D&D 5E D&D New Edition Design Looks Soon?

WotC’s Ray Winninger has hinted on Twitter that we may be seeing something of the 2024 next edition of D&D soon — “you’ll get a first look at some of the new design work soon.”.

 

[Ancalagon]

Hermit is probably the background that's more appropriate for a typical "western" monk. Acolyte is more of a priest-type.

A hermit lives in isolation. A large portion (the majority?) of monks live communally. So... no?

(edit to note that yes, some monks live alone)

 

[Staffan]

A hermit lives in isolation. A large portion (the majority?) of monks live communally. So... no?

(edit to note that yes, some monks live alone)

As is common, D&D often has its own interpretation of words. From the PHB: "You lived in seclusion — either in a sheltered community such as a monastery, or entirely alone — for a formative part of your life."

 

[Oofta]

there is already a ninja in the PHB... if you didn't see it, it's because they are very sneaky.

And no, I'm NOT KIDDING.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

We already have the brawler feat. Martial artist might be best but all of the other official classes are 1 word. Even then, there are many martial arts styles even if the western styles morphed into boxing and wrestling or are otherwise not wide spread or have been lost.

yeah I want a subclass to be a boxer...

 

[Oofta]

yeah I want a subclass to be a boxer...

Or MMA, mix boxing with wrestling and find a way to make grappling worthwhile outside of specific niches.

 

[Parmandur]

That's why we have backgrounds like Acolyte. We could rename the class to something else, I'm not sure what it would buy to change the label or what that label would be. Fantasy Martial Arts Expert doesn't really roll off the tongue so you have to call them something. Ninja would probably be closer I suppose.

I'd go with the BECMI name for the Class, "Mystic." Let Monastacism and the implied Setting stuff go into a Background.

 

[Parmandur]

yeah I want a subclass to be a boxer...

Tasha's has that covered with Fighting Style, Champion will do.

 

[Oofta]

I'd go with the BECMI name for the Class, "Mystic." Let Monastacism and the implied Setting stuff go into a Background.

Mystic sounds more like caster to me, and we already have enough of those. If I were to rename it, it would probably be Martial Artist. Then again I don't have an issue with monk and ki as a power source is pretty central to the current theme.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Tasha's has that covered with Fighting Style, Champion will do.

um... do you just like to say everything everyone wants is wrong? I know and even earlier refenced the brawler feat. I do not like champion, not only will I not play one I don't know anyone who does... so not really working for me. The monk class (fast feet fast hands) could make a great boxer

 

[Stalker0]

The problem is there hasn't been a popular Monk stereotype since the 1970s. It was replaced with Martial Artist in the public consciousness. You might bring in Avatar for the '00s, but Aang is one character among a vast array of supernatural martial artists in that, and probably the least interesting/engaging one (he's almost the "straight-man" for the whole show). D&D only has Monk, not Martial Artist, because of the very peculiar and specific time it was developed.

I definitely agree with your point re: personal range of media though.

Very much agree. To me, they should just give the fighter martial arts options. A better fighting style (the current one is lame) and probably a subclass. Let the fighter be your hard core MMA fighter/boxer/martial artist.

Then leave the monk class for your wushu mystic. The super speed, meditative healing, death touch, can run on air, stuff like that. You probably could just go with a spellcasting class, like a warlock chassis could work really well if you had a lot of good monk "invocations"