D&D 5E 02/08/13 New playtest packet to released today. [Udate: PACKAGE OUT!][

[MoonSong]

I hope that witchcraft refers to the wizard subclass called Witch from the Feywild book and not the Warlock because the warlock shouldn't use spells, he should use powers.

What kind of subclasses for Bard do you guys think there will be?

I think bard will feature at least three:

- One with druidic flavor (like the original one)
- one more focussed on music (like the minstrel)
- One more martial bent (like the skald)
- One who dabbles in arcane writings and many more (a loremaster)
- Probably a "Gipsy" one, a warchanting one, etc (practically all 2e kits that aren't eaten by backgrounds)

 

[DEFCON 1]

I hope that witchcraft refers to the wizard subclass called Witch from the Feywild book and not the Warlock because the warlock shouldn't use spells, he should use powers.

And those powers he used in 4E were called 'spells'. So I fail to see the difference.

 

[gyor]

They were called spells but they were not in the traditional sense like in 3.5 or earilier they were powers, acane ones, wheather it made sense or not were all called spells, just as all primal magic was evocation, all divine magic was prayers, and so on. But 4e didn't have spells in the d&d traditional sense.

Honestly I'd rather have the warlock from the earlier playtest back, but with tweeks, such making the name of the patron less specific, and making charisma the magic stat. I really loved that class and the eerie feel of it, and its a shame they removed it.

 

[gyor]

I think bard will feature at least three:
- Probably a "Gipsy" one, a warchanting one, etc (practically all 2e kits that aren't eaten by backgrounds)

I hope they do not use that offensive term. The Roma are a real people suffering terribly.

Anyways I hope they have a divine bard one.

Which reminds me, they may have a bunch of multiclassing focused ones as well, like a multiclass Bard/Druid Fychean Lyrist subclass, a Paladin/Bard one focused on Chivalry, an Bard Mage one and so on.

 

[MoonSong]

I hope they do not use that offensive term. The Roma are a real people suffering terribly.

I think that calling them Roma is more insulting and shortsighted, the word you are probably looking for is Romani (of which the Roma are only one subgroup among many, mutually diverse and sometimes not on good terms with each other) and even that term is demeaning of other nomadic groups which also count (including some scottish and Irish groups). Moreover it isn't an universally pejorative term, it all depends on the intention of the speaker. (But yes the actual Roma people did suffer a lot over the course of history, however not all of them do in the present)

Which reminds me, they may have a bunch of multiclassing focused ones as well, like a multiclass Bard/Druid Fychean Lyrist subclass, a Paladin/Bard one focused on Chivalry, an Bard Mage one and so on.

Yes a Fochlucan Lyrist, and Herald and a Wandering Mage!!

Honestly I'd rather have the warlock from the earlier playtest back, but with tweeks, such making the name of the patron less specific, and making charisma the magic stat. I really loved that class and the eerie feel of it, and its a shame they removed it.

Yes it was so close to being an actual Warlock, it's a shame the designers decided to stop letting us see it's development. With the recent announcement that the next package will be the last one the need for us to see both the sorcerer and warlock has turned into an urgency. I wonder if someone could ask Mike Mearls about them and soon.

 

[variant]

I could possibly see how the Sorcerer could be merged into the Mage with the Wizard. I just don't see how the Warlock could possibly be merged. The flavor and spell system is just completely different. Though when I think Warlock, I think 3e, not the bastardization that was 4e.

 

[gyor]

I realized why the Blackguard is not in the last pack dispite being one of the easiest subclasses to put together given its a dark more offence focused mirror to the cavalier.

The Blackguard is probably the multiclass subclass for Paladin/Rogues.

.after all it makes sense the Blackguard had sneak attack and.could use poison safely in 3.5 and in both 3.5 and 4e had more roguish skills. In 4e both Rogues and Blackguards were strikers. Shadows are thematic for.both.

And it explains why its not in the current packet, for the same reason eldrich knight isn't, multiclassing hasn't been released yet.

 

[variant]

I realized why the Blackguard is not in the last pack dispite being one of the easiest subclasses to put together given its a dark more offence focused mirror to the cavalier.

The Blackguard is probably the multiclass subclass for Paladin/Rogues.

.after all it makes sense the Blackguard had sneak attack and.could use poison safely in 3.5 and in both 3.5 and 4e had more roguish skills. In 4e both Rogues and Blackguards were strikers. Shadows are thematic for.both.

And it explains why its not in the current packet, for the same reason eldrich knight isn't, multiclassing hasn't been released yet.

A lot of subclasses they probably are planning aren't in the packet. We may never get to see them until it releases.

 

[gyor]

Picture this your a Paladin who picks Blackguard.

As a subclass feature you get an extra sneak attack dice at certain levels instead of some of your Oath features like maybe you still get a mount, an improved mount, and Oath Spells and Channel Divinity, but all the other times you'd get an Oath feature its sneak attack. And when you multiclass into Rogue you choose as your Rogue subclass Blackguard so that as Rogue subclass features you continue to gain Paladin Spells and maybe Lay On Hands.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Picture this your a Paladin who picks Blackguard.

As a subclass feature you get an extra sneak attack dice at certain levels instead of some of your Oath features like maybe you still get a mount, an improved mount, and Oath Spells and Channel Divinity, but all the other times you'd get an Oath feature its sneak attack. And when you multiclass into Rogue you choose as your Rogue subclass Blackguard so that as Rogue subclass features you continue to gain Paladin Spells and maybe Lay On Hands.

I don't think Sneak Attack makes much sense for a mounted warrior in heavy armor.