Pathfinder tier system for classes, December 16, 2015 proposed revision

Disclaimer: This tier list averages out an entire class's career from levels 1 to 20. It is *NOT* weighted towards the lower levels.

Up for debate: Should this tier list assume "optimization ceiling sans theoretical optimization," a more nebulous "average optimization," or an even more ambiguous "equal optimization across the party"?

~~~Explanation~~~
• Tier 1: Very high power and high flexibility
Mandatory prerequisite: Ability to significantly change the campaign through the use of special abilities even OUTSIDE of combat.
Most common specimens: Majority of 9th-level prepared spellcasters
"Capable of doing absolutely everything, often better than classes that specialize in that thing. Often capable of solving encounters with a single mechanical ability and little thought from the player. Has world changing powers at high levels. These guys, if played well, can break a campaign and can be very hard to challenge without extreme DM fiat, especially if Tier 3s and below are in the party."

• Tier 2: Very high power and medium flexibility
Mandatory prerequisite: Ability to significantly change the campaign through the use of special abilities even OUTSIDE of combat.
Most common specimens: Majority of 9th-level spontaneous spellcasters
"Has as much raw power as the Tier 1 classes, but can't pull off nearly as many tricks, and while the class itself is capable of anything, no one build can actually do nearly as much as the Tier 1 classes. Still potencially campaign smashers by using the right abilities, but at the same time are more predictable and can't always have the right tool for the job. If the Tier 1 classes are countries with 10,000 nuclear weapons in their arsenal, these guys are countries with 10 nukes. Still dangerous and world shattering, but not in quite so many ways. Note that the Tier 2 classes are often less flexible than Tier 3 classes... it's just that their incredible potential power overwhelms their lack in flexibility."

• Tier 3: Medium power and high flexibility
Most common specimens: Majority of 6th-level spellcasters, 6th- or 9th-level psionic manifesters, and 9th-level Path of War martial initiators
"Capable of doing one thing quite well, while still being useful when that one thing is inappropriate, or capable of doing all things, but not as well as classes that specialize in that area. Occasionally has a mechanical ability that can solve an encounter, but this is relatively rare and easy to deal with. Challenging such a character takes some thought from the DM, but isn't too difficult. Will outshine any Tier 5s in the party much of the time."

• Tier 4: Medium power and medium flexibility, or high COMBAT power and low flexibility
Most common specimens: Majority of 4th-level spellcasters or psionic manifesters
"Capable of doing one thing quite well, but often useless when encounters require other areas of expertise, or capable of doing many things to a reasonable degree of competance without truly shining. Rarely has any abilities that can outright handle an encounter unless that encounter plays directly to the class's main strength. DMs may sometimes need to work to make sure Tier 4s can contribue to an encounter, as their abilities may sometimes leave them useless. Won't outshine anyone except Tier 6s except in specific circumstances that play to their strengths. Cannot compete effectively with Tier 1s that are played well."

• Tier 5: Medium power and low flexibility, or low power and medium flexibility
"Capable of doing only one thing, and not necessarily all that well, or so unfocused that they have trouble mastering anything, and in many types of encounters the character cannot contribute. In some cases, can do one thing very well, but that one thing is very often not needed. Has trouble shining in any encounter unless the rest of the party is weak in that situation and the encounter matches their strengths. DMs may have to work to avoid the player feeling that their character is worthless unless the entire party is Tier 4 and below. Characters in this tier will often feel like one trick ponies if they do well, or just feel like they have no tricks at all if they build the class poorly."

• Tier 6: Low power and low flexibility
"Not even capable of shining in their own area of expertise. DMs will need to work hard to make encounters that this sort of character can contribute in with their mechanical abilities. Will often feel worthless unless the character is seriously powergamed beyond belief, and even then won't be terribly impressive. Needs to fight enemies of lower than normal CR. Class is often completely unsynergized or with almost no abilities of merit. Avoid allowing PCs to play these characters."

~~~"Major Upgrades"~~~
Each class listed down here assumes that the class is to be used in its base, non-archetyped form, and without any especially remarkable feats, favored class bonuses, or other class options.

