Class Archetypes
Here, you'll find lots of different options for 5e character subclasses, arranged by base class. Some of these are based on prestige classes from 3rd or 3.5 edition, while others are original creations.
Key: vDCC1: vanDorne's Class Compendium, volume I (PDF download link)
vDCC2: vanDorne's Class Compendium, volume II (PDF download link)
Artificer
Loose Cannon specialisation (vDCC2) - Unpredictable inventors of tremendous destruction
Warwright (vDCC2) - Controlling a powerful and robotic automaton, a lumbering engine of destruction
Barbarian
Path of Belligerence (vDCC2) - Impulsive scrappers, talented at unarmed and improvised fighting
Path of Plunder - Tenacious and bloodthirsty warriors who favour improvised weapons and armour
Path of Scars (vDCC2) - A barbarian driven by memories of past enemies they've defeated, and their own glory
Path of Survival (vDCC2) - A barbarian so tough that nothing stops them
Path of the Guardian (vDCC1) - A relentless and skilled defender
Path of the Nihilist (vDCC1) - Disbelieves SO HARD in magic that it doesn't work
Path of the Outrider (vDCC1) - A mounted warrior with a tough steed
Path of the Ravager (vDCC1) - Feeds on others' pain and suffering
Path of the Skinchanger (vDCC2) - Shares a psychic bond with an animal
Bard
College of Aristocracy (vDCC2) - Born to lead, with a retinue of NPCs and channeling the magic of majesty
College of Heraldry (vDCC2) - A supporter who can cheer to celebrate their allies' successes, and foes' failures
College of Masks (vDCC1) - A paragon of the acting career, able to take on other personas
College of Scribes (vDCC2) - Armed with a tome of knowledge, they can find weaknesses and solve problems
College of Storykeepers - Masters of the empowered voice, and guardians of their tradition and culture
College of the Ingenue (vDCC1) - Sweet and innocent, clad in plot armour
College of Theology (vDCC2) - Able to channel divinity through word and song, and preach to the masses
College of the Seeker (vDCC1) - Able to use melodies to access the primal magic of creation
College of the Sublime Chord (vDCC1) - Wielders of pure harmony
College of the Troubadour (vDCC2) - Rough-and-tumble travelling minstrels
Fochlucan College (vDCC1) - Trained in druidry, swordplay, and spying
Cleric
Contemplation Domain (vDCC1) - In prayer, you become closer to your deity
Faithless Domain (vDCC2) - Those who have lost their faith or deity, who find power elsewhere
Favoured Soul Domain (vDCC1) - Free agents of divine power, becoming something more
Honour Domain (DCC2) - By acting honourably, you teach the world to improve
Inquisition Domain (vDCC2) - Seekers of truth in philosophy and reality
Oracular Domain (vDCC1) - Gifted with foresight and true-seeing
Druid
Circle of Ivy (vDCC1) - Sap flows in their veins, and they are the master of all flora
Circle of the Great Wheel (vDCC2) - Able to align to all the planes
Circle of the Reeve (vDCC1) - A Druidic warrior, able to walk unnoticed in civilised lands
Circle of the Rose (vDCC2) - Healers who give generously of their own energy
Circle of the Spirits (vDCC1) - Those who guard the borders of unreality
Twisted Circle (vDCC2) - Those who use their power for unnatural ends
Fighter
Atavist (vDCC2) - Guided by ancestor spirits which inhabit their body
Deathsworn Knight (vDCC2) - Steeped in death, and resistant to its energies
Enforcer (vDCC1) - A rough back-alley combatant, adept at ambushes and teamwork
Errant (vDCC2) - A warrior with a variety of tricks, and few illusions about their honour
Gallant (vDCC2) - An enthusiastic and sometimes reckless duellist
Knight Protector (vDCC1) - A dedicated defender who inspires others
Pistoleer (vDCC2) - A professional soldier, skilled in the use of flintlock weapons
Tempest (vDCC1) - Expert at battle with two weapons
Venator - An expert at slaying gigantic monsters and harvesting their parts for use
Warlord (vDCC1) - A coach, supporter, and front-line warrior
Weaponmaster (vDCC2) - An expert at fighting with their chosen kind of weapons
Monk
Way of Enlightenment (vDCC1) - Adept at blending magical and meditative energy
Way of Meditation (vDCC2) - Seeking peace from within to attain perfection
Way of the Crystal Soul (vDCC2) - Able to focus their Ki into telekinetic energy, and form it into a weapon
Way of the Operative (vDCC2) - An expert spy, thief, and martial artist
Way of the Swordsage (vDCC2) - A master of martial skill and precision
Way of the Tattooed Ascetic (vDCC1) - Able to gain power from mystical tattoos
