Compiled info on upcoming classes & races

[Ondo]

So I've decided to try and gather links to sources of info about upcoming classes, races, and power sources, in the hopes that it'll help people (like me, for instance) stay caught up on all the info.

Ranadiel has a thread compiling all known info on upcoming products on WotC's boards here.

Known power sources are Martial, Arcane, Divine, Psionic, Shadow, Primal, Elemental, and Ki (PHB). These 8 "should take care of basically 90% of the classes they foresee making." (source)

Products

"New classes are mainly going to be introduced in PHBs" (source).

The Manual of the Planes will include Bladelings as a playable race (source), done as a Monster Manual style writeup (source).

The Eberron Player's Guide will include the Artificer (source) and the Warforged (source).

Player's Handbook II
Amazon lists a release date of March 17th (source). The cover is available here.

The Player's Handbook II covers Arcane, Divine, and Primal heroes (from the cover).

The classes included are the Avenger, Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Invoker, Shaman, Sorcerer, and Warden (source). We also know these tidbits about the classes:

• There's a new class that's a Striker with a different flavor - "a guy who's a little more, maybe, deadly and dangerous kind of guy, not like a rogue, but a killer guy in a different sort of way." (source). (Probably the Avenger.)
• One of the classes is a Leader class that "travels with a 'buddy' who keeps the party in tip-top shape" (source). (Probably the Shaman.)

Gnomes, Half-Orcs, Goliaths, and Shifters will be in the PHB2 (source, source), as well as one more race (source) that starts with De (source, source). (Probably Devas, as the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide mentions that is the new name for Aasimars.)

This thread in Greg Bilsland's blog has pictures of a fight that include four PCs, all with PHB2 classes, and various vague hints.

Player's Handbook III
Psionic was the new power source highest on the list to make the PHB2, along with Primal, but they weren't sure if there was room (source). Apparently there wasn't, so it seems like a good guess for PHB3.

Specific Power Sources
Primal
They're using the aspects of the druid as the bedrock to build the other primal classes - they'll do things that will remind you of the druid, but in their own unique way (source). The primal power source has a theme of transformation (source).

Specific Classes

Artificer
The Artificer will be an Arcane Leader, and a playtest version is available here. It will be in the Eberron Player's Guide.

Avenger
The Avenger uses the Divine power source (source), and will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Barbarian
The Barbarian will be a Primal Striker, and a playtest version is available here. It will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Bard
The Bard will be an Arcane Leader (source). There is a bard preview here (D&D Insider only). It will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Druid
There is a druid preview here (D&D Insider only). It will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Elementalist
Elementalists are mentioned in the Dwarf entry in Races & Classes alongside clerics, paladins, fighters, barbarians, rangers, and wizards, so they are likely a planned class.

Empath
Empaths will be Psionic Leaders (source).

Illusionist
Illusionists will have better Invisibility options than a Wizard (source). They may use the Shadow power source (source).

Invoker
There is an invoker preview here (D&D Insider only). "This new controller class has mastered the original source of divine power, and will introduce summoning to D&D 4th Edition." (source) It will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Monk
The Monk uses the Ki power source (PHB). As of D&D XP 2008 they had not seriously started designing the class (source).

Necromancer
Necromancers are mentioned here. They use the Shadow power source (Worlds & Monsters, and here).

Shaman
The Shaman is a Primal Leader (source, source, D&D Insider only). Rich Baker mentions it "includes some neat mechanisms for dealing with nature spirits". (source) It will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Sorcerer
There is a sorcerer preview here (D&D Insider only). It will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Warden
There is a warden preview here (D&D Insider only). It will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Specific Races
Rich Baker gives his guesstimate of traction for ten races from Aarakocra to Catfolk here.

Deva
This is the new name for the Aasimar (FRPG).

Gnome
Gnomes will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Goliath
"Goliaths are ideal rageblood barbarians" (source), which probably means they get bonuses to Strength and Constitution. They will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Goliaths will probably be in 4e Forgotten Realms, possibly with a spot in Faerun earmarked for them so you'll know where they're from when they're released (source).

Half-Giant
Half-Giants may be too similar to Goliaths (source).

