D&D 5E The classes of 5e (now with 90% less speculation)

[Alzrius]

Note that they said that this is their goal - I doubt we'll see this many classes in the 5E PHB (or whatever the first book is called).

Though, to be fair, they did just say their goal was to include those classes; they didn't say they had to be present at 5E's debut.

 

[Ichneumon]

I doubt that the race-as-classes will be included. Neither will the earliest D&D classes such as Fighting-Man, or specifically BECMI classes.

Here's my 5e class list. I'm assuming that Warlord is a class (not a background as has been rumored), that Illusionist is a separate class from Wizard, and that the 'priest' is a new class. 'Coz a new edition needs a new(-ish) class.

Common
Fighter
Cleric
Rogue
Wizard

Uncommon
Barbarian
Bard
Druid
Illusionist
Monk
Ranger
Warlord

Rare
Assassin
Paladin
Priest
Sorcerer

My choices of which classes go where are, of course, amenable to reasoned argument.

 

[Tallifer]

I am very excited to see the Warlord, Ranger, Druid, Barbarian and Warlock.

It could be could to have the Illusionist, because it would make the Wizard less of a jack-of-all-magic.

I have never liked Assassins or enjoyed playing alongside them, but since 1983 I have met not a few gamers who love them (and Ninjas even more so), so I think they are part and parcel of D&D.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

All of 3rd edition PHB seemed logical to me. The others too.
I guess we could see some groupings like in ADnD

 

[Dragonblade]

Assassin [1e subclass, kinda 3e (prestige class)]
Barbarian [3e]
Bard [1e, 2e, 3e]
Cleric [0e, 1e, 2e, 3e, 4e, Basic]
Druid [1e subclass, 2e, 3e, Basic]
Dwarf [Basic]
Elf [Basic]
Fighter [1e, 2e, 3e, 4e, Basic]
Fighting-Man [0e]
Halfling [Basic]
Illusionist [1e subclass, 2e subclass, 3e subclass]
Mage [2e subclass]
Magic-User [0e, 1e, Basic]
Monk [1e, 3e]
Mystic [Basic]
Paladin [1e subclass, 2e, 3e, 4e]
Priest [2e class group]
Ranger [1e, 2e, 3e, 4e]
Rogue [2e class group, 3e, 4e]
Sorcerer [3e]
Specialist wizard other than Illusionist [2e subclass, 3e subclass]
Thief [1e, 2e, Basic]
Warlock [4e]
Warlord [4e]
Warrior [2e class group, kinda 3e as an NPC class...]
Wizard [2e class group, 3e, 4e]

I think this gets trimmed to this:

Assassin
Barbarian
Bard
Cleric (with Priest option)
Druid (with Shapeshifter option)
Fighter (with style options, 2W, shield, 2HW, and so on)
Monk
Paladin
Ranger (with Beast Master, Aragorn style, and Drizzt style options)
Rogue (with options such as Thief)
Sorcerer
Warlock
Warlord
Wizard (with specialist options, such as Illusionist possibly)

No racial classes, and a lot of related classes get folded together as options or builds of the more iconic classes.

 

[Ainamacar]

Note that they said that this is their goal - I doubt we'll see this many classes in the 5E PHB (or whatever the first book is called).

Though, to be fair, they did just say their goal was to include those classes; they didn't say they had to be present at 5E's debut.

Too true, and I expect that a few will be cut for space reasons even after being condensed the way they want. Nevertheless, the answer was in response to this question.

Will some of the non-traditional classes like the Ninja appear early in the next edition?

It's ambiguous whether the answer was intended to address the "early" part or not.

 

[Sonny]

Too true, and I expect that a few will be cut for space reasons even after being condensed the way they want. Nevertheless, the answer was in response to this question.

It's ambiguous whether the answer was intended to address the "early" part or not.

I'm sure they all won't be. I do fully expect classes to take up a lot less room then 4e. I'm pretty sure the martial arts module they spoke of before is actually a martial powers plug-in. It would make sense for the module to act more like spell lists in older editions with some classes having access to different abilities in those lists.

This should help further combat space bloat for classes and allow for more classes to be present in each PH.

 

[Greg K]

I think this gets trimmed to this:

Assassin
Barbarian
Bard
Cleric (with Priest option)
Druid (with Shapeshifter option)
Fighter (with style options, 2W, shield, 2HW, and so on)
Monk
Paladin
Ranger (with Beast Master, Aragorn style, and Drizzt style options)
Rogue (with options such as Thief)
Sorcerer
Warlock
Warlord
Wizard (with specialist options, such as Illusionist possibly)

No racial classes, and a lot of related classes get folded together as options or builds of the more iconic classes.

I am hoping that in addition to the above they include:
1. an option for urban/wilderness skill swaps so that we can do an urban barbarian, an urban ranger, a wilderness bard, a wilderness rogue
2. an option for rangers and paladins to have spells at first level
3. an option for non-spellcasting Paladins as per Complete Champion
4. an option for non-spellcasting Rangers as per Complete Champion and 4e

edit: and if they have to drop classes for the first book, I am for dropping the Assasin and Warlock (Infernal and Star Pact)

 

[Herschel]

My "concern" is that they take this all too deeply to a modular approach, ie:

Fighter: Base Class
Defender: Fighter base with Tactical Control kit added
Warlord: Fighter base with Leader kit added
Knight: Fighter base with Noble kit added
Artilleryman: Fighter base with Archer kit added

Skirmisher: Base Class
Thief: Skirmisher base with Rogue kit
Ranger: Skirmisher base with Archer or Primal Hunter kit added
Barbarian: Skirmisher base with Slayer kit added.

Wizard: base class

Priest: base class

Paladin: Fighter/Priest multiclass.

etc.

 

[mkill]

I read the announcement as "if you could build it with Edition X PHB, you can build it with whatever the 5E basic book will be".

Still, I'm pretty sure we'll see either Sorcerer or Warlock. One has the magic "in him", the other taps an external higher power, but apart from that they are were close as concepts. Spellcaster, spontaneous, light or no armor...
It just makes sense to move one or the other to a later book.

I also guess we'll see Assassin as some sort of Rogue build. (Or maybe not, if it's a declared designer favorite...)

Personally I'd prefer Warlord as a Fighter build, but maybe that won't happen because it would overload the Fighter.

As for Cleric, I'd love to see something closer to the AD&D Priest, that is robes instead of armor (and maybe Wis bonus to AC) and powers that are more strongly defined by the theme of the deity. A Cleric of Torm should feel very different from one of Lolth. This would also set the Cleric farer apart from the Paladin.

If the Monk is in there I'd be surprised, it was always set apart by the Asian theme.

And racial classes - Dwarf = Dwarf Fighter, Elf = Elf Figher / Wizard, Halfling = Halfling Rogue. No need for these. I'd rather have racial themes, racial swap-out powers or something similar.