Way of the Wild Fist (vDCC1) - A feral and raging unarmed combatant
Paladin
Broken Oath (vDCC2) - Those who have forsaken their oath, but still hold firm to some of its tenets
Oath of Inquisition (vDCC1) - Seeking out corruption with spite and disdain
Oath of Perfection (vDCC1) - Attempting perfection in all things will teach others to aspire
Oath of the Crow Knight (vDCC1) - Servants of death, these warriors intercede with foul spirits
Oath of the Draconic Champion (vDCC2) - Sworn to serve and guard a particular dragon, and empowered with their might
Oath of the Eightfold Path (vDCC2) - Sworn to serve the powers of Chaos, and given to mutating as they access their powers
Oath of the Quest (vDCC2) - Sworn to seek out an unattainable goal, inspiring to all who see them
Ranger
Arcane Guardian (vDCC1) - Given arcane powers to defend civilization
Conclave of Couriers (vDCC2) - Sworn to get the message through rain, hail, and gloom of night
Conclave of Explorers - Able to find their way anywhere, and in tune with the natural world
Conclave of Grim Slayers (vDCC2) - Expert monster-hunters
Conclave of Wardens (vDCC2) - Shadowy urban stalkers
Consecrated Harrier (vDCC1) - Trained to hunt enemies of the faith
Justicar (vDCC1) - Experts at bringing 'em back alive
Liberator (vDCC1) - Revolutionaries and freedom fighters against tyranny
Occult Slayer (vDCC1) - Hunters of witches and monsters
Sharpshooter (vDCC1) - The finest archers in the land
Rogue
Avenger (vDCC1) - Terrifying murderers driven by dark pasts
Breakneck (vDCC2) - Moving with relentless speed and a disregard for physics
Courtier (vDCC2) - Elegant, refined experts at social manipulation
Delver (vDCC1) - Scouts of the deepest places of the earth
Dread Pirate (vDCC1) - Nautical experts with a grand reputation
Ghostblade (vDCC2) - Assassins and hunters of spirits, able to shift in and out of incorporeality
Infiltrator (vDCC1) - The finest sneaks in the business
Invisible Blade (vDCC1) - Unarmoured experts at fighting with the smallest weapons to be found
Mountebank (vDCC1) - Tricksters and conmen, able to pass anywhere and as anyone
Scavenger - Able to improvise with minimal tools, and able to master many magical items and objects
Temple Raider (vDCC1) - Pious thieves with protection against retaliation
Vigilante (vDCC1) - Able to use gadgets and stealth to fight crime - or commit it
Sorcerer
Acolyte of the Skin (vDCC1) - Bonded to fiendish power, able to call upon greater forces
Beguiler (vDCC1) - Sneaky spellcasters who can surprise their foes
Bloodmage (vDCC1) - Able to manipulate the blood of others, at a cost
Grave bloodline (vDCC2) - Born with terrible necromantic powers
Inferno bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of the powers of destructive fire
-Kineticist (vDCC1) - Experts at using just one kind of power, very very well
Lithic bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of the powers of unbreakable earth
Maelstrom bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of the powers of fluid water
Magical bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of pure magical potency
Shapechanger (vDCC2) - Able to change into beasts and even warp their own form
Warlock
Dragon Overlord - A servant to a mighty dragon, empowered with elemental potency
Green Pact (vDCC2) - Sworn in service to the great powers of nature
Hag Initiate (vDCC1) - Servant of a Hag Coven, beguiling and confusing powers
Occult Lore (vDCC2) - A warlock with many incidental pacts, at the beck and call of dark forces
Pact of the Heart (vDCC2) - A pact boon for warlocks who have taken on a physical portion of their patron
Primordial Void (vDCC2) - Slaves to entropy, with unpredictable wild magic powers
Rainbow Servant (vDCC1) - Sworn to serve a Couatl, and to bring light and hope to the world
The Actuary of Fates (vDCC1) - Curious servant of the Inevitables, disciplined and guarded
Wizard
School of Abjurant Defense (vDCC1) - Skilled guards, always prepared to ward off hostile magic
School of Lore (vDCC2) - Unparalleled knowledge, and the secrets of the universe
School of the Alienist (vDCC1) - Able to warp the barriers between realities
School of the Arcanist (vDCC1) - Experts in pure magical technique, rather than specialising
School of the Elementalist (vDCC1) - Masters of all the elements and their admixture
School of the Hedge (vDCC2) - Bumbling wizards who know who a few shortcuts and focus on cantrip use
School of the Spirit Mage (vDCC2) - A wizard with a spirit possessing their body to grant them power
