D&D 5E Archetypes to add to 5e

[Blue]

I want more "esoteric" and "oddball" archetypes. I think the tropes have been tread pretty well, and that the archetype system has a lot of potential to explore emergent and new fantasy ideas.

I'm attempting to use the word "archetype" in it's actual meaning. "A recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology. " So as long as your esoteric or oddball concepts show frequently in classic or modern fantasy legends, stories, or movies, we're on the same page.

If not, it might be a great addition to D&D but not one for this particular thread which is explicitly exploring archetypes.

 

[Shardstone]

I'm attempting to use the word "archetype" in it's actual meaning. "A recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology. " So as long as your esoteric or oddball concepts show frequently in classic or modern fantasy legends, stories, or movies, we're on the same page.

If not, it might be a great addition to D&D but not one for this particular thread which is explicitly exploring archetypes.

That makes sense. When I saw the title, I thought you meant in the sense of class archetypes/sub-classes. My mistake.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The Captain.

The Sage (not a wizard. They get two skills and no way to get expertise in a knowledge skill. That ain’t a sage)
let my nerdiest friend play a mostly nonmagical nerd whose main stat is int and who can make useful lore checks in combat. Give them tome-pact style ritual casting, but no spellcasting otherwise. Maybe even a few spells that aren’t rituals can be used as rituals by the Sage?

The Daredevil. Fearless, survives partly by luck, partly because their fearlessness leads to them not hesitating.

The Inventor. I know I know, Artificer. But...can we have a mundane inventor, too, please?

The assassins that aren’t disguised poisoners. (See, the Covenent Agent/avenger concept discussed upthread)

The Shadow. Character that becomes darkness/a shadow. Permastealth type. I am the night. The shadow monk kinda gets it, but I’d love a rogue that simply becomes a shadow.

The Hanged Man. “

I know that I hung,

on a wind-rocked tree,

nine whole nights,

with a spear wounded,

and to Odin offered,

myself to myself;

on that tree,

of which no one knows

from what root it springs”

-Havamal, Thorpe translation

Related to Hanged Man, the not-evil hand of death. Someone you could use The Morrigan as direct inspiration for. Most of the death related archetypes relate to necromancy, but we’ve got only, I think, the Grave Cleric playing with Death while rejecting Necromancy.

The Hand of God. I’d love just a full on 4e style avenger with no armor, attack and damage using Wisdom. I can make a Hexblade/Paladin work, using Charisma and Armor of Shadows, but I’d love to see a rogue or fighter or something that just is this concept from the jump. Archetypes coming in at 3 for most classes hurts this concept a bit. Maybe make it a Monk?

Semi-related: a divine archer. It’s a thing in anime a lot, and kinda a thing in Eberron lore with Thranish Paladins. But there is absolutely nothing in the game supporting an archer bolstered by divine grace.

A transformer. Someone that takes on a terrible aspect and becomes larger than life to fight. Could be a weird Druid, but Barbarian fits better IMO. Hell, let my barbarian choose at a given level whether they can turn into an ogre or turn into a Treant when raging!

 

[Tony Vargas]

Except that the purpose of this thread was to find missing archetypes, based on Jeremy "The Sage" Crawford saying that D&D already had all of them covered.

TBF, he did say standard D&D tropes. Can't think of any of those that were missing from 5e at launch.

Fantasy-genre archetypes, or heroic archetypes, sure, there are some that D&D'll never be able to do. Not even on the table.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

TBF, he did say standard D&D tropes. Can't think of any of those that were missing from 5e at launch.

Fantasy-genre archetypes, or heroic archetypes, sure, there are some that D&D'll never be able to do. Not even on the table.

Like what?

 

[Garthanos]

I suspect that one would run afoul of RL concerns more precipitously and dramatically than the presentation of religion has. (Good luck presenting it as gender-neutral, too.

Hmmm let them use cake to errrr charisma for defense is that a Barbarian frightening an enemy or a Cheese/Beef cake reducing the incentive to hit because nobody wants to mess up a pretty face.

 

[Undrave]

TBF, he did say standard D&D tropes. Can't think of any of those that were missing from 5e at launch.

Fantasy-genre archetypes, or heroic archetypes, sure, there are some that D&D'll never be able to do. Not even on the table.

I'll still contend the Battlemaster is a poor substitute for a Warlord. It's more of a Fighter that dabbles in Warlord-ing.

And some would argue the Shaman and the Arcane Summoner are still not quite there. Same with the Arcane Archer because the one in Xanathar barely counts

 

[Mister-Kent]

I'd say it's too big an archetype for just one class or subclass. It might work as a series of them for a couple different classes, tbh.

True, it might work to see a few different spirit-based subclasses spread around, similar to one of the proposed treatments of 5e psionics I've seen.

Someone previously mentioned a poltroon archetype, The Classic Coward (Shaggy from Scooby Doo comes to mind!) - maybe an evasive/defensive focused rogue? Maybe buffing allies in defensive ways, like a twisted rogue version of 4e's warlord.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Also, some classics that dnd 5e didn’t have in the phb:

Monster Slayer

Fairy Knight (ancients Paladin is almost there. Almost.)

Death Knight (still not really there. Take the grave cleric and give its themes to a Paladin oath)

Acrobat (no, not someone who can tumble. Robin. Someone who is The Acrobat.) That strange and wonderful notion of an acrobat so acrobatic they can fight armored knights with tumbling and maybe a stick.

Swashbuckler

War Mage

Priest of Death (in a non evil or evil adjacent way)

Anything related to sea and storms

Any kind of serious summoner

Alchemist

 

[Tony Vargas]

Like what?

Oh, IDK...

I'll still contend the Battlemaster is a poor substitute for a Warlord. It's more of a Fighter that dabbles in Warlord-ing.

Can't disagree, but in it's 2-year tenure, the Warlord did not establish itself as a "standard D&D trope" - indeed, given the edition war controversy, it's probably the opposite ... whatever the opposite of a trope would be?

Someone previously mentioned a poltroon archetype, The Classic Coward (Shaggy from Scooby Doo comes to mind!) - maybe an evasive/defensive focused rogue? Maybe buffing allies in defensive ways, like a twisted rogue version of 4e's warlord.

I think that's a fair example of an archetype that D&D'll just plain never address. Same with 'Reluctant Hero,' really. You can't play a game like D&D, with multiple players essentially fighting for the DM's attention, with concepts like those. Not and be true to them, anyway.