D&D 5E What Seven Classes Would You Keep? (and why!)

[Ath-kethin]

Barbarian, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Rogue, Warlock.

Fighter cause we still need a baseline, the rest because they are actually different from one another and have all the flavor they need.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

On the other hand, that one detail is huge. Did you see the other thread on the cost of training a wizard? An academic book-learned spellcaster is extremely specific as an archetype. The background for every wizard has to account for the costs and needs of training. That one detail limits wizards to privileged backgrounds (or requires plot contrivances like "I stole a spellbook"). There is very little room for spellcasters of lower classes or for spellcasters that didn't choose to be casters, or for spellcasters that inherited it from another creature.

As you say, the presence of the spellbook is what distinguishes the two the most thematically. Mechanically in 5e there isn't much distinction between them.
The spellbook creates the archetype, but the class could be simply "Mage".
I think that I probably wouldn't have the spellbook/natural magic be the basis of the archetype however. I'd suggest something like the Warlock where the spellbook + ritual magic or no book + metamagic decision would be separate from the choice of archetype.

 

[GreyLord]

I'm looking at ones which have dynamics different than others.

The core 4 are guaranteed...so

Cleric
Fighter
Rogue
Wizard

After that I'm looking at classes the others cannot really fill or really be seen as.

Monk is the obvious one really as it's the only martial arts type class there is...then it gets harder...

Bard is basically a class based with music so that's unique..

and the final one is the hardest...I went with Warlock as it has some pretty unique characteristics but overall the 7th class is much harder to choose.

 

[collin]

Bard
Cleric
Fighter
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Wizard

I had a tough time with the last 2. I decided to go more traditional. The 2 I would easily sacrifice are sorcerer and warlock.

 

[TiwazTyrsfist]

You know what, I answered this with an eye to "Let's Streamline D&D" but now I'm gonna answer again (not changing my votes mind you, just as a thought exercise) with an eye to "Let's Change Things Up!"

So, Right out the gate; Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard are OUT
Sorcerer is basically Wizard 2.0 so Sorcerer is also OUT.
Now this defaults us to 7 classes: Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, & Warlock.
HOWEVER, Eberron will give us the Artificer in a month.
SO, we're gonna cut one more core class and have the Artificer. Because.
My cut target comes down to Barbarian, Monk, or Ranger. Since we already tossed the Fighter, I want to keep some pure combatants, and to me, that means losing the Ranger. Barbarian is pure Fight, Monk is Fight with mystical Fight buff. Ranger is fight but also nature magic, and a really messed up pet.

So now we have
Artificer - Our CORE Arcane caster now.
Barbarian - Our Primary Melee Combatant.
Bard - The all-rounder and skill monkey. 1 casting subclass, college of swords, new subclass that grants more skills, expertise (double Prof bonus), and Sneak Attack, new subclass that grants the Nature/Scouting part of being a ranger.
Druid - Our Primary Divine caster and Healer.
Monk - More Melee.
Paladin - Just here to annoy people. (joke) Support class, extra melee damage and off tanking, support healing and buffs. Spam Decursive. (Joke)
Warlock - Blaster Caster.

Also, no races from the PHB.

Now let's play!

 

[Salthorae]

You know what, I answered this with an eye to "Let's Streamline D&D" but now I'm gonna answer again (not changing my votes mind you, just as a thought exercise) with an eye to "Let's Change Things Up!"

So, Right out the gate; Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard are OUT
Sorcerer is basically Wizard 2.0 so Sorcerer is also OUT.
Now this defaults us to 7 classes: Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, & Warlock.
HOWEVER, Eberron will give us the Artificer in a month.
SO, we're gonna cut one more core class and have the Artificer. Because.
My cut target comes down to Barbarian, Monk, or Ranger. Since we already tossed the Fighter, I want to keep some pure combatants, and to me, that means losing the Ranger. Barbarian is pure Fight, Monk is Fight with mystical Fight buff. Ranger is fight but also nature magic, and a really messed up pet.

