D&D (2024) One D&D Expert Classes Playtest Document Is Live

The One D&D Expert Class playest document is now available to download. You can access it by signing into your D&D Beyond account at the link below. It contains three classes -- bard, rogue, and ranger, along with three associated subclasses (College of Lore, Thief, and Hunter), plus a number of feats.

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[ScuroNotte]

Well good thing I use it at my table then.

You can use what you like. Most important is to play what you and those at the table find enjoyable. It just would be nice, in our opinion, to have a ranger that is not looked at as an unwanted child.

 

[Sacrosanct]

A 10th level hunter ranger can cast conjure barrage 9 times per long rest. Sure many of those are less than 3d8, but the AoE is still the same, and that's the important bit, I think.

 

[Composer99]

Wow they finally quantized social checks. A great leap forwards for Bardkind, though it still has hilarious disclaimers on Hostile.

It looks like they have, in essence, ported the DMG rules for social interaction into the PHB, at least for the purpose of this UA.

Kind of has an old-school vibe to it, insofar as it is akin to having the rules needed to play the game as such in the player-facing book.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Also: Guidance is a Reaction now in this. So, it's pretty much Silvery Barbish.

My god, they actually fixed Guidance. Once per long rest per target.

 

[ScuroNotte]

LOL. So you didn't get an answer that you wanted so you took it as a personal attack and made up things about him? OK. Either way, when you folks wonder why designers don't participate in forums, this is why.

When someone refers to you as a phantom, wouldn't you get upset? It has nothing to do with not agreeing. Many people disagree, but to be dismissive of a person is another thing.

 

[Weiley31]

So at Level 2 Bards get a thing called "Songs of Restoration". This adds a suite of 5 bonus spells to spells known (one at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th levels). These include healing word, lesser restoration, and mass healing word.

So, the Bard's version of the *Warlock's Patron Spells, Paladin's Oath Spells, and Cleric's Domain Spells.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

A 10th level hunter ranger can cast conjure barrage 9 times per long rest. Sure many of those are less than 3d8, but the AoE is still the same, and that's the important bit, I think.

The AoE size is what makes the spell, but I don't really see how often a Ranger needs to kill an army of hundreds of 1HD mooks...

 

[gorice]

re: The Bard

It looks much the same as before, which is to say, I hate it. A jack of all trades who also has expertise, buffs their allies, and can cast any 9th level spell? Aside from the complete lack of spotlight balance, there's no coherent character concept here.

Also, it seems like WotC is really doubling down on having a bunch of fiddly little widgets to track. Spell slots, uses per day equal to proficiency, bleh. I hate it.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Yea, but the changes kinda make sense, right? With the monster changes, it was pretty rare to get the reaction attack outside of some humanoid enemies. And it is a half-feat now, so some power-down was probably necessary. They kept the concentration break ability, and 1/day auto-success on a mental save isn't bad at all for warrior types.

Kinda, sure but it's like, why not keep the Reaction attack if they're really that rare? The unstated reason seems to be that they're trying to move Bonus Actions and Reactions away from being used for Attacks, though it's extremely inconsistent (see PAM and War Caster).

You can use what you like. Most important is to play what you and those at the table find enjoyable. It just would be nice, in our opinion, to have a ranger that is not looked at as an unwanted child.

Yeah the fact that they managed to, yet again, for what, the fourth time (3E, 3.5E, 5E, 1D&D) make Ranger a kind of mediocre and confused-ass class which few people are likely to want to play mechanically, despite the extremely strong and enduringly popular pop-culture archetype is kind of a sad achievement. They just really need to find a way to make the "magic" elements optional, I think.

It looks like they have, in essence, ported the DMG rules for social interaction into the PHB, at least for the purpose of this UA.

Kind of has an old-school vibe to it, insofar as it is akin to having the rules needed to play the game as such in the player-facing book.

Yes they're similar if somewhat simplified. The issue being of course those rules/numbers were, in my experience (and podcasts/actual plays support this) very rarely used by DMs. One DM I know I am confident has no idea those rules exist.

By putting them in front of the players, they ensure DMs will have to know, and at least use them as a starting point.

 

[Sacrosanct]

When someone refers to you as a phantom, wouldn't you get upset? It has nothing to do with not agreeing. Many people disagree, but to be dismissive of a person is another thing.

Well, we don't know what his actual response was. But someone saying a complaint you're voicing (we don't even know your specific complaint) is one they haven't seen is not a personal attack. And for you to go around saying he has a big ego based on that is unwarranted. It's slander.