D&D (2024) New One D&D Playtest Includes 5 Classes & New Weapon Mastery System

The latest playtest packet for One D&D has just landed, and features five classes (Barbarian, Fighter, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard) and the new Weapon Mastery system.

In this new Unearthed Arcana document for the 2024 Core Rulebooks, we explore material designed for the next version of the Player’s Handbook. This playtest document presents the rules on the Weapon Mastery property, updates to weapons, new and revised spells, several new feats, and five classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard. You will also find an updated rules glossary that supercedes the glossary of any previous playtest documents.

Claim Unearthed Arcana now! - D&D Beyond

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[Bolares]

Tales of the Valiant has a feat that replicates spell schools if you and your DM prefer that.

That said, how many of those specialist subclasses ever got used? Half seems about right.

I don't think we'll see four subschool subclasses in the 2024 PHB. Warmage and bladesinger are tied with evoker for the most popular subclasses and I bet they get called up to the big show. The question is which other subclass makes the cut. (Fingers crossed for illusionist.)

I'm hoping for illusionist, abjurer and necromancer (not my cup of tea but it's a very popular concept) to exist in some way. Arcane Ward is one of my favourite class abilities.

 

[Minigiant]

I think it stinks that Sorcerer's don't get Bloodlines anymore. I wonder if they did that cuz Bloodlines are also Paizo sorcerers as well.
Could also be the fact they are making everything less "sexy" now.

First VtM Bloodlines 2 is in dev hell and then we lose Sorcerer Draconic Bloodlines.

I can hear my buddy Mike calling for Hunger/Rouse now just because.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm hoping for illusionist, abjurer and necromancer (not my cup of tea but it's a very popular concept) to exist in some way. Arcane Ward is one of my favourite class abilities.

I could see war mage killing abjurer and taking their stuff. There's a lot of overlap between the two, thematically.

 

[DEFCON 1]

To be fair, there was only ever one "bloodline"

Aberrant Mind
Clockwork Soul
Divine Soul
Draconic Bloodline
Lunar Sorcery
Shadow Magic
Storm Sorcery
Wild Magic

I'm actually pleased with the idea of removing bloodlines from the Sorcerer, because to me bloodlines should all fall under Species. Tieflings are humanoids with a fiendish bloodline, aasimar are humanoids with a celestial bloodline, shifters are humanoids with a lycanthrope bloodline, genasi are humanoids with a genie bloodline etc. If we had humanoids with a draconic bloodline that should be a Species too, not a Class. But of course they don't have that because we have Dragonborn.

I mean at the end of the day it doesn't really matter to me because I don't Sorcerers anyway so whatever WotC does with them isn't going to change anything for me. So whether it's a sorcery or a bloodline-- meh. Call it or make it whatever they want.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

Hmm. So, while I have long wished that 5E had better and more robust spell creation rules, the new wizard spell creation rules feel under-cooked, unless there's something I'm missing.

Specifically, if the spells stay the same level -- which they appear to -- why wouldn't every group fund the wizard creating bespoke enhanced spells for all of their go-to spells?

Fireballs that never injure the wizard's allies? Obviously you would prefer that and the martials (and put-upon healer) would likely be very happy to pay for the arcane focus cost. (Also, burning up a wand to do that feels weird in the fiction. Maybe some other sort of material cost should be included instead. Maybe I just haven't gotten to the new definition of Arcane Focus. EDIT: Nope, no new definition. The example starting arcane focus is a quarterstaff.)

For everything else, by default, the wizard should create silent versions of all their spells. This seems like a no-brainer for Illusionists and enchanters especially. I guess we now have a money sink, which is good, but a silent spell that's only balanced by a one-time spell component cost doesn't make sense to me, as a DM.

And for evokers, everything should be made into force damage, unless there's a new most effective damage type in 2024.

Am I missing something that balances modified spells?

also once someone does the change and makes a scroll or spellbook entry they can share it with the world... so Forceball that only effects enemies coming soon.

 

[Bolares]

I could see war mage killing abjurer and taking their stuff. There's a lot of overlap between the two, thematically.

as long as I can get my arcane ward (and my better counterspell rolls) I'm okay with it.

 

[DEFCON 1]

as long as I can get my arcane ward (and my better counterspell rolls) I'm okay with it.

You can do that by using the 2014 subclass with the 2024 Wizard. Easy-peasy.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

All of the spell modifications in the UA should have a +1 to level by default, IMO, other than some of the damage type switches, although some are clear upgrades.

I mean, I'll be happy to go around casting permanently silent illusion and enchantment spells, but that feels like a big power up to a class that didn't need it.

once again 2 casting of the crazy complex spells later I have 3rd level forceball that only targets enemies.
then I share it so it replaces fireball as the defualt 3rd level spell Tabby's Forceball

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

Let's wait until a real subclass says something.

oh come on that sub class looks better right now... until battle master comes at least and rune knight and chrono knight and psi knight

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

once again 2 casting of the crazy complex spells

Eh, I'm not sure they're complex. I suspect these started off as complicated class features that they made into spells to break them into more easily digestible chunks. (I mean, they're technically spells, but it's a downtime activity.)

then I share it so it replaces fireball as the defualt 3rd level spell Tabby's Forceball

If they don't add a default level bump to each major modification, I'd probably make these unsharable, even though that feels terrible in the fiction.