D&D 5E Archetypes to add to 5e

[Yaarel]

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

The problem with a sage (nonmagic scholar) is, the Intelligence ability sucks.

If instead the abilities reorganized:
• Strength-Constitution
• Dexterity-Athletics
• Intelligence-Perception
• Charisma-Wisdom

Then Intelligence-Perception would be a valuable asset to invest in.

A sage class would become more viable.

 

[Yaarel]

We need an Armchair Warrior.

Essentially this Armchair Warrior is the cyberhacker who monitors and assists the team remotely.

It could be a mage with extensive scrying abilities.

 

[Garthanos]

Shamans are more like diplomats between the human and the nonhuman members of the aboriginal community.

And send Spirit Warriors on mystic quests to discover their totemic beasts/spirit.... wait well it depends on the source

 

[Yaarel]

Hey, the PH isn't /that/ bad.
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.)
Supernatural, OTOH, NP, there's the charmed condition, spells that impose it, etc...

Magical beauty is a D&D archetype. We see it explicitly in Dryad, Succubus, and other creatures. It is part of the flavor of the Elf, albeit absent from the mechanics, albeit again, it surfaces in the mechanics of the Charismatic Drow and the Charismatic Eladrin.

It is an important archetype.



It is obviously easy to make it gender-neutral, emphasizing appealing examples of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny.

And when male seducer seduces male ... well, its magic. Compare the Girdle of Opposite Gender.

The gaming design can make this archetype work.

Heh, at the very least, it will help alleviate the heterosupremacist archetypes.



Edit: I feel the mechanics of charm, suggestion, and domination can (must) stop short of actual sex. But the flirtation can be fun for the story.



Also, magical beauty helps clarify the meaning of Charisma. In some old school traditions, physical beauty corresponded to the Charisma score. However, Charisma is a mental ability, not a physical ability. The 1e UA attempted to emphasize the difference.

Here however, Charisma is artistic appeal − and in this case − the innate magical force of Charisma projects as supernatural beauty − impossibly beautiful.

 

[Mister-Kent]

Shamans are more like diplomats between the human and the nonhuman members of the aboriginal community.

In most aboriginal cultures, the ‘community’ includes both the human population and the populations of various natural features around them.

Shamans dont ‘channel spirits’. But they do perceive minds/spirits and thus can relay information back and forth between humans and nonhumans, bringing the case of each to the other.

I think that last part varies by culture - In Filipino babaylan tradition, channeling or possession is very much on the table but it depends on the spirit. Though it is not a universal aspect, so we can leave it out if need be.

(EDIT: Just saw @Garthanos post about spirit questing, which goes to my cultural variance point)

It seems to me one pretty universal aspect of shamanism is the trance state. Perhaps a shaman class might feature such a thing akin to a barbarian's rage - an altered state where magic is heightened and certain class options become available. This could definitely set it apart from other caster classes, which would be awesome to be as distinct as possible.

 

[Yaarel]

I think that last part varies by culture - In Filipino babaylan tradition, channeling or possession is very much on the table but it depends on the spirit. Though it is not a universal aspect, so we can leave it out if need be.

(EDIT: Just saw @Garthanos post about spirit questing, which goes to my cultural variance point)

It seems to me one pretty universal aspect of shamanism is the trance state. Perhaps a shaman class might feature such a thing akin to a barbarian's rage - an altered state where magic is heightened and certain class options become available. This could definitely set it apart from other caster classes, which would be awesome to be as distinct as possible.

Going by Norse shamanic traditions, with other cultures also in mind, the trance is central to shamanism.

In D&D terms, the trance enables outofbody projection, where the mind can travel to wherever is in mind, communicate with other minds, also manipulate other minds and influence objects, manifest a mental body (ghostlike) and even teleport ones physical body to the remote location − as well as see what is truly around, in the sense of True Sight.

The projected mind can travel (teleport) instantly to any familiar location, travelling at ‘the speed of thought’. When exploring less familiar distances, the mind walks around in a virtual body, which can be human, but often shapeshifts into the form of an animal, especially for mobility.

These features can come on line and improve while leveling. At higher levels, these magical effects can happen without trancing.

Also, telepathy, empathy to sense the nearby minds (desires and needs) of humans and nonhumans, and to communicate telepathically verbally and sensorily.



The best D&D version of a shaman is a Bard psionic archetype. Normal objects like stones and normal living beings like trees and animals, each have a psionic presence, a mind.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The Shaman talk has me thinking about rangers.

They should be able to listen to the earth, trees, wind, and gain useful information.

The One Ring has a feature that does this, and its wonderful.

 

[Mister-Kent]

The Shaman talk has me thinking about rangers.

They should be able to listen to the earth, trees, wind, and gain useful information.

The One Ring has a feature that does this, and its wonderful.

Disney's Pocahontas comes to mind as this type of ranger in media. For whatever problems the film might have had, the character herself was pretty awesome and did some cool things, like counsel with trees and animals, and I think she totally cast Comprehend Languages with the wind's assistance.

Call it the "Worldspeaker Conclave" maybe? Rangers are still conclaves right? Uh

 

[Garthanos]

I think that last part varies by culture - In Filipino babaylan tradition, channeling or possession is very much on the table but it depends on the spirit. Though it is not a universal aspect, so we can leave it out if need be.

(EDIT: Just saw @Garthanos post about spirit questing, which goes to my cultural variance point)

Yup tis why I wrote it that way

 

[Tonguez]

Disney's Pocahontas comes to mind as this type of ranger in media. For whatever problems the film might have had, the character herself was pretty awesome and did some cool things, like counsel with trees and animals, and I think she totally cast Comprehend Languages with the wind's assistance.

Call it the "Worldspeaker Conclave" maybe? Rangers are still conclaves right? Uh

Would Disneys Snow White count as a ranger too?