Hello hello everybody, wanted to start a new discussion about one of my favourite playstyles, control casters. So the question is pretty straight forward:
Who is the best controller in D&D 5.5/2024?
FYI My takes are usually for around T2/~Lv10
For classes in general for me the clear winner is Sorcerer. They get a naturally higher DC thanks to innate sorcery and they can augment their spells even further with meta magic. For ex they can heighten their spells, making them harder to resist. They can subtle cast control spells so they can’t be counter spelled and even if they don’t subtle cast, they have natural con save proficiency, making it easier for them to overcome a counter spell. Also they can use distant spell to stay outside of counterspell range all together. And last but not least, they could increase the number of targets for a control spell via twinned spell. And as mentioned, they come with con save proficiency naturally, making it much easier to keep concentration without having to invest an extra feat.
The main counter argument against the sorcerer and in favour of for ex the wizard or the bard imho is spell options. My fav recent example is Distorted Distance from Arcana Unleashed, which Sorcerers don’t have access to yet Bards and Wizards do. Also a classic here is Wall of Force, which Wizards can learn at Lv9 and Bards at Lv10 thanks to Magical Secrets. Though this has become far less relevant firstly because the Clockwork Soul Sorcerer gets this spell as part of their expanded spell list and the new Arcana Unleashed book brought us Evocation Adept as a feat which allows non Wizards/Bards to learn Wall of Force very easily.
When we come to subclasses now that’s where things get interesting for me:
- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer: As mentioned they get Wall of Force without having to take a feat. Also their Restore Balance feature allows them to counteract enemy magic resistance by nullifying advantage against their spells.
- Aberrant Mind Sorcerer: Main selling point as a controller is their psionic sorcery feature, allowing them to cast spells with sorcery points instead of spell slots and without verbal or somatic components. This way they can cast two leveled spells in one round, getting around the 1 spell slot per turn rule. Also spells cast with sorcery points can’t be counter spelled cause no verbal or somatic components.
- Draconic Sorcerer: The one thing they got going for them in this department: Command as a Sorcerer spell. While it is pretty easy to get command as any other sorcerer, the draconic sorcerers command spell is not aquired through a feat or species feature but through their expanded spell list. This means it counts as a sorcerer spell and will therefore benefit from innate sorcery, making draconic sorcerers the strongest users of command in 5.5, except for…
- Glamour Bard: The Glamour Bard is imho one of the strongest contenders for best controller outside the Sorcerer class. Yet it might even beat out the nepo babies. The Glamour Bard gets to cast command as a bonus action and without expending a spell slot, which means they are the only ones who can double cast command instead of upcasting it. This means they can cast command on the same creature twice in one turn in case the first cast is resisted, unlike a twinned command spell by a sorcerer. This has so far been the only class/subclass I’ve seen which can “solo” legendary resistances. Minus point for the Glamour Bard though, they will generally have a lower spell save DC because they don’t get innate sorcery. And they will probably need to spend a feat on for ex warcaster or resilient constitution to protect their concentration.
- Honorable Mention: Enchanter Wizard: They get to incapacitate a creature via Hypnotic Presence. Drawback, this is reliant on the charmed condition. So if the enemy is resistant or immune to being charmed, this feature becomes less useful rather quickly. They also get split enchantment, which is twinned spell meta magic for enchantments. They get to use it intelligence modifier/per day. Imho Sorcerers, especially the ones named as well as the Glamour Bard are better controllers than the Enchanter Wizard.
Now I’m curious what other DnD enjoyers think. What is your take on who is the best controller in 5.5/2024?
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Allow me to throw in a vote for Stars Druid. 
In total, it is not the most powerful in terms of pure strength. They will not have access to the most powerful mentally affecting spells (lack hypnotic pattern, dominate, similar spells) but they make up for it with high versatility and more durability.
I tend to see druid as a class that that has control capabilities in area control. You restrain and slow down opponents, to the point that they cannot act as much anymore. As they tend to target different saves, it can be lethal against low strength, low dex, low con opponents. Often high level enemies have wis, con or int proficiency instead allowing you to target weaker saves for some. In some ways it can combine debuffing with battlefield control.
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Wildshape/Starry Form: Stars druid comes with a Wildshape and Starry Form. Wildshape can allow you extra durability and mobility at higher levels (Fly speed to get out of range of enemies to keep your spells up). Stars Druid gives you Starry Form as an additional way to spend a Wildshape to choose either extra damage (1d8+Wis mod), healing (1d8+Wis mod), or advantage on wis and int checks and all your dice for con saves to maintain concentration are 10 (if you roll below a 10). These abilities are all on bonus action.
- The damage is nice especially in early levels as you get to cast a spell or control and then do some extra damage.
- Healing is for others and yourself. You can keep your team up and keep yourself from going unconscious on lower levels. Your control spells do little if you are unconscious on the floor.
- Dragon form and the save boost can make it really easy to never worry about standard concentration checks again. Even with a normal con mod of +2 means that it will take over 24 damage for you to even make a check you can fail. Take Resilient: Constitution and you probably have +6 con saves at level 10, so it would take 32 damage. It gives you peace of mind. Also at level 10 you have a fly speed in that form, making it harder for melee fighters to target you.