However, certain classes have access to "major upgrades," class options that substantially improve the class from its baseline. Whether these upgrades "merely" push the class far up within its own tier or uplift the class into the next tier outright is up for debate, but either way, a "major upgrade" is always a noteworthy and exceptional improvement to the baseline.

Some "major upgrades" add more power and flexibility than others, but weighing the power and flexibility increases of each individual "major upgrade" is beyond the scope of this document.

Certain classes can acquire multiple "major upgrades" simultaneously. Enough of these can most certainly stand to bring a class into a higher tier. For example, a fighter with the Lore Warden or Mutation Warrior archetype, Dreamscarred Press's Myrmidon archetype, and either Advanced Weapon Training or the Martial Master archetype improves from tier 5 to the lower half of tier 3.

Each class's "major upgrades" are listed in parenthesis (like these).

~~~Evangelist and Sacred Geometry~~~
The Evangelist prestige class is a major upgrade for any class with a d6 HD and 2 + Intelligence skill points per level. Despite the loss of a single level of spellcasting progression, it improves the chassis of such a class to a considerable degree.

The Sacred Geometry feat is a major upgrade for all spellcasters, although it benefits 9th-level spellcasters more than lesser spellcasters, and prepared spellcasters more than spontaneous spellcasters.

~~~Paizo Tier List~~~
Tier 1: Arcanist, cleric, druid, shaman, witch (Scarred Witch Doctor archetype), wizard (Instructor archetype, Fast Study arcane discovery OR Collegiate Arcanist/Magaambyan Arcanist PrC)

Tier 2: Oracle (Ancient Lorekeeper archetype, Lunar mystery, Dreamed Secrets feat, human FCB), psychic (human FCB), sorcerer (False Priest/Razmiran Priest archetype, human FCB), summoner chained/unchained (Master Summoner archetype)

Tier 3: Alchemist (Preservationist archetype + Promethean Alchemist archetype + Planar Preservationist feat), bard (Magician archetype), hunter, inquisitor (Monster Tactician archetype), investigator (Empiricist archetype), kineticist with Gambler [DSP] archetype, magus (Hexcrafter archetype), mesmerist, occultist, skald (Expanded Spell Kenning feat), spiritualist, vigilante with warlock or zealot, warpriest

Tier 4: Antipaladin, barbarian chained/unchained (Masquerade Reveler [Mark Seifter]/Primal Disciple [DSP] archetype, Greater Beast Totem/Superstition rage power), bloodrager (Urban Bloodrager archetype, Monstrous Physique spell), brawler, kineticist with Air/Earth element, medium (Spirit Dancer archetype, Archmage/Hierophant spirit), monk unchained, paladin (Knight Disciple [DSP]/Sacred Servant archetype), ranger (Ambush Hunter [DSP] archetype), rogue unchained (Charlatan/Hidden Blade [DSP archetype, Rumormonger rogue talent), slayer, vigilante with avenger or stalker

Tier 5: Adept, cavalier (Beast Rider/Constable/Luring Cavalier archetype, Order of the Beast [ACG]/Order of the Tome, mounted charger builds), fighter (Drill Sergeant/Eldritch Guardian/Lore Warden/Martial Master/Mutation Warrior/Myrmidon [DSP]/Relic Master archetype, Advanced Weapon Training, archery build), gunslinger (Guns Everywhere variant rule), kineticist with Aether/Fire/Void/Water/Wood element, monk chained (Monk of the Silver Fist [DSP]/Qinggong Monk/Zen Archer archetype), ninja (Rumormonger rogue talent), samurai, swashbuckler

Tier 6: Non-adept NPC classes all on the bottom end of this tier

~~~Dreamscarred Press Tier List~~~
The tzocatl (truenaming) classes, the advocate and the warspeaker (formerly known as the "knight-scholar"), are in major flux and are thus not included here.

The Riven Hourglass and Shattered Mirror disciplines will be downgraded come the final release of Path of War: Expanded. The Broken Blade, Primal Fury, and Thrashing Dragon disciplines will be downgraded afterwards, and the Steel Serpent discipline will be upgraded.

Major upgrades for all psionicists: Psychic Reformation augmented power (note that this pushes a character straight into tier 1), Overchannel feat

Tier 2: Psion (Dual Disciple archetype + Psionic Knack trait, human FCB)

Tier 3: Aegis (Akashic Veilshaping/Essence Pool/Harness Power Stone/Harness Skill Shard/Initiator's Soul/Power Stone Repository customization), belluspex, cryptic (Lost Mind archetype), dread (Eclipse archetype), guru, harbinger, mystic (Mystic Artifice default class feature), psychic warrior (Pathwalker archetype), stalker, tactician (Squad Leader archetype, Collective Defenses strategy), vitalist, vizier, warder (Zweihander Sentinel archetype), wilder (Contemplative archetype, human FCB), zealot

Tier 4: Daevic on higher end of this tier, marksman (Mind's Eye Disciple archetype), soulknife (Gifted Blade [especially when free!]/Living Legend/Psychic Armory/War Soul archetype)

