D&D General why do we not have an armourless half caster?

[Mind of tempest]

you know how in 5e we have barbarians and monks who have built-in armour class why has no one made a half caster with the same thing?
it seems it would an easy way to start showing how it is different and to start the process of making it iconic?

I was watching this when at 1:49 when it made me ask why do we not have a half caster with such a skin? we already have the all-out assault that is the paladin a smashing armoured knight, we have the ranger that is built for range, ambush, mobility and nature magic would something more between the two extremes more tactical have a place?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Does bladesinger count?

 

[Stormonu]

because of mage armor and barkskin?

 

[Parmandur]

you know how in 5e we have barbarians and monks who have built-in armour class why has no one made a half caster with the same thing?
it seems it would an easy way to start showing how it is different and to start the process of making it iconic?

I was watching this when at 1:49 when it made me ask why do we not have a half caster with such a skin? we already have the all-out assault that is the paladin a smashing armoured knight, we have the ranger that is built for range, ambush, mobility and nature magic would something more between the two extremes more tactical have a place?

What do you think the Monk is...?

Ki points are just the Spellpoint variant from the DMG, mathematically, based on a Short Rest. If you triple the Ki point total by Level, and reverse the math to get Spell Slots, Monks have the same progression of Slots as Paladins, Rangers, and Artificers.

Ki abilities are mathematically just Spells.

 

[jgsugden]

Tortle Paladin says woo...
As a DM, I have offered PCs the ability to gain an unarmored defense ability in place of their armor proficiency. It doesn't break anything - unless you allow it for Strength. The existence of high strength magic items can really make that strong. Even then, it is not necessarily too broken to work ... but I'd lean away from it. Regardless, I would have no issues allowing a paladin to give up their armor proficiencies to gain Unarmored Defense (Charisma) or a Ranger to gain Unarmored Defense (Wisdom). Ask your DM if that appeals to you.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I think there would absolutely be design space for such a thing mechanically. I don't know how it would fit thematically.

It doesn't exist because 5e D&D is not a "character class of every permutation" system. It's a "here are the dozen or so most iconic classes from the history of the game" system, that then tweaked those classes to fill many of the different possible permutations. But each and every role does not necessarily get the arcane and divine version, the caster, half-caster, and non-caster version, and the heavily armored, mediumly armored, lightly armored, and unarmored version.

I think for such a thing to be added to this edition of the game there would have to be an iconic fantasy or pop culture "class" people clamored for which lent itself to being an unarmored half-caster. I don't know what that would be.

For anyone who justs wants to play such a character in 5e I recommend just playing a bladesinger multiclass with fighter or rogue. It's fun.

 

[Yaarel]

What do you think the Monk is...?

Ki points are just the Spellpoint variant from the DMG, mathematically, based on a Short Rest. If you triple the Ki point total by Level, and reverse the math to get Spell Slots, Monks have the same progression of Slots as Paladins, Rangers, and Artificers.

Ki abilities are mathematically just Spells.

Yeah, I was gonna say Monk too. The armorless gish.

Some of the more magical Barbarian traditions might count too.

A Dexterity Eldritch Knight − or even a Dexterity Paladin! − can serve as an armorless gish.

 

[Yaarel]

Regarding the Monk, I wish many of its class features shifted over into the subclass design space, instead.

Then an "emptier" Monk class design space would leave more room to reuse the class for other subclass concepts of physical prowess, including nonmagical Athlete, but also other kinds of agile gishes.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I think there would absolutely be design space for such a thing mechanically. I don't know how it would fit thematically.

We did this for the "Adventurer" class (where every thing you get is via feats), to create a generic Unarmored Defense, equal to 10 + DEX + an ability score of your choice other than Dexterity.

STR - You know how to use your power to push attacks aside and off-balance your enemies.
CON - Your stamina keeps you moving in a fight, making you hard to hit.
INT - You analyze the situation and your opponents' movements, removing yourself from harm's way.
WIS - Your insight into danger has given you a sense of how to avoid it as much as possible.
CHA - Your confidence and poise allows you to position yourself in unexpected ways, fooling your attackers.

Or something like that...

 

[Mind of tempest]

Does bladesinger count?

that is a wizard who learned sword craft so WotC does not have to make an arcane half caster.

because of mage armor and barkskin?

but those are wizard spells, I am questioning who something has not been thought off?

What do you think the Monk is...?

Ki points are just the Spellpoint variant from the DMG, mathematically, based on a Short Rest. If you triple the Ki point total by Level, and reverse the math to get Spell Slots, Monks have the same progression of Slots as Paladins, Rangers, and Artificers.

Ki abilities are mathematically just Spells.

this seems partly true yes you can use monk ki for spells but it is not even when stretched a spell caster at this point.

Yeah, I was gonna say Monk too. The armorless gish.

Some of the more magical Barbarian traditions might count too.

A Dexterity Eldritch Knight − or even a Dexterity Paladin! − can serve as an armorless gish.

the barbarian is like the eldritch knight, not a half caster but has magic they are quarter casters or something.
and I highly doubt we will ever get a half-caster monk to get off the ground as people likely conflicting ideas of what a monk should even be ends up rendering that unlikely.

Regarding the Monk, I wish many of its class features shifted over into the subclass design space, instead.

Then an "emptier" Monk class design space would leave more room to reuse the class for other subclass concepts of physical prowess, including nonmagical Athlete, but also other kinds of agile gishes.

I want it far more customisable with a separation of martial arts from subclasses to make them far more dynamic per combination.