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Proficiencies: Druid comes with Int save and Wis save proficiency included. After around level 7 these saves are really important to circumvent some horrible effects from enemies. Failed Dex and Str saves might heavily damage you or restrain you, failed int or wis saves can take you out of the entire fight for turns. Con proficiency can be taken via resilient: con, but with dragon form is not as necessary. The ability of the druid to get access to medium armor and shields, also allows you to keep a relatively good armor class and if accessible, equip some really nice shields.
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Abilities (Cosmic Omen): Stars Druids get the ability Cosmic Omen at level 6.
This allows you to either buff important saves or checks (since it can be used out of combat) or debuff saves for important spells you cast. It is like a mini cutting words. Also with medium armor prof you are not dependent on the Shield spell so almost always have your reaction free.
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Spells: As said, druids don’t get all the good mentally affecting spells that wizards and sorcerers get but they get some nice area affecting ones. Also since you can easily exchange spells, you can get the ones you need for the tasks and enemies you could face.
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1st Level: Entangle and Faerie fire are online immediately and low cost (allowing for casting in non-important fights) and the Strength and Dex saves they call for can hit some creatures badly. Additionally they do not allow for repeat saves without cost, with entangle needing an action for another save and Faerie Fire not even allowing another save. Entangle also makes difficult terrain. Faerie fire doesn’t allow the creature to benefit from the invisible condition. This is important since hiding now gives the invisible condition, so creatures can’t even hide anymore. Can be important for some fights.
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2nd Level: I will note classics like Hold Person, but I want to really mention Heat Metal and Spike Growth. Heat Metal has no save and is brutal against enemies that carry metallic weapons (like a bbeg with big sword). No save, target the sword. They will take at least 2d8 damage at the start of turn. Then they have to make a con save or drop the object. Otherwise it will have disadvantage on all attacks and ability checks until end of turn. You can team up and either remove the weapon or force him to have constant disadvantage on his turn with no save. Spike Growth is a blender that can make movement based enemies rue the day they fought you. For extra fun get your local barbarian into the mix and take that weak nerd and rub him over the spikes like a cheese over a cheese grater. Also Moonbeam is a great spell if the enemy is already stuck.
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3rd level: Big mentions to Plant Growth and Sleet Storm. Plant Growth is no concentration, no save, instant 100 ft radius extra difficult terrain. An enemy needs extra 4ft for 1 ft of movement. So your average enemy will move around 1 square a turn, 2 if they dash. Now you can literally kite the enemy if they have no long range attacks. Get your archers and mages to simply shoot the guy. If they do not have ranged attacks over 100ft they can do jack (don’t do this too often, it can be really frustrating for the dm). Good for groups and add a spike growth underneath for extra pain. Sleet Storm got a little change. It is still heavily obscured (so creatures are blind in there), if they start their turn in there, they make a dex save or fall prone, if they fall prone they also lose concentration (it is one of the few spells that forces concentration loss without damage or mentally affecting condition on a non con check, prone immunity is rather rare). It is also difficult terrain, so getting out is hard, especially when prone. But even worse you can couple it with Plant Growth (my beloved) and trap people in the “Frozen Plants Hell”. Perfect for ranged fighters and even worse for mages. As everything is obscured, most spells that target, can’t target. Archers shoot at disadvantage. They need forever to get out if they succeed all the time due plant growth allowing them at most 2 squares at once (for dashing, assuming 30ft speed, 3 at 40ft). And if they fail, there is a high chance it will take them a long time to get out as unless they have 50ft or more walking speed, they cannot walk a single square without dashing.
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4th Level: Confusion is my pet spell and better than people give it credit because it is often compared to Hypnotic pattern. But it has some advantages, such as it is not a condition effect, so it is not affected by charm immunity, creature type ect. It is also not broken by damage, so you can attack to your hearts content. You have a chance that the thing does what it wants but it is a 20% chance. Otherwise it has 20% (one melee attack at random target), 50% (does nothing), 10% runs random direction, no action (does take opportunity attacks). The radius is also malleable by upcasting, allowing you to choose the size. Yes it is more costly and allows for additional saves, but it can hit a much wider array of creatures and pierces some resistances that most enchantment spells can’t pierce.
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5th Level I can mention transmute rock as another mass battlefield control spell, Wall of stone to box in annoying casters or ranged enemies, or block of vulnerable targets (npcs or items you want to protect), since it blocks line of sight. Also shoutout to Contagion, which got an update and is also a big debuff, that can last a lot of turns if it goes through (requires 3 successful saves, if the first one is failed), You can also choose an ability for which they will have disadvantage on all saving throws until contagion ends. Contagion also requires no concentration and is exclusive to clerics and druids.
So in total, it might not be the “strongest” controller on a sheer power level, but Stars druid brings in versatility, defense, buffing and scouting capabilities. I played a stars druid to level 20 in a Polynesian style campaign as was one of the big controllers, while my warlock buddies were the damage dealers. In smaller groups, a druid can be a great controller since it can round out their preferred package and adapt to many situations and enemy types.
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End of this long ass post
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I can’t give a detailed informed opinion on this question but intuitively it’s definetly absolutely the sorcerer for me. Heightened Spell is just that stupid
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