D&D (2024) Upcoming One D&D: Unearthed Arcana 'Expert' Classes (Bard, Ranger, Rogue)

WotC has posted a video describing the upcoming Unearthed Arcana playtest document which will feature three of the core character classes, each with a single subclass.

This document is the second in a series of Unearthed Arcana articles that present material designed for the next version of the Player's Handbook. The material here uses the rules in the

2014 Player's Handbook, except where noted. Providing feedback on this document is one way you can help shape the next generation of D&D!

Inside you'll find the following content:

Expert Classes. Three Classes appear in this document, each one a member of the Expert Group: the Bard, the Ranger, and the Rogue. Each Class appears with one Subclass. More Subclasses will appear in Unearthed Arcana in the months ahead.

Feats. Feats follow the Class descriptions, particularly feats available to the classes in this document.

Spell Lists. Three Spell lists-the Arcane, Divine, and Primal lists-are featured here. The Ranger uses the Primal list, and the Bard potentially uses all three, thanks to the Magical Secrets feature.

Rules Glossary. In this document, any term in the body text that is underlined appears in a glossary at the end. The glossary defines game terms that have been clarified or redefined for this playtest or that don't appear in the 2014 Player's Handbook.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I wonder if the class groups are like the 4e roles with new names.

They mentioned 2e.
Back then it was warrior/rogue/magic-user/priest and those classes had their own proficiency groups. Subclasses (what today would be classes) could have access to more than one proficiency group. The bard had acces to all but the priest group, which means they just lacked the healing skill.
It also had a meaning for how much wepon and nonweapon proficiencies you started with and the rate of access (how many levels to get another proficiency).
It also determined the nonproficiency penalty for weapons and in later supplements, weapons expertise/specialization were gernerally limited to the warrior classes, with the fighter having access to higher specialization levels.
Last but not least, you could never mix 2 subclasses of the same class when dual-classing as human, and there were no multiclass combination of the same class. Except for some bard subsubclasses (from complete bard) who could mix with rogue, superseeding the general rule...

So if they go along with it, it is less 4e style leader/controller/defender/striker but rather warrior(combining striker and defender), priest (combining warrior and leader), expert (a role 4e did not assign, because roles were just for combat, and skills were a different scale), and mage (combining striker and controller).

 

[Undrave]

The Roles have always been in the game still, they have designed 5E like this since inception they are just focusing on it now.

Warriors are Fighter-like classes focused on attacks, and health, there are Fighter, Monk, and Barbarian.

Experts are Rogue-like classes, focused on versatility and skill expertise, these are Bard, Rogue, and Ranger.

Mages are Wizard-like classes focused on Arcane magic and Utility, these are Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard.

Last one is Priests, which are Cleric-like classes focused on support, and Holy magic, which are Druid, Cleric, and Paladin.

This like the Arcane, Primal, Divine, split of spell lists, have always been in the game in a soft sense, but never officially said, now they are just confirming it, but its quite clear they grouped the classes like this for a long time. Since 5E.

Kiiinda... but the Monk always felt more defined by its legacy class features than any kinda of expected gameplay loop. They just said 'the Monk's gotta have this, this and that' and didn't really consider how they would all interplay.

 

[OB1]

• Rolling a 1 giving inspiration, I've seen a lot of people suggesting this.

I definitely prefer this to the previous version. A natural 20 is enough of a reward in and of itself. I'm still not sure I buy the argument that inspiration needs to be more common, though, and if it does, accomplishing that through feats, class abilities, and so forth would be more interesting than automatically handing it out based on die rolls. or rests

I really like inspiration on Nat20, and my players have been having a blast with it in the playtest. In my head I see it as someone does something so well or with so much flair that it gives them or their friends a lift on other things. I think if you're going to have it on Nat 1s, make it on both Nat20s and Nat1s. Of course, I think they took it off Nat20 on this iteration since they are putting back in the old Nat20 crit rules.

My group is also in love with the new Crit rules. Ideally for me, I'd see those remain (perhaps tweak that monsters recharge on a crit and also get weapon damage doubled) and also have Inspiration on any Nat1 or Nat20.

 

[Parmandur]

My guess on class groups:

Experts: Rogue, Bard, Ranger
Warriors: monk, fighter, barbarian
Mages: sorcerer, wizard, warlock
Priests: cleric, druid, paladin

4 subclasses each, that’s 48 as he said

And the warriors “thing” will be maneuvers, but that’s kind of a big change, so maybe their “thing” will be Extra Attacks?

Worth noting that the 2014 PHB has 40 Subclasses, so this is enough for repeating every single one and 8 new options, though I suspect some won't be returning.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

• 
  This makes a lot of conceptual sense, though in practice, it seems like a major buff to half-casters that could leave non-casters further behind.

• 
  
  I don't think non-casters are behind half casters. Rangers having access to rituals is what I wished for a long time. It was even impossoble tontake the ritual caster feat to get ranger rituals... which actually were a nice combination of spells.
  
  Half-casters suffered from the too little too late syndrome. Often they spammed level 1 spells or used them to feed class abilities. Higher level spells were often useless when it mattered as they were usually underleveled and had a relative low DC. The artificer is an exception in this regard.
  
  And also: we have not seen what non-casters get to compensate for the lack of spells. Good chance that they receive a significant buff.

 

[tetrasodium]

Is it me or have several threads been merged into one?

yep I got a message in the bell notification up there. They were started in different forums

 

[FallenRX]

Kiiinda... but the Monk always felt more defined by its legacy class features than any kinda of expected gameplay loop. They just said 'the Monk's gotta have this, this and that' and didn't really consider how they would all interplay.

Monk is a fighter-like class by default, its just the faster, but less health variant, that focuses on Ki resources to do extra cool stuff basically, it has a pretty consistent theme on multi-attacks procing on hits effects though

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Kiiinda... but the Monk always felt more defined by its legacy class features than any kinda of expected gameplay loop. They just said 'the Monk's gotta have this, this and that' and didn't really consider how they would all interplay.

The rules update for grapple combined with tavern brawler makes them a formidable striker/controller from level 1.

 

[Parmandur]

What will be really interesting to see when get the document, is if older Subclasses will still work or be convertible. Ranger sounds like it may be getting a significant overhaul, and all Classes sound like their Levels are being scrambled a bit.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

They mentioned 2e.
Back then it was warrior/rogue/magic-user/priest and those classes had their own proficiency groups.

back when 4e came out there was discussion of that too