So now we have
Artificer - Our CORE Arcane caster now.
Barbarian - Our Primary Melee Combatant.
Bard - The all-rounder and skill monkey. 1 casting subclass, college of swords, new subclass that grants more skills, expertise (double Prof bonus), and Sneak Attack, new subclass that grants the Nature/Scouting part of being a ranger.
Druid - Our Primary Divine caster and Healer.
Monk - More Melee.
Paladin - Just here to annoy people. (joke) Support class, extra melee damage and off tanking, support healing and buffs. Spam Decursive. (Joke)
Warlock - Blaster Caster.

Also, no races from the PHB.

Now let's play!

It sounds like an interesting campaign setting. No races from the PHB? Very interesting campaign setting

 

[DND_Reborn]

You know what, I answered this with an eye to "Let's Streamline D&D" but now I'm gonna answer again (not changing my votes mind you, just as a thought exercise) with an eye to "Let's Change Things Up!"

So, Right out the gate; Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard are OUT
Sorcerer is basically Wizard 2.0 so Sorcerer is also OUT.
Now this defaults us to 7 classes: Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, & Warlock.
HOWEVER, Eberron will give us the Artificer in a month.
SO, we're gonna cut one more core class and have the Artificer. Because.
My cut target comes down to Barbarian, Monk, or Ranger. Since we already tossed the Fighter, I want to keep some pure combatants, and to me, that means losing the Ranger. Barbarian is pure Fight, Monk is Fight with mystical Fight buff. Ranger is fight but also nature magic, and a really messed up pet.

So now we have
Artificer - Our CORE Arcane caster now.
Barbarian - Our Primary Melee Combatant.
Bard - The all-rounder and skill monkey. 1 casting subclass, college of swords, new subclass that grants more skills, expertise (double Prof bonus), and Sneak Attack, new subclass that grants the Nature/Scouting part of being a ranger.
Druid - Our Primary Divine caster and Healer.
Monk - More Melee.
Paladin - Just here to annoy people. (joke) Support class, extra melee damage and off tanking, support healing and buffs. Spam Decursive. (Joke)
Warlock - Blaster Caster.

Also, no races from the PHB.

Now let's play!

It would be too interesting for my tastes. Also, well, I am not keen on the concept of the Artificer, I don't like Bards, and Warlocks are lack luster IMO most of the time. Besides, I don't like a lot of the races outside of the PHB with only a couple exceptions.

But it is 5E, so have at it and enjoy LOL!

 

[coolAlias]

I'd choose just the classic four: cleric, figher, rogue, wizard.

Every other archetype can be built from these - Paladin is just the holy Eldritch Knight subclass of Fighter, Druid is a nature cleric that gets wildshape, Ranger is an easy subclass of either Fighter or Rogue (Scout is awesome), Bard is a charismatic musical wizard perhaps with a dip into Rogue, etc.

In 5e, I'd also keep Warlock because the mechanics are so different from everything else, and then because we have to choose 7 I'd add 2 of Barbarian, Bard, or Monk just because I like playing them.

 

[Ancalagon]

You just needs ladles. one race, one class, one stat. Ladles.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

So I don't think that this question is as easily answered as "we can remove x or y class", at least not if we wish to cover as many archetypes (in the character sense, not the game term for subclasses) of characters as possible and not make changes to existing classes. I was tempted to vote "other" to this and suggest a complete removal of classes period and just have players take abilities a la Carte with prerequisites.

...a less complete overhaul would still require major revisions. Paladin, Ranger, Bard, and Barbarian could be rolled into Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer/Rogue, and Fighter respectively without losing too much as archetypes, albeit I see no issue with them existing.

I have also long argued that I kind of wish that warlock and sorcerer were one class using a combination of metamagic and pact casting as their mechanic. Flavor wise you'd either pick a patron or origin for you magic; both get their from an external force, it really just depends on how many generations back and whether or not the source is sentient.