D&D 5E Archetypes to add to 5e

[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!

I’d also still add The Acrobat to this list. These are all classic archetypes (in the general sense of the term) that dnd 5e either doesn’t do, or does poorly/only with kludgey MC builds.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Mister-Kent]

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.

I do believe you're probably right. le sigh

@doctorbadwolf As for a scholar/ritualist with otherwise no inherent magic ability, I'd like to see that.

 

[Fenris-77]

Wouldn't a rogue with the ritual magic feat not do an ok job of that scholar/ritualist character? Especially with the Investigative or Mastermind path? I'm just curious what parts of the build you guys want that are missing there.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I mean, we probably have AT LEAST nine unnecessary classes in 5e.
And if we are going to start removing classes, I have some wonderful ideas as to where to start!

Let's see, cut all the faux-multi-class classes & sub-classes, Palladin, Ranger, EK, AT...
...and fold together classes that do the same thing as an earlier class, just with more detail, like Paladin gets folded back into Cleric, along with Druid.
...and then unnecessary classes like the Paladin.
...and redundant ones, like the Paladin.
...and religiously offensive ones like the Paladin...

...am I warm?

Seriously, though, you could fold together similar-in-concept classes.
Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger -> Priest
Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Bard, EK/AT, elf - > Mage
Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue -> Hero

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Undrave]

In the british TTRPG 'Dragon Warriors' the only two classes in the first rulebook were Knight and Barbarian. You needed a splat book to add magic.

I have a better idea!

How about something completely old?

There has been to much fat that has accumulated over the years. Good design is knowing when to take things out.

I mean, we probably have AT LEAST nine unnecessary classes in 5e.

And if we are going to start removing classes, I have some wonderful ideas as to where to start!

Why do we have all those stats anyway? Ever heard of the Sci-fi RPG 'Lasers & Feelings'? You only roll for two things: Lasers (Science, logic, technology) or Feelings (Emotion, insight, social) and, here's the kicker, they both use the same stat. Only difference is that you need to roll UNDER your stat for one and OVER your stat for the other. Pretty sure there's a Fantasy variant just called 'Sword & Sorcery' so we might as well just publish a single page game and be done.

At some point we gotta balance the fun of options with the issues of bloat and I think so far 5e has done a great job. Might even be excessive in the other direction when it comes to player options but I guess it's not hurting them...

 

[Tony Vargas]

Fighting Man Person.

Magic User.

Anything after that is gravy. Who needs a Core Fore when you have the Nu Two?

That'd be full-circle to the proto-D&D Dave Arneson demonstrated to EGG, where your choices were Hero or Wizard.

 

[Undrave]

That'd be full-circle to the proto-D&D Dave Arneson demonstrated to EGG, where your choices were Hero or Wizard.

Spells are too complicated though. You just have a magic stat and your DM decide how hard your spell is and then you roll to see if it works or not.

If it doesn't, magic explodes in your face and your character DIES and you need to roll a new one.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Spells are too complicated though. You just have a magic stat and your DM decide how hard your spell is and then you roll to see if it works or not.

If it doesn't, magic explodes in your face and your character DIES and you need to roll a new one.

Sounds fair.