D&D: Five Magical Subclasses That Won’t Make You Memorize Spell Lists
Magic in D&D can be one of the more complicated options for a character. Unless you’re playing one of these subclasses.
Magic is the solution to many a problem in D&D, but that versatility comes with a cost. Playing a spellcaster can be a bit complicated. You have to know which spells to take. If you’re playing a caster who prepares spells, you also have to know which ones to prepare for the day. The right selection can make all the difference.
But so can the wrong choice. There’s nothing like being caught in an ambush when you were prepared to solve mysteries. But, if you want to play a magical character in D&D without having to worry about learning spells or the casting rules or anything like that, fret not!
There are surprisingly plenty of ways to do exactly that. Most involve hitting things pretty hard.
Wild Magic Barbarian
Let’s start with the Wild Magic Barbarian. Those who follow that Path are imbued with magical power, though, as Barbarians, they lack the ability to cast spells. So you won’t have to worry about that.
In fact, all you have to worry about is creating a surge of magical energy whenever you go into a rage. You can roll a d8 and see what magical effect you unlock, anything from summoning an exploding spirit near an enemy of your choice to dealing 1d6 points of force damage whenever a creature hits you with an attack roll for the duration of your rage.
There are some powerful abilities at play here. And as you get stronger, you can bolster your companions or yourself with surges of wild magic, and even unleash the energy to explosive effect.
Psi Warrior
Psi Warriors are Fighters who have mastered their minds. Using the power of Psionics, they are able to pull off tricks that might look more at home in the Jedi temple. Psionic Warriors have the ability to deliver psionic strikes to their foes, increasing damage, or to move other creatures telekinetically, or generating a protective field of force.
At higher levels they can soar into battle and push enemies prone or backward with their psionic power, ultimately becoming a master of telekinetic power. As long as they’ve got the psionic dice to keep all their powers going.
Phantom Rogue
Phantom Rogues walk the line between life and death. Sometimes they cross it, though never for very long in one direction or the other. A Phantom Rogue is capable of wielding necromantic power, though, not the way a traditional spellcaster would.
Instead, these Rogues can hear Whispers of the Dead and Wails from the Grave that grant them knowledge and also the ability to shoot bolts of necrotic damage at their enemies whenever they deliver Sneak Attacks. This means that they can deal a surprising amount of damage, spread out across multiple creatures.
At higher levels, they can become like ghosts, or even learn to conjure up ghost trinkets that give them powerful boons on saving throws or to glean information that would otherwise have been taken to the grave.
Way of Mercy Monk 
Introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Way of Mercy Monks are a way to be a healer without ever having to cast a healing spell. These Monks practice channeling life force of themselves and others, allowing them to heal or harm someone with nothing but a touch.
At higher levels, they can rid the body of disease, blindness, poison, even being paralyzed or stunned! Or they can sicken just as easily, no saving throw required. Playing a Way of Mercy Monk is a great way to satisfy the need for some healing in your party while also being able to deliver devastating blows to your enemy and never casting a spell.
Echo Knight Fighter
Widely considered to be the most powerful Fighter subclass, by quite a wide margin, the Echo Knight is one of the most magical subclasses in D&D. Using the power of Dunamancy, introduced in Critical Role’s campaign world of Exandria, Echo Knights are able to conjure an Echo of themselves from another timeline, or from a potential future that never existed.
This magical Echo is capable of moving, teleporting, and more importantly, attacking on behalf of the fighter, adding on an additional attack whenever they take the Attack Action. And this is just their 3rd level feature. At higher levels, Echo Knights can see through their magical echo, or even use them to reclaim hit points or defend against blows.
These are some of the most magical subclasses, and you’ll never even cast a single spell with them.
