skills) do not equate to Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Persuasion and Deception (infiltration skills). Same for abilities. SMH

There is a huge missed case for Warlocks here. They deserve to be A tier at the very least Warlock with Chain has choices of familiars that are essentially undetectable, very durable and extremely capable compared to other familiars. 3/4 of them have hands so they can interact with objects and steal for you without any consequence, 3/4 of them can turn invisible, 2/4 can shapechange when invisibility *doesn't* work. Investment of the Chain Master also makes the familiars amazing attack assets and debuffers, but this isn't about exploration so skip. Everyone keeps saying "you can just spy it out with an owl". Can you let an owl fly into a ballroom or a packed market or even a saferoom of someone you want to spy on without it being noticed? No, because the owl (or any other animal really) sticks out like a sore thumb, and a non-flying animal will take much more effort to even *get* to where you need it to be. Chain familiars don't care because they can fly and have ways to stay undetected regardless of the situation. They're like stealth drones of a secret agency - they're always watching you. Additionally, Warlocks have various spells which help them perform infiltration and exploration from a safe distance. Invisibility, Scrying, Dream, Dimension Door - all those spells usually have a hefty cost for someone like Bard or Wizard to be cast. Except then you remember that you're a Warlock and this "cost" means nothing to you because you can sit down for an hour and blammo, you can do it all again. The fact that you can cast Scrying over and over again means that you can stare into the mirror and check the location you need while your familiar is *also* checking another location you need. The wealth of information you can gain as a Warlock is *huge,* and unlike Divination Wizards or Bards all it cost you was a pact boon. I've trivialized intrigue and any mystery in the game I played as a Chain Fiendlock by simply having an imp spy on every single person that had information with potential. If that doesn't say that Warlock can investigate and infiltrate places better than a ton of other classes, I dunno what will

In the second chapter of the Tyranny of Dragons module, the players are tasked with infiltrating the cult of the dragon. The druid in the party wild shaped into a giant badger and dug tunnels across the camp. The group used the tunnels to steal gold, evacuate prisoners, sabotage the cult and escape.

I had a Wizard with the criminal background and they were rather useful actually of particular use was the Gust spell it allowed me to distract the guard with either breeze that confused them, or knocking over something and making it break and then i could sneak past the guards, it also allowed me to go with the rouge in sneaking into place and that helped get them out of some bad spots, it also lead to a rather fun dynamic in the party where the Rouge and my Wizard would compete to see who could do a task better sometimes.

This makes me glad that I made an Infiltrator Barbarian. Changeling Totem Barbarian, all the Stealth and Deception, Actor Feat (Homebrew 1st level feat), and Thieves tools. Would have been fun once I got Observant and the Eagle Totem’s 1 mile sight. Gosh, I really loved that character

I still think rogue deserves the S. Wanna know how to stop invisibility? Closed doors. Make them locked and you have a step up. Rogues have their abilities DESPITE magic, which i think you undervalue. That rogue will still be just as great in an antimagic environment. They are still awesome despite no time to take a short rest. They will excel with the tools that they painstakingly put together through time and experience. I think playing by the rules is precisely why they have earned it.

I've had a surprisingly good time scouting and infiltrating as a Sun Soul Monk. I wouldn't say Monk is the best class for it, but the mobility options that were available along with choosing the right skill proficiencies made it really fun.

Barbarians in our tables usually have Survival skill, and often have some other background feature that helps exploration more than most classes.

As “the Druid guy” in my group, I can definitely attest to how often just turning into an everyday animal is the ultimate tactic. Even something as crazy as a long-standing stakeout. Spend a week or two as a stray cat that hangs out around the stronghold of your enemy, gathering intel and establishing yourself as a common sight. “Oh there’s the damn cat again” is such a massive power play.

I can't disagree with the 3 B's in the ending, I do, however, find it somewhat disappointing that Find Familiar wasn't mentioned, as that can be used for some amazing exploration, if you only require recon. If you need a person to do something on the inside, it's not quite as good, but more or less the best recon you can get

With Tasha's the druid can also get find familiar through Wild Companion. Which helps the same way as wild shape infiltration, but doesn't put you in harms way for exploring enemy compounds

Definitely can't argue with the Druid pick, although when discussing Warlocks and if they fit into B or not - I feel some emphasis should've also been on a flying invisible imp familiar. My old warlock had an imp called Flynn, and he was our designated scout. (admittedly our party was Arcane Archer, Barbarian and Celestial Warlock though...)