D&D (2024) One D&D Expert Classes Playtest Document Is Live

The One D&D Expert Class playest document is now available to download. You can access it by signing into your D&D Beyond account at the link below. It contains three classes -- bard, rogue, and ranger, along with three associated subclasses (College of Lore, Thief, and Hunter), plus a number of feats.

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[UngeheuerLich]

Also, judging by how this packet is laid out, we're getting each of the classes in sets of three.
But goodness, wonder if we'll get ALL the subclasses so far.

Which hints that the new edition uses planescape as standard setting!

 

[delericho]

Same for "Interrupting the Rest," which states that if your Long Rest is interrupted by combat, the rest confers no benefit and must be restarted. This makes random encounters so much more dangerous and I love it. "Why yes, players, you can certainly spend the night in the Haunted Forest of Spiders and Nightmares, that sounds perfectly fine! What could possibly go wrong?"

That's one of those rules that sounds like a good idea, but in practice is just a pain. If the characters are taking a Long Rest, it's probably because they feel they need a LR, either because they're low on spells or hit points. Ruling that an interrupted LR has no benefit will just lead to them hunkering down, using more and more elaborate efforts to protect themselves, until such time as the DM relents and lets them finish the LR, and only then will they actually get on with the game.

 

[Kinematics]

Favored Enemy is now just that Hunters Mark is always prepared. Kind of bland, but at least it’s actually useful. Should probably come with one free casting, too.

It also removes the concentration requirement, which is nice.

You have to "Take the Attack Action" to get the Sneak Attack bonus. That means that you can't, for example, get SA on a Reaction or Bonus Attack-based attack (unless they've also changed those).

It's not clear that the bonus action attack is excluded. It's "when you take the Attack Action" you get the Sneak Attack effect if you hit with an attack roll. To use the offhand weapon, you have to take the Attack Action, and gain an additional attack that uses up your bonus action. That seems like it would still work with the Sneak Attack rule.

You mainly just lose being able to use it as part of a reaction — either an opportunity attack, or something like the Battlemaster's Commander's Strike.

Edit:

Dual wield does not cost you your bonus action.

Kinda moots my above point. There is no bonus action to be considered for the offhand attack.

 

[TwoSix]

They nerfed GWM and SS. The mad lads did it.

 

[ScuroNotte]

Having read those Ranger features, it's good to know WoTC still hates them.

I agree. I don't know how it's possible, but they made the class less desirable. They need to hire an outside consultant/developer since they cannot get it right.

 

[Sacrosanct]

That's one of those rules that sounds like a good idea, but in practice is just a pain. If the characters are taking a Long Rest, it's probably because they feel they need a LR, either because they're low on spells or hit points. Ruling that an interrupted LR has no benefit will just lead to them hunkering down, using more and more elaborate efforts to protect themselves, until such time as the DM relents and lets them finish the LR, and only then will they actually get on with the game.

I've never actually seen this in play. If the environment doesn't allow for a long rest (encounters, whatever), it isn't matter of PCs hunkering down--they don't have the ability to do that. So there's no need for a DM to relent. It's usually the players that decide resting isn't an option there and need to move on.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Hunter Ranger's lv10 feature is just 'you can cast this completely normal spell one time'. Just to show how much WotC cares about Ranger.

They nerfed Thief's Fast Hands. Of course they would, when the whole reason to pick that subclass was for bonus action item use.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I agree. I don't know how it's possible, but they made the class less desirable. They need to hire an outside consultant/developer since they cannot get it right.

So what's the solution? "This class sucks" isn't exactly good feedback. Genuine question.

 

[Composer99]

There's a Magic Action that stands in for the 2014 Cast a Spell action; it also accounts for using an action to activate a magic item. I'm inclined to say this should also stand in for the action you can take as part of the effect of certain spells - e.g. call lightning.

 

[darjr]

A whole playlist of videos!