D&D 5E Xanathar's Guide to Everything: What subclasses made the cut?

[MechaTarrasque]

My impression was the whole "do necrotic damage to undead" part of the grave domain cleric was pretty unpopular, so I suspect if it does show up in XGtE, it will be substantially reworked either mechanically or fluffwise (I am still hoping for fate domain cleric).

 

[Grant James Austin]

As has been pointed out in another thread, and by Crawford on Twitter, there will not be two separate Ranger classes. There will only be one Ranger class and everything from the original and revised version will work together and will mesh with all sub-classes released in their official books. It will not just be errata and it will not be put into a new hardcover release and will be free in whatever form it is eventually released, as it will be part of the Core.

K what you describe is errata, separate document making a correction or revision. Thats errata. Your describing it as being everything the word errata means and then declaring it not errata......

Also "Players can select the original ranger or the revised version, though DMs will always be free to use only one or the other. Both will be legal forD&D Adventurers League play, and players of existing ranger characters will have the option to swap to the revised version."

 

[Grant James Austin]

My impression was the whole "do necrotic damage to undead" part of the grave domain cleric was pretty unpopular, so I suspect if it does show up in XGtE, it will be substantially reworked either mechanically or fluffwise (I am still hoping for fate domain cleric).

meh judging of particular mechanical features doesn't tell much about if its going to be official or not, as compared to the overall theme and playstyle. They've iterated the released ones a bunch.
neither protection or grave are a clear lock to me since I can already build both themes pretty well.
might give a slight edge to Grave since Death domain isn't really meant for players and was designed more for villains and the DM side.

Now that the Hexblade has given the Shadow Sorceror back her Shadow Hound, there is design room so I can see the Hexblade absorbing the Raven Queen Pact.

kinda sorta maybe, the hexblade was really focused on combat and the Raven queen was really focused on exploration, just swapping over one feature doesn't really give the people who liked raven queen what they were looking for. plus I know I don't want to play a melee warlock, although one needed to exist.

I don't think WotC cares as much as we do about balancing out the number of subclasses between different classes.

well they do care though its the reason were only getting 1 more wizard, and its a big problem with the classes that only have 2 options. Its not going to put a class that didn't cut it into the book and there are higher priorities in their design goals for sure.


Why does no one think Twilight Druid has a chance? its a pretty clear playstyle gap in the druid to have a blaster, and they don't have a darker themed druid yet otherwise. seems like if they don't put it in we will get something pretty similar for the druid next time.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I don't think Twilight is going to make it because "pet and summoning druid" in the shepherd got a lot of positive feedback and a second rework.

We could see twilight (whichI would like since it seemed a cool idea) but more likely they'll do Shepherd (which I didn't like)

 

[Guest 6801328]

kinda sorta maybe, the hexblade was really focused on combat and the Raven queen was really focused on exploration, just swapping over one feature doesn't really give the people who liked raven queen what they were looking for. plus I know I don't want to play a melee warlock, although one needed to exist.

Yeah...this. I have zero point zero interest in Hexblade. Would have loved Raven Queen.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't think Twilight is going to make it because "pet and summoning druid" in the shepherd got a lot of positive feedback and a second rework.

We could see twilight (whichI would like since it seemed a cool idea) but more likely they'll do Shepherd (which I didn't like)

Could be three Druid subclasses in the book.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I really hated the Raven Queen pact, because it's a special pact for just one particular patron and not a wide category of patron type.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I really hated the Raven Queen pact, because it's a special pact for just one particular patron and not a wide category of patron type.

That's a totally fair point. Personally, I didn't care that it was called "Raven Queen" (which I gather is a character from 3e or 4e...?). I loved it because of the flavor and abilities.

 

[Charlaquin1]

That's a totally fair point. Personally, I didn't care that it was called "Raven Queen" (which I gather is a character from 3e or 4e...?). I loved it because of the flavor and abilities.

She was a god in 4e, and was incredibly popular. The short version is, she was a mortal woman who killed the previous god of death, Zehir, and ascended to godhood and took his place. She was unaligned in 4e's alignment paradigm but would probably be Lawful Neutral in the standard 9-alignment model, which is cool because Death gods are so often evil. She has a big focus on fate and the natural cycle of life and death, and despises Undead and necromancy because they break the natural cycle.

Personally, I had very mixed feelings about the Raven Queen pact. I love the Raven Queen, and the 4e pantheon in general, so it was really cool to see a subclass that was so explicitly connected to the points of light setting and its deities. Plus the mechanics were pretty sweet. But it was a very specific concept where I prefer broader archetypes for subclasses. Also, a character who gets magic directly from a god is a cleric. The line between cleric and warlock is blurry enough already without having pacts to specific gods. I'm not a huge fan of the celestial pact for the same reason, but it's fine because that can be to angels, or archons, or any other non-god celestial being.

 

[Li Shenron]

I thought the Raven Queen patron subclass was nice but too narrow, and unclear exactly because she used to be a goddess, hence I would expect her to have clerics, not warlocks. Although to be honest I always thought she would be better as a demigoddess.

But I liked the Hexblade concept much more. It suddenly brought the idea of an intelligent item or artifact to a whole new level!