School of War (vDCC2) - Trained and tough battle-wizards who can handle a scrap
Key: vDCC1: vanDorne's Class Compendium, volume I (PDF download link)
vDCC2: vanDorne's Class Compendium, volume II (PDF download link)
Artificer
Loose Cannon specialisation (vDCC2) - Unpredictable inventors of tremendous destruction
Warwright (vDCC2) - Controlling a powerful and robotic automaton, a lumbering engine of destruction
Barbarian
Path of Belligerence (vDCC2) - Impulsive scrappers, talented at unarmed and improvised fighting
Path of Plunder - Tenacious and bloodthirsty warriors who favour improvised weapons and armour
Path of Scars (vDCC2) - A barbarian driven by memories of past enemies they've defeated, and their own glory
Path of Survival (vDCC2) - A barbarian so tough that nothing stops them
Path of the Guardian (vDCC1) - A relentless and skilled defender
Path of the Nihilist (vDCC1) - Disbelieves SO HARD in magic that it doesn't work
Path of the Outrider (vDCC1) - A mounted warrior with a tough steed
Path of the Ravager (vDCC1) - Feeds on others' pain and suffering
Path of the Skinchanger (vDCC2) - Shares a psychic bond with an animal
Bard
College of Aristocracy (vDCC2) - Born to lead, with a retinue of NPCs and channeling the magic of majesty
College of Heraldry (vDCC2) - A supporter who can cheer to celebrate their allies' successes, and foes' failures
College of Masks (vDCC1) - A paragon of the acting career, able to take on other personas
College of Scribes (vDCC2) - Armed with a tome of knowledge, they can find weaknesses and solve problems
College of Storykeepers - Masters of the empowered voice, and guardians of their tradition and culture
College of the Ingenue (vDCC1) - Sweet and innocent, clad in plot armour
College of Theology (vDCC2) - Able to channel divinity through word and song, and preach to the masses
College of the Seeker (vDCC1) - Able to use melodies to access the primal magic of creation
College of the Sublime Chord (vDCC1) - Wielders of pure harmony
College of the Troubadour (vDCC2) - Rough-and-tumble travelling minstrels
Fochlucan College (vDCC1) - Trained in druidry, swordplay, and spying
Cleric
Contemplation Domain (vDCC1) - In prayer, you become closer to your deity
Faithless Domain (vDCC2) - Those who have lost their faith or deity, who find power elsewhere
Favoured Soul Domain (vDCC1) - Free agents of divine power, becoming something more
Honour Domain (DCC2) - By acting honourably, you teach the world to improve
Inquisition Domain (vDCC2) - Seekers of truth in philosophy and reality
Oracular Domain (vDCC1) - Gifted with foresight and true-seeing
Druid
Circle of Ivy (vDCC1) - Sap flows in their veins, and they are the master of all flora
Circle of the Great Wheel (vDCC2) - Able to align to all the planes
Circle of the Reeve (vDCC1) - A Druidic warrior, able to walk unnoticed in civilised lands
Circle of the Rose (vDCC2) - Healers who give generously of their own energy
Circle of the Spirits (vDCC1) - Those who guard the borders of unreality
Twisted Circle (vDCC2) - Those who use their power for unnatural ends
Fighter
Atavist (vDCC2) - Guided by ancestor spirits which inhabit their body
Deathsworn Knight (vDCC2) - Steeped in death, and resistant to its energies
Enforcer (vDCC1) - A rough back-alley combatant, adept at ambushes and teamwork
Errant (vDCC2) - A warrior with a variety of tricks, and few illusions about their honour
Gallant (vDCC2) - An enthusiastic and sometimes reckless duellist
Knight Protector (vDCC1) - A dedicated defender who inspires others
Pistoleer (vDCC2) - A professional soldier, skilled in the use of flintlock weapons
Tempest (vDCC1) - Expert at battle with two weapons
Venator - An expert at slaying gigantic monsters and harvesting their parts for use
Warlord (vDCC1) - A coach, supporter, and front-line warrior
Weaponmaster (vDCC2) - An expert at fighting with their chosen kind of weapons
Monk
Way of Enlightenment (vDCC1) - Adept at blending magical and meditative energy
Way of Meditation (vDCC2) - Seeking peace from within to attain perfection
Way of the Crystal Soul (vDCC2) - Able to focus their Ki into telekinetic energy, and form it into a weapon
Way of the Operative (vDCC2) - An expert spy, thief, and martial artist
Way of the Swordsage (vDCC2) - A master of martial skill and precision
Way of the Tattooed Ascetic (vDCC1) - Able to gain power from mystical tattoos
Way of the Wild Fist (vDCC1) - A feral and raging unarmed combatant
Paladin
