D&D (2024) What if you were in charge of reworking classes for 5.5?

[MoonSong]

I disagree with all of this. First, adding a bunch of spells just diminishes the difference between sorcerers and wizards, especially since you are drawing them from essentially the same pool of spells.

It is a difference, but it isn't a fun difference. A crippled spell selection makes the sorcerer harder to play and less fun to play. Two more spells known across the levels would really help to make sorcerer more accessible. As it is now, you don't have enough to fill a single niche and still do thematical stuff.

One reason Divine soul is leagues better than the three subclasses that preceded it.

 

[Neonchameleon]

It is a difference, but it isn't a fun difference. A crippled spell selection makes the sorcerer harder to play and less fun to play. Two more spells known across the levels would really help to make sorcerer more accessible. As it is now, you don't have enough to fill a single niche and still do thematical stuff.

One reason Divine soul is leagues better than the three subclasses that preceded it.

Band aids don't fix bullet holes. The divine soul sorcerer has fixed the spell selection problem - but you can still only know level+2 spells total (up to level 11)- or about two spells per spell level. You also need to actually know more spells, which takes the Aberrant Mind or Clockwork Soul. Both of which know extra spells and have a spell list that's not just a crippled version of the wizard spell list.

And one thing having powerful subclasses and a weak base class allows is more variety between subclasses (an issue with the wizard class). I'd love to see a dragon soul sorcerer that, instead of giving more spells known, was actually formidable in melee, for example almost continually breathing.

 

[MoonSong]

Band aids don't fix bullet holes. The divine soul sorcerer has fixed the spell selection problem - but you can still only know level+2 spells total (up to level 11)- or about two spells per spell level. You also need to actually know more spells, which takes the Aberrant Mind or Clockwork Soul. Both of which know extra spells and have a spell list that's not just a crippled version of the wizard spell list.

And one thing having powerful subclasses and a weak base class allows is more variety between subclasses (an issue with the wizard class). I'd love to see a dragon soul sorcerer that, instead of giving more spells known, was actually formidable in melee, for example almost continually breathing.

It is a self-perpetuating problem. Favored Soul and Draft Storm Magic where basically balanced with what you'd get from Cleric Subclasses. But because Dragon Magic was bad (ok it was good, until the designers pointed out we were playing it wrong and patched it back into sucking) and Wild Magic was unplayable, they were deemed too strong and weren't allowed to stand.

Divine Soul doesn't solve the issue, but the extra spell known + Mage initiate gives you two extra spells known which is some breathing room.

 

[Clint_L]

I would give the monk d10 hit dice, bump up their damage dice by one dice type (so d6, d8, d10, d12), maybe add their wisdom bonus to ki points to fix how boring they are until level 5 or so, and definitely limit stunning strike to one attempt per round.

I would drastically simplify weapons. For melee there would be small weapons (+damage type) D6, single handed weapons (+ damage type) D8 and two handed weapons (+damage type) D12. The range would be the same for all of them.

For ranged there would be light (D6) and heavy (D10), with different ranges attached.

 

[d24454_modern]

I’d bump Barbarian up to d20 and Fighter to d12.

 

[Horwath]

Everyone is proficient with all weapons.
All weapons are at martial "power level" with a bump in damage die for all non-finesse weapons:
Longsword/warhamme/battleaxe from 1d8 to 1d10
greataxe/greatsword/maul from 1d12/2d6 to 2d8
etc...

no armor proficiency, all armors have min str score:
from padded at STR 8 to full plate at STR 18

 

[Neonchameleon]

It is a self-perpetuating problem. Favored Soul and Draft Storm Magic where basically balanced with what you'd get from Cleric Subclasses. But because Dragon Magic was bad (ok it was good, until the designers pointed out we were playing it wrong and patched it back into sucking) and Wild Magic was unplayable, they were deemed too strong and weren't allowed to stand.

Divine Soul doesn't solve the issue, but the extra spell known + Mage initiate gives you two extra spells known which is some breathing room.

Not entirely self-perpetuating. As mentioned the Tasha's subclasses realised it was a problem and dealt with it - as did the UA moon sorcerer in the Dragonlance Unearthed Arcana.

Tasha's of course also boosted the cleric subclasses. I think they needed it although not as much as the sorcerer.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

the base fighter would look a lot like the Knight background/bonus feat from new UA. You get a few Superiority dice and some preset choice A/B as you level... subclasses would then open up more options. The battle master could take any.

 

[kapars]

I’ve started reading OSE and I love that at level 9 ish it is written into the rules that you get a keep, stronghold, school etc. I know the DM could just do this but having it written into the class features gives it more prominence. Right now I think only high level full casters get this kind of thing via spells. I’d like this to be added to all classes even if just as an optional feature and a nod to older editions for the anniversary.

 

[Haiku Elvis]

- On that note, all Classes take their Subclass at Level 1, allowing Subclass to alter base flavor more.

Lets admit it we know what subclass we are going for and set up their background from the start 99% of the time so why wait until 3rd level until you get to be who you are pretending to be for the first few sessions.