Half-Orc
Half-Orcs "imply a very ugly backstory"; they may try to change that (source). "Half-orcs are often barbarians but don’t favor either of the two types" (source), which probably means they get a bonus to Strength but not to Constitution or Charisma. They will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Shifter
Shifters will be in the Player's Handbook II.

Warforged
Warforged will be in the Eberron Player's Guide.

[ShockMeSane]

Thanks, a good resource to get people caught up quickly!

[Exen Trik]

Originally Posted by Ondo

The Monk is not a Martial Striker, and as of D&D XP they had not seriously started designing the class (source).

Elementalists are mentioned in the Dwarf entry in Races & Classes alongside clerics, paladins, fighters, barbarians, rangers, and wizards, so they are likely a planned class.

I thought I was paying enough attention, but I've somehow missed these. Thanks!

[Cirex]

What role is the monk going to fit then? Melee controller...? With many single-target crowd controls to "spam" all around?

Hurm.

[Jack99]

Originally Posted by DDXP interview

CH: So the monk will be a martial striker? Can we call that a scoop?

Andy: (laughs) That’s at least 50% wrong. I shouldn’t say too much since we haven’t seriously started designing the class.

Maybe he is a Psionic Striker.

[Khuxan]

It's also probably worth mentioning that Martial Power is not slated to contain any new classes, which is interesting since a lot of people were expecting it to.

[Amphimir Míriel]

Originally Posted by Jack99

Maybe he is a Psionic Striker.

In my heavily houseruled game, the Monk killed the Psychic Warrior and took his stuff, losing some monkish stuff in the process.

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Originally Posted by Cirex

What role is the monk going to fit then? Melee controller...?

Divine striker? Master of the radiant fist!

[Mort_Q]

I always thought of Ki as being a subset of Psi.

[Rechan]

Originally Posted by Mort_Q

I always thought of Ki as being a subset of Psi.

Ki: Psionics::Arcane: Divine.

Arcane and Divine are both MAGIC, but they are different.

Ki and Psionics are both internal forces, but they are DIFFERENT.

[Mort_Q]

Originally Posted by Rechan

Ki and Psionics are both internal forces, but they are DIFFERENT.

Your opinion is noted.

[Rechan]

Originally Posted by Mort_Q

Your opinion is noted.

I'll put it to you this way.

Some people who want mind readers and telekinetics don't want kung fu and ninja.

Some people who want kung fu and ninja don't want mind readers and telekinetics.

While they might be the same thing, there are two different "feels" or "genres" to both: one is oriental, the other is sci-fi.

So, shoe-horning both into the same book, or under the same power source, is probably going to irritate both camps. There is some overlap, but about as much overlap as "I want divine magic without shooting fireballs" "I want arcane magic without healing".

[MaelStorm]

Originally Posted by Ondo

So I've decided to try and gather links to sources of info about upcoming classes and power sources, in the hopes that it'll help people (like me, for instance) stay caught up on all the info. I'm not repeating most info that was in Races & Classes, at least for now. I'm assuming people know the basics of what a Swordmage is, for example.

The Player's Handbook will include the Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Warlord, Paladin, Cleric, Warlock, and Wizard. The Forgotten Realms Player's Guide will include the Swordmage.

The Player's Handbook II will include Arcane and Divine information. Primal and Psionic are the new power sources highest on the list to be included, but they're not sure how much will fit (source). It will include the Sorcerer (source), as well as the Druid, Barbarian, and Bard (source).

The Bard will be an Arcane Leader (source).

Significant Druid info here.

The Monk is not a Martial Striker, and as of D&D XP they had not seriously started designing the class (source).

Elementalists are mentioned in the Dwarf entry in Races & Classes alongside clerics, paladins, fighters, barbarians, rangers, and wizards, so they are likely a planned class.

"WotC has identified 8 power sources that should take care of basically 90% of the classes they foresee making." (source) Known power sources are Martial, Arcane, Divine, Psionic, Shadow (from Worlds & Monsters), and Primal (source).

I'm glad you decided to put all this info together in one post. This confirmed my theory that PH II will complete and close the arcane and divine cycle started with PH I, along with starting a new cycle with the primal and psionic classes. So I don't think we'll see the release of Arcane Powers and Divine Powers before Fall 2009.