Broken Oath (vDCC2) - Those who have forsaken their oath, but still hold firm to some of its tenets
Oath of Inquisition (vDCC1) - Seeking out corruption with spite and disdain
Oath of Perfection (vDCC1) - Attempting perfection in all things will teach others to aspire
Oath of the Crow Knight (vDCC1) - Servants of death, these warriors intercede with foul spirits
Oath of the Draconic Champion (vDCC2) - Sworn to serve and guard a particular dragon, and empowered with their might
Oath of the Eightfold Path (vDCC2) - Sworn to serve the powers of Chaos, and given to mutating as they access their powers
Oath of the Quest (vDCC2) - Sworn to seek out an unattainable goal, inspiring to all who see them
Ranger
Arcane Guardian (vDCC1) - Given arcane powers to defend civilization
Conclave of Couriers (vDCC2) - Sworn to get the message through rain, hail, and gloom of night
Conclave of Explorers - Able to find their way anywhere, and in tune with the natural world
Conclave of Grim Slayers (vDCC2) - Expert monster-hunters
Conclave of Wardens (vDCC2) - Shadowy urban stalkers
Consecrated Harrier (vDCC1) - Trained to hunt enemies of the faith
Justicar (vDCC1) - Experts at bringing 'em back alive
Liberator (vDCC1) - Revolutionaries and freedom fighters against tyranny
Occult Slayer (vDCC1) - Hunters of witches and monsters
Sharpshooter (vDCC1) - The finest archers in the land
Rogue
Avenger (vDCC1) - Terrifying murderers driven by dark pasts
Breakneck (vDCC2) - Moving with relentless speed and a disregard for physics
Courtier (vDCC2) - Elegant, refined experts at social manipulation
Delver (vDCC1) - Scouts of the deepest places of the earth
Dread Pirate (vDCC1) - Nautical experts with a grand reputation
Ghostblade (vDCC2) - Assassins and hunters of spirits, able to shift in and out of incorporeality
Infiltrator (vDCC1) - The finest sneaks in the business
Invisible Blade (vDCC1) - Unarmoured experts at fighting with the smallest weapons to be found
Mountebank (vDCC1) - Tricksters and conmen, able to pass anywhere and as anyone
Scavenger - Able to improvise with minimal tools, and able to master many magical items and objects
Temple Raider (vDCC1) - Pious thieves with protection against retaliation
Vigilante (vDCC1) - Able to use gadgets and stealth to fight crime - or commit it
Sorcerer
Acolyte of the Skin (vDCC1) - Bonded to fiendish power, able to call upon greater forces
Beguiler (vDCC1) - Sneaky spellcasters who can surprise their foes
Bloodmage (vDCC1) - Able to manipulate the blood of others, at a cost
Grave bloodline (vDCC2) - Born with terrible necromantic powers
Inferno bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of the powers of destructive fire
-Kineticist (vDCC1) - Experts at using just one kind of power, very very well
Lithic bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of the powers of unbreakable earth
Maelstrom bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of the powers of fluid water
Magical bloodline (vDCC2) - Inheritors of pure magical potency
Shapechanger (vDCC2) - Able to change into beasts and even warp their own form
Warlock
Dragon Overlord - A servant to a mighty dragon, empowered with elemental potency
Green Pact (vDCC2) - Sworn in service to the great powers of nature
Hag Initiate (vDCC1) - Servant of a Hag Coven, beguiling and confusing powers
Occult Lore (vDCC2) - A warlock with many incidental pacts, at the beck and call of dark forces
Pact of the Heart (vDCC2) - A pact boon for warlocks who have taken on a physical portion of their patron
Primordial Void (vDCC2) - Slaves to entropy, with unpredictable wild magic powers
Rainbow Servant (vDCC1) - Sworn to serve a Couatl, and to bring light and hope to the world
The Actuary of Fates (vDCC1) - Curious servant of the Inevitables, disciplined and guarded
Wizard
School of Abjurant Defense (vDCC1) - Skilled guards, always prepared to ward off hostile magic
School of Lore (vDCC2) - Unparalleled knowledge, and the secrets of the universe
School of the Alienist (vDCC1) - Able to warp the barriers between realities
School of the Arcanist (vDCC1) - Experts in pure magical technique, rather than specialising
School of the Elementalist (vDCC1) - Masters of all the elements and their admixture
School of the Hedge (vDCC2) - Bumbling wizards who know who a few shortcuts and focus on cantrip use
School of the Spirit Mage (vDCC2) - A wizard with a spirit possessing their body to grant them power
School of War (vDCC2) - Trained and tough battle-wizards who can handle a scrap