~~~Spheres of Power Tier List~~~
Major upgrades for all spherecasters: Alteration sphere Aquan Transformation and Ranged Transformation basic talents, all of the various ways caster level can be boosted into the stratosphere especially if your GM allows you to apply feats for spells to sphere abilities

Major upgrades for high spherecasters willing to sink talents into intensely quadratic spheres: Conjuration sphere (combat), Conjuration sphere Summoning and Diagram advanced talents, Weather sphere (strategic-scale noncombat usage only)

Major upgrades for low spherecasters: Talents that do not call for caster level (e.g. Fate sphere with Neutrality drawback and Bless and Curse basic talents, Time sphere with Altered Time and Personal Time drawbacks and Repetition and Retry basic talents)

Lower half of tier 2, sinks to the higher half of tier 3 if advanced talents are banned: Fey adept, incanter, soul weaver (Dual Channeler archetype + Ale/Wine or Rulership Variant channeling), Thaumaturge (Devourer archetype with 15-20 crits, Pact Mage Infernal archetype), sphere arcanist, cleric, druid, oracle, shaman, sorcerer, witch, wizard

Higher half of tier 3, sinks to the middle of tier 3 if advanced talents are banned: Eliciter, hedgewitch (Triple Goddess archetype), shifter, sphere investigator Psyforensic, sphere summoner

Lower half of tier 3, sinks to the bottom of tier 3 if advanced talents are banned: Elementalist (Admixture Savant/Electrokinetic archetype), symbiat (Hekatonkheires/Telekinetic Warrior archetype), sphere alchemist, bard, hunter, inquisitor, magus, skald, warpriest

Higher half of tier 4, sinks slightly if advanced talents are banned: Armorist (Symbiotic Knight archetype), mageknight (Dragoon/Soaring Blade archetype), sphere bloodrager

Lower half of tier 4, sinks ever so slightly if advanced talents are banned: Sphere paladin, ranger

~~~Miscellaneous Third-Party Tier List~~
Radiance House's occultist and spirit-binding archetypes (especially the cavalier's Pactsworn Knight archetype) are under heavy revision and rebalancing. The occultist will most likely wind up in tier 3.

Major upgrades for godlings: Divine Portfolio I divine trait, Force of Brawn/Intellect/Personality scion talent, Talent for Mysticism ascendancy

Tier 1: Magister, priest by AE, priest by FCG, theurge

Tier 2: Artificer by AE, artisan, eldritch godling, hedge witch by 4WFG

Tier 3: Adept godling (chained summoner spell list), archivist by AG, death mage, emperor, essence thief, nightblade, saboteur, savant, schooled bard, shaman by AE, taskshaper, vanguard, white necromancer

Tier 4: Archon, bounty hunter, corsair on bottom end of this tier, dragonrider, malefactor, ninja unchained (Rumormonger advanced talent), shadow assassin, spellblade, spell-less ranger, war master

Tier 5: Armiger, battle scion, beastmaster, clever godling, corbie on bottom end of this tier, direlock, elven archer, gladiator by TM, Hellenic sorceress, hunter by TM, knight by TM, luckbringer, martial artist by TM, mighty godling, pugilist, scholar by TM, scout by TM, spy by TM, swashbuckler by AE, time thief, warlock by AE (Prescience/Summon arcane school ability), warlord by AE, witch hunter

Tier 6: Gladiator by 4WFG on upper end of this tier, knight by AE on upper end of this tier, voyageur on middle ground of this tier