Summary

Tomb of Annihilation can be one of the most unforgivingDungeons & Dragonsadventures out there. The campaign is heavily survival-focused and features a lot of different types of random encounters and combat scenarios. However, in playing through Chult, you are also going to want your characters to have exploration-based abilities as well.

So, how do you balance your character for this difficult module? This list has a variety of different options for playing through this adventure, based on both character optimization and roleplay potential. Here are the best, most optimized character builds for the Tomb of Annihilation module in Dungeons & Dragons.

A set of skull totems in Tomb of Annihilation in DND.

Background

Archaeologist

This first build allows players to essentially roleplay as Indiana Jones. Select the archaeologist background, which is specific tothe Tomb of Annihilation module, and extremely helpful thanks to its given skill proficiencies: Survival and History. Plus, you get access to proficiency with Cartographer’s Tools, which is very helpful for navigating the jungle.

Select the college of lore bard to gain extra proficiencies, and allow yourself to roleplay a focus on pursuing knowledge at all costs. This will also make your spellcasting more varied at sixth level, when you get access to new spells from any other class of your choice.

A wizard studying a magic book in DND.

Anthropologist

This next build creates excellent roleplay opportunities for high-Intelligence character builds. If you want your character to be more about uncovering the mysteries of Chult as opposed to fighting off enemies, this build is for you. Select gnome and the order of scribes wizard subclass: this will give you advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, as well as additional spellcasting features.

Then, select the anthropologist background, also specific to the Tomb of Annihilation module. This will give you proficiency in Insight and Religion, which can help you unravel the many mysteries of the jungle. Plus, you can communicate with creatures in languages you don’t know by observing them, which can prove helpful when you first arrive in Chult.

Barbarian art in the 2024 Players Handbook for Dungeons and Dragons.

Soldier

For this build, you should assume that you are, in essence, roleplaying the hired muscle of the party. If your fellow players are playing high-Intelligence builds, rounding out the party with a high-Strength and Constitution-based character is going to prove extremely helpful.

Selecting the soldier background will help improve your physical skills and give you access to the Savage Attacker feat. This will make your build extremely sturdy and offensive, properly preparing you for all the physical challenges that await you in the jungle.

The jungles of Chult in the Tomb of Annihilation module in DND.

Farmer

Given the fact that you’ll spend most of your time in Tomb of Annihilation in nature, druids, of course, make for an excellent class option for this module. Because so much of the module is focused on spellplagues, poisons, and other necromantic effects, the circle of spores druid is ideal thanks to its focus on death and decay.

The farmer background will help improve your Wisdom and your Constitution (which you’ll want to prevent your druid from becoming too squishy. Additionally, select dragonborn to give yourself resistance to a particular kind of damage. Green, Black, and Copper dragonborns are the best options for this module.

This is official art for the Sailor Background by Noor Rahman.

Scribe

The cartographer artificer subclassis highly underrated, and grants players access to magical maps that can buff their abilities. This subclass is technically Unearthed Arcana, so ensure your DM is okay with this first. However, this subclass grants teleportation abilities and provides proficiency with Cartographer’s Tools, helpful for navigating the jungle.

Gnomes and the scribe background both provide buffs to Intelligence-based stats, which is always helpful for artificers. Plus, artificers function like half support, half DPS classes, which is always great, especially for smaller parties trying to navigate Chult.

The gloom stalker ranger subclass wielding a crossbow in Dungeons & Dragons.

Sailor

Thanks to their affinity with nature, rangers also make great additions to any party taking on the Tomb of Annihilation module. For this build, select wood elf to gain access to additional spellcasting, the swarmkeeper ranger subclass, and the sailor background.

Because you’re traveling through a jungle, the swarmkeeper ranger subclass, which allows players to master a swarm of animals and command them, makes perfect roleplay sense. Plus, the sailor background grants bonuses to your Wisdom and Dexterity (essential for rangers) and grants proficiency with Navigator’s Tools, which can also prove helpful for finding your way through the jungle and avoiding as many random encounters as you can.

An aarakocra player in Tomb of Annihilation in DND.

This build is all about being as dexterous as you can when it comesto random encounters. You’ll have to fight your way through a lot of different creatures in Chult, so being as nimble and sturdy as possible helps a lot.

For this build, choose aarakocra, battle master fighter, and the soldier background. This will give you access to a bunch of different combat maneuvers, superiority dice, and more abilities that help you flavor your combat style specifically to Chult. Plus, the flight speed granted to you as an aarakocra can allow you to stay off the ground, where a lot of dangerous creatures dwell.

An artificer fighting an adversary in Dungeons & Dragons.

Hermit

Artificers can make surprisingly good additions to a Tomb of Annihilation party thanks to their support/flex status. For this build, choose the alchemist artificer instead of the cartographer, and choose the hermit background to give yourself access to an Herbalism Kit and Medicine proficiency.

Because the alchemist artificer can help buff and heal their party, and having an herbalism kit can help you craft potions of healing, this will make your artificer function almost like a second support class within your party, even if you already have a cleric or paladin.

A dark, shadowy rogue perched on a rooftop in Dungeons & Dragons.

Guide

Rogues can also make great additions to a Tomb of Annihilation party if they select the scout subclass, which grants them proficiency in Survival and Nature if they don’t already have it. The guide background also will grant players proficiency in Stealth, which means, as a rogue, you’re able to pick four completely different skill proficiencies, giving you a very well-rounded set of skills.

Additionally, the guide background grants ability score improvements to Constitution and Dexterity, which is immensely helpful for rogues as well as access to Cartographer’s Tools and the Magic Initiate feat in the druid class, meaning you’ll have more access to nature-based spells. Select aasimar just to help your party out with some additional healing abilities.

A cleric attempts a raise dead spell surrounded by glowing white light in Dungeons & Dragons.

Sage

This last build provides access to a full support character should your party decide they don’t have enough healers. Select dwarf as your species to grant you a sturdy build for your cleric, so that they can’t easily succumb in battle, and the sage background to grant yourself ability score improvements in Constitution and Wisdom.

Then, for your class, select the nature domain cleric. This is technically legacy content, so check with your DM first before choosing this build. However, having access to nature-based spells like Speak with Animals, Barkskin, and Spike Growth can prove immensely helpful in Chult. Plus, you can charm animals with this subclass, which can prove helpful for subverting dozens of animal-based random encounters in this module.