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.

 

[Maxperson]

For me, back in 2e, the bard always was the jack of all trades, not the musician who cheered for the party.

Maybe bard was always a misnomer, but I don't really want songs to be the main focus. Maybe done right, subclasses might allow for your and my vision.

I personally dislike bards personally for the same reason. I view them as jack of all trades and/or loremasters, but that still doesn't scream full caster to me. I don't play them because the music is baked into the class. For better or worse, they have always been musicians. Gygax made them with magical singing abilities and magical instruments, and that has stuck.

Given that I don't think the class will change to encompass what we want(barring a subclass), I'd like to see the changes I am proposing here.

 

[Sacrosanct]

They got rid of CHA to Inspiring leader. I like that change. Makes is more appealing. But now it's only used after rest instead of every 10 minutes..

 

[DarkCrisis]

Seems healing is getting even more plentiful. Amazing.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Sentinel no longer requires a reaction to attack a creature that attacks another creature within 5ft of you? That has to be a mistake.

Nevermind, I forgot opportunity attacks use a reaction anyway, so it would be redundant to include it again.

 

[Composer99]

Don't like that Font of Inspiration is coming at 7th level, but I do like the clause regarding how, if the final result is a 1, you don't expend that use of Bardic Inspiration.

 

[darjr]

Folks this isn’t written in stone, or at least we dint know what is or isn’t.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Interested to see what they do with Wizards and Sorcerers given that Bards are moving to a Cleric/Druid-style model.

Seems like if Wizards have to learn each spell, and Sorcerers have a fixed selection, as they used to, that'd be significantly less flexible. I guess WotC will use this as an excuse to buff Wizards lol?!

 

[Sacrosanct]

Folks this isn’t written in stone, or at least we dint know what is or isn’t.

I think it also bears repeating that if you (general you) have strong feelings about something, rather than just moan/loud it here on forums, ensure you're filling out the survey as well. Certainly, if it's truly such a horrible/wonderful change, then most gamers would also think so, and it would reflect in the survey results. Otherwise, it's probably not a horrible/wonderful thing and just an outlier personal opinion and prepare accordingly for that.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Armor. And hit points. And more effective combat. I don't think we need a non-caster to have "powers that are just like spells but I swear we aren't calling them that" to be effective in the game. i.e., they don't necessarily need anything extra to compensate for lack of spells because they've already got class features that account for that and always have.

I hope you are wrong. I don't need every intresting set of choices to be hidden behind the 'magic' keyword,

 

[GMforPowergamers]

There's no functional difference between

• After spending ten minutes you have set up the campsite in such a way that you will be warned if someone enters the area. This works as the Alarm spell.
• You may cast the spell Alarm as a ritual.

yet for some reason it HAS to be magic in this edition