D&D 5E Red Flags For Classes In Sources Beyond The Player's Handbook
Warmaster Horus
Explorer
What's wrong with the Hexblade and Zealot?
I've heard rumblings that the Hexblade is "better at melee fighting than a fighter"; likewise with the Zealot and frenzy barbarian. I'm just after some opinions before I make up my mind.
Exactly. Why play a Pact Blade Warlock when you can play a Hexblade? And so on.
The thing is, we've all seen the 'white room analysis' of various 5E elements, and it's shortcomings, for the past few years. I've been playing my 5E Star Wars Conversion for the last year and a half. Gonna start up a D&D campaign this spring, and I don't want to rush to judgment on something if it's OK in actual play...
FrogReaver
As long as i get to be the frog
The only issue with hexblade is that his level 1 ability works too well for multiclassing. Not really overpowered but I can see the concern. Generally in 5e staying on track for your level 5 and level 11 features is better than multiclassing. The zealot has no issue. He trades some defense for offense compared to the bear totem barbarian. He is better than a frenzy barbarian but that's only because the frenzy barbarian is crap IMO.
I would not ban any classes or subclasses. There's no real need to.
If you want ones to consider then:
Wizard Bladesinger subclass. That's really the only one I could see having an issue with. Even then, all he really does is add more defense and concentration so it's not really game breaking IMO.
FrogReaver
As long as i get to be the frog
Why play a bladepact warlock when you can play a hexblade? Because you need to get extra attack from somewhere?
Olrox17
Hero
For an in-depth analysis of the hex blade problem, check this thread
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...e-Hexblade-removed-Pact-of-the-Blade-enhanced
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Enevhar Aldarion
Hero
The sub-classes are not a problem. What you need to decide is if you will allow feats or multiclassing, since both are optional systems. And if you allow feats, do you allow all of them or do you ban just the troublesome ones?
Satyrn
First Post
I don't use "what people on the internet say" as a red flag because there are so many times where those issues simply aren't a problem that ever rears its head at my table.
To name just a few examples:
- Medium armor needing fixed
- Dexterity dominating Strength
- Eldritch blast spamming warlocks
- Bless spamming clerics.
None of these are a problem. But because you are hesitating, I'd suggest adopting that dreaded Adventurers League rule, PH+1. Or go an alternate, perhaps mean route - If a player uses any source other than the PH, then they are locked out of feats and/or multiclassing.
Although my best suggestion is to just allow it all, and encourage players to scale back (respec a little even) if broken combos are actually discovered during play. I mean, the most broken thing about my halfling druid right now is the wand off lightning bolt that holds 7 charges - I'm avoiding using it because I'm afraid the DM will scale up encounters to match its power, and then I'll be stuck having to use it . . . I oughtta ask for it to be respeced into something more akin to a 1st level spell.
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