I'm pretty confident PH II will devote more space on classes because they confirmed that PH II won't be full of redundant info. So, it'll contain around 9-11 new classes (depending on how much extra space they will devote on new races, new combat rules, new weapons, and new rituals), not just 8 new classes.

In a The Tome podcast, the lead designers Andy Collins (whose specialty is 4E crunch), hinted that WotC is thinking on developing a new Divine class that will fill the role of the controller, it'll be more combat oriented (than the Priest) with ranged attack powers.

I'm eager to try the new Elementalist, Druid, and Sorcerer, in summer 2009. I'm a little bit disappointed I'll have to wait this long to get these classes, but if it means that they'll be playtested I think it's worth the wait. In the mean time, I will buy the new Advanced PH from Necromancer.

[FitzTheRuke]

I actually like the idea of the Monk as a Divine Striker... keep the religious classes Divine. (Let's see if someone starts to argue that a Monk isn't religion-based.)

A monk who isn't religion-based is a ninja.

Beside, it might be fun to split back up the Friar Tuck monk and the Yamma Bushi monk.

Fitz

[Stogoe]

Originally Posted by Rechan

I'll put it to you this way.

Some people who want mind readers and telekinetics don't want kung fu and ninja.

Some people who want kung fu and ninja don't want mind readers and telekinetics.

While they might be the same thing, there are two different "feels" or "genres" to both: one is oriental, the other is sci-fi.

So, shoe-horning both into the same book, or under the same power source, is probably going to irritate both camps. There is some overlap, but about as much overlap as "I want divine magic without shooting fireballs" "I want arcane magic without healing".

This is about as clear and sensible an argument as I have found for keeping wuxia and psychics separate.

Originally Posted by FitzTheRuke

it might be fun to split back up the Friar Tuck monk

What exactly would a Friar Tuck monk bring to a party, besides cowering in a corner when the violence starts? Really, though, I'm having trouble imagining the archetype in an adventuring context.

[RyukenAngel]

I did something like this over on the gleemax forums. We call it the Classes FAQ

[Ondo]

Originally Posted by Cirex

What role is the monk going to fit then? Melee controller...?

Well, Races & Classes says he'll likely be a Striker. That may change, but it seems unlikely to me that they would be sure of the change before starting serious design. The power source, though, they probably decided on some time ago. So I expect he won't be Martial.

The description of the Monk in Races & Classes seems to pretty much rule out Divine, and makes Psionic sound unlikely. So I'm expecting the Monk to be a Ki Striker.

[FitzTheRuke]

Originally Posted by Stogoe

What exactly would a Friar Tuck monk bring to a party, besides cowering in a corner when the violence starts? Really, though, I'm having trouble imagining the archetype in an adventuring context.

I didn't mean personality-wise, I simply meant more of a European feel like most of the rest of your average D&D setting, leaving the Yamma Bushi or Tibetan Monk archetype for an Asian Adventures type book, as one of the designers suggested somewhere.

For the record, there were european monks who were fighting men as well as asian ones. The asian ones just spark the imagination better.

Fitz

[Cirex]

Originally Posted by Ondo

Well, Races & Classes says he'll likely be a Striker. That may change, but it seems unlikely to me that they would be sure of the change before starting serious design. The power source, though, they probably decided on some time ago. So I expect he won't be Martial.

The description of the Monk in Races & Classes seems to pretty much rule out Divine, and makes Psionic sound unlikely. So I'm expecting the Monk to be a Ki Striker.

I've been reading that is a striker too, but that article says it's not a martial striker...so we will see.

If there has to be a melee controller, I think it should be the monk, with the barbarian being a hybrid between defender and striker (maybe).

[Green Knight]

Originally Posted by Cirex

I've been reading that is a striker too, but that article says it's not a martial striker...so we will see.

CH: So the monk will be a martial striker? Can we call that a scoop?

Andy: (laughs) That’s at least 50% wrong. I shouldn’t say too much since we haven’t seriously started designing the class.

That 50% is likely a reference to the Martial part, so the Monk will likely be a Striker in 4E. Only question is what the power source will be. Personally, I'm hoping for a Ki power source. I really don't see the Monk as psionic, and as another poster pointed out, I'd rather those two particular flavors of characters stayed separated.