Barony is a first-person roguelike dungeon crawler that combines classic dungeon crawling with 4-player co-op. You descend through procedurally generated levels fighting monsters, solving traps, and collecting loot with permadeath adding real stakes. The game's distinctive low-poly aesthetic and old-school dungeon crawler design recall classics like Ultima Underworld and Eye of the Beholder. With 5 classes, procedural dungeons, and co-op that makes challenging content accessible, Barony delivers classic dungeon crawling for modern players.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | A | Lead the party, tank hits, melee kill enemies while others support. | Steel Sword, Heavy Armor, Shield, Health Potions |
| Wizard | A | Cast spells from range, manage scroll inventory, stay behind the Warrior. | Crystal Staff, Spell Scrolls, Robes, Mana Potions |
| Archer | S | Shoot from distance, kite enemies, craft arrows from collected materials. | Longbow, Arrows, Light Armor, Crafting materials |
| Cleric | A | Heal allies, deal holy damage to undead, support the party with prayers. | Holy Mace, Medium Armor, Healing Prayers, Holy Water |
| Mechanic | B | Disarm traps, pick locks, craft utility items, support team with utility. | Boomerang, Lockpicks, Trap Kit, Crafting tools |
A-Tier: Warrior
The tank class with highest HP and melee damage. Warriors wear heavy armor and use swords/maces for reliable close combat. Best starter class for learning dungeon layouts safely.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Steel Sword | Reliable melee weapon with good damage and speed. |
| Core Gear | Steel Sword, Heavy Armor, Shield, Health Potions | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Strength, HP, Defense | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | first-person dungeon crawling | Grid-based movement through 3D dungeons with real-time combat. |
How to Play Warrior
Lead the party, tank hits, melee kill enemies while others support.
The tank class with highest HP and melee damage. Warriors wear heavy armor and use swords/maces for reliable close combat. Best starter class for learning dungeon layouts safely.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Steel Sword and first-person dungeon crawling creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Steel Sword, Heavy Armor, Shield, Health Potions amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Strength, HP, Defense) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Wizard
The glass cannon with powerful spell scrolls. Wizards deal the highest AoE damage but die quickly. Spell scrolls are consumable, so managing your scroll inventory is essential.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Crystal Staff | The Wizard's casting focus that amplifies spell scroll damage. |
| Core Gear | Crystal Staff, Spell Scrolls, Robes, Mana Potions | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Intelligence, Mana, Magic Damage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | class skills | Five classes (Warrior, Wizard, Archer, Cleric, Mechanic) have unique abilities. |
How to Play Wizard
Cast spells from range, manage scroll inventory, stay behind the Warrior.
The glass cannon with powerful spell scrolls. Wizards deal the highest AoE damage but die quickly. Spell scrolls are consumable, so managing your scroll inventory is essential.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Crystal Staff and class skills creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Crystal Staff, Spell Scrolls, Robes, Mana Potions amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Intelligence, Mana, Magic Damage) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Archer
Ranged DPS with the bow — safe, consistent damage from distance. Archers are the most forgiving class because they rarely need to enter melee range. Arrow crafting keeps ammo sustainable.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Longbow | The primary ranged weapon with excellent range and moderate damage. |
| Core Gear | Longbow, Arrows, Light Armor, Crafting materials | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Dexterity, Accuracy, Ranged Damage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | co-op dungeon runs | 4-player online co-op allows class-diverse parties to tackle dungeons together. |
How to Play Archer
Shoot from distance, kite enemies, craft arrows from collected materials.
Ranged DPS with the bow — safe, consistent damage from distance. Archers are the most forgiving class because they rarely need to enter melee range. Arrow crafting keeps ammo sustainable.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Longbow and co-op dungeon runs creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Longbow, Arrows, Light Armor, Crafting materials amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Dexterity, Accuracy, Ranged Damage) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Cleric
The support class with healing and undead-specific damage. Clerics keep the party alive in co-op and deal bonus damage to the many undead enemies. Holy Mace is effective against most dungeon creatures.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Holy Mace | A blunt weapon that deals bonus damage to undead enemies. |
| Core Gear | Holy Mace, Medium Armor, Healing Prayers, Holy Water | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Wisdom, Healing Power, Undead Damage | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | permadeath | Death is permanent — your character and all their equipment are lost. |
How to Play Cleric
Heal allies, deal holy damage to undead, support the party with prayers.
The support class with healing and undead-specific damage. Clerics keep the party alive in co-op and deal bonus damage to the many undead enemies. Holy Mace is effective against most dungeon creatures.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Holy Mace and permadeath creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Holy Mace, Medium Armor, Healing Prayers, Holy Water amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Wisdom, Healing Power, Undead Damage) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
B-Tier: Mechanic
The utility class that disarms traps, picks locks, and crafts items. Mechanics bypass obstacles other classes trigger. In solo play, trap disarming saves more HP than healing potions. In co-op, the Mechanic opens paths for the team.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Boomerang | A thrown weapon that returns to the user, providing ranged damage without ammo consumption. |
| Core Gear | Boomerang, Lockpicks, Trap Kit, Crafting tools | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Dexterity, Perception, Trap Awareness | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | secret levels | Hidden entrances in certain dungeon levels lead to secret areas with unique loot, tougher enemies, and story content. |
How to Play Mechanic
Disarm traps, pick locks, craft utility items, support team with utility.
The utility class that disarms traps, picks locks, and crafts items. Mechanics bypass obstacles other classes trigger. In solo play, trap disarming saves more HP than healing potions. In co-op, the Mechanic opens paths for the team.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Boomerang and secret levels creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Boomerang, Lockpicks, Trap Kit, Crafting tools amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Dexterity, Perception, Trap Awareness) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Wizard — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Warrior once you understand core mechanics and have access to Steel Sword
- Keep a Archer setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Mechanic for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Strength determines melee damage, invest early if playing Warrior or Cleric — hitting harder kills faster, reducing damage taken.
- Potions are unidentified until tested — drink one of each unknown potion to identify them. Some heal, some poison, some buff. Knowledge persists within a run.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
