D&D 5E Should 5e have more classes (Poll and Discussion)?

[DND_Reborn]

I always found it interesting that WotC has made strides to try to make running the game simpler and more "natural", but insists on given more and more crap to the classes and races to make the game complex again...

I commented on this to a guy in my group a couple weeks ago. Earlier editions expanded the rules to make the world more robust, now the emphasis is on expanding the PCs... strange trade-off IMO. shrug

 

[Minigiant]

If it's in the mechanics, why has your proposed sentiment that paladins are angels/demons never entered my game before? I've had several paladins in my game, though never once have they seems particularly supernatural in essence.

Perhaps this has something to do with the five-minute workday (I typically see 8-12 encounters per long rest).

Well it doesn't complete until level 20. It's a gradual change from guy in armor who heals with touch to a guy in armor who sprouts wings.

So unless you've played with a Tier 3 or Tier 4 paladin, you would not start imagining a man with monster superhero powers.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Actually it's the other way around. Making things into subclasss often needs to adding pointless spells and whistles.

For example a paladin subclass would need

a divine sense spell

Detect evil and good is already a spell.

a smite spell

Booming blade is a spell, though this could indeed be a bespoke spell or a class feature.

a lay on hands spell

Cure wounds is already a spell.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Well it doesn't complete until level 20. It's a gradual change from guy in armor who heals with touch to a guy in armor who sprouts wings.

So unless you've played with a Tier 3 or Tier 4 paladin, you would not start imagining a man with monster superhero powers.

Nope. I've never had much desire to play at those levels, perhaps because of the phenomena you've been describing.

 

[Minigiant]

Detect evil and good is already a spell.

Paladin's divine does more than that in 5e. But it is close enough.

Cure wounds is already a spell.

Close enough.

Booming blade is a spell, though this could indeed be a bespoke spell or a class feature.

And here is the problem. Booming Blade is a spell not in the PHB. If there was no paladin in the PHB, you could not replicate its playstyle with just the fighter or cleric. You'd have to add to the game to cobble together something.

And that something would still neither look nor play like the paladin.

If you folded the paladin into a subclass and made a "Should 5e have more classes" thread, people would say "Yes, a paladin class."

 

[Crimson Longinus]

And here is the problem. Booming Blade is a spell not in the PHB. If there was no paladin in the PHB, you could not replicate its playstyle with just the fighter or cleric. You'd have to add to the game to cobble together something.

But certainly in this hypothetical situation we are talking about some new version of PHB, which naturally would contain the paladin subclass for the fighter and the necessary components to make it work (most of which, as you admit, already exist.)

 

[imeannoharm]

That's the wife's job.

I guess. Most of the time. Husband’s s’posed to work anyway.

 

[Minigiant]

But certainly in this hypothetical situation we are talking about some new version of PHB, which naturally would contain the paladin subclass for the fighter and the necessary components to make it work (most of which, as you admit, already exist.)

I'm saying the paladin subclass for the fighter would be a failure. Many of the parts for it would exist but creation of the smites and putting it on a fighter base would be a complete disaster. I'd pity the design who tries.

The problem isn't making the paladin, it's destroying the fighter to do it.

 

[Cadence]

That's the wife's job.

I guess. Most of the time. Husband’s s’posed to work anyway.

Assuming you're both being facetious and not <explitives>?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I'm saying the paladin subclass for the fighter would be a failure. Many of the parts for it would exist but creation of the smites and putting it on a fighter base would be a complete disaster. I'd pity the design who tries.

I'm now tempted to try it. (But I probably won't as I'm too lazy and I have no use for it.) I really don't see it as big hurdle though. Eldritch Knight is already very paladinesque fighter variant and they work just fine.

The problem isn't making the paladin, it's destroying the fighter to do it.

It wouldn't affect the base fighter at all.