D&D (2024) New One D&D Playtest Document: 77 Pages, 7 Classes, & More!

There's a brand new playtest document for the new (version/edition/update) of Dungeons of Dragons available for download! This one is an enormous 77 pages and includes classes, spells, feats, and weapons.

Unearthed Arcana Playtest

Unearthed Arcana Playtest Materials Get Unearthed Arcana playtest content, try it out in your game, and provide feedback! Check back regularly for ...

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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 updated rules on seven classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Rogue. This document also presents multiple subclasses for each of those classes, new Spells, revisions to existing Spells and Spell Lists, and several revised Feats. You will also find an updated rules glossary that supercedes the glossary of any previous playtest document.

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[Parmandur]

I'd guess Celestial or Undead, as I said earlier, though I discounted Celestial as it may just be too hard to distinguish from Clerics and Paladins. But we do get Oath of the Ancients as well as Barbarians and Rangers and now Warden Druids, so I shouldn't discount it out of hand.

Both would be solid choices, to be honest. But think about it less in terms of other Classes (College of Dance is Monk-ish, for unstance) and thi kids about providing a well rounded variety of themes for the Bbase Class: I think Fiend, GOO, and Fey are pretty set, and what do all three of those have in common? Being somewhere on a scale of sinister, though Archfey can be somewhat less sinister than Fiends and Elder Evils. Celestial Patrons, on the other hand, offer a totally different vibe that can make the Class work for a different mindset just in themes, let alone powers.

 

[Marandahir]

Both would be solid choices, to be honest. But think about it less in terms of other Classes (College of Dance is Monk-ish, for unstance) and thi kids about providing a well rounded variety of themes for the Bbase Class: I think Fiend, GOO, and Fey are pretty set, and what do all three of those have in common? Being somewhere on a scale of sinister, though Archfey can be somewhat less sinister than Fiends and Elder Evils. Celestial Patrons, on the other hand, offer a totally different vibe that can make the Class work for a different mindset just in themes, let alone powers.

I'd argue that College of Dance is one of those rare exceptions that prove the rule, like Oath of the Ancients is for Paladins and Primals.

But I'd be happy with The Celestial! Just wondering if a divine-ish Half-caster Warlock wouldn't feel too similar to a Paladin for the PHB, especially if they are also going Pact of the Blade…

I also think The Undead may not be as needed if they are doing Necromancer in the PHB. But I do think The Undead would establish the theme of Warlocks being the perilous occult class a bit better than The Celestial. Don't get me wrong, Lesser Key of Solomon Angel-binding, Old Testament eldritch abomination Angels, etc, The Celestial is occult as heck. But The Undead is Halloween occult, and may just be a bit more "core" of a Warlock concept than The Celestial is.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

If Hexblade does show up, it'd have to be rebuilt from the ground up. It was always a patch job to Blade Pact that was intended to supply them with medium armor proficiency and melee attacks with your casting stat. Well, as of the first UA round, all Warlocks get medium armor and melee attacks with your casting stat is baked into Blade Pact. So all that's left is stuff like Hexblade's Curse (bland) and Accursed Specter (which I can testify you almost never get to activate).

I mean, yes... That's half the point.

The revisions to Blade Pact have (rightfully) rendered many of the features of the current Hexblade redundant. Consequently, it needs work to take out what is no longer needed, beef up what's left, and add new stuff to fill in any gaps - particularly if in doing so it can be made into a worthwhile option for non-Blade Pact warlocks now.

Hexes, curses, and dark shadow magic is a perfectly viable conceit to build a warlock pact around, and having a Shadowfell option to mirror the Archfey makes sense - not that having Celestial to mirror the Fiend doesn't also make sense, but as I said, Hexblade needs the work to be brought back up to spec, whereas Celestial doesn't (at least not to the same degree).

 

[Marandahir]

I mean, yes... That's half the point.

The revisions to Blade Pact have (rightfully) rendered many of the features of the current Hexblade redundant. Consequently, it needs work to take out what is no longer needed, beef up what's left, and add new stuff to fill in any gaps - particularly if in doing so it can be made into a worthwhile option for non-Blade Pact warlocks now.

Hexes, curses, and dark shadow magic is a perfectly viable conceit to build a warlock pact around, and having a Shadowfell option to mirror the Archfey makes sense - not that having Celestial to mirror the Fiend doesn't, but as I said, Hexblade needs the work to be brought back up to spec, whereas Celestial doesn't (at least not to the same degree).

Weren't they reviving The Raven Queen Patron in Planescape? That was the alternative shadow Warlock concept in the UAs for Xanathar's Guide, ultimately rejected in favour of Hexblade. I feel like Nera as a Patron (and ONLY Nera, no other shadowfell entities) is far too limited a concept, though metal as heck, but if so then they wouldn't really need another Shadowfell subclass for now…

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Weird, because it makes more sense than any other school, in my mind. The identity is very clear: it's everything that would be in The Elder Scrolls' Restoration School of Magic, or in Final Fantasy's White Magic, etc. That INCLUDES reflect, ward, resist, shields, etc spells…

What is Cure Wounds abjuring?

 

[Incenjucar]

What is Cure Wounds abjuring?

Booboos.

 

[OB1]

Has there been actual confirmation that the subclasses we are seeing are the ones that will be in the PHB? Almost feels like some of them are there to playtest Class compatibility with older subclasses.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

What is Cure Wounds abjuring?

When this came up months ago, the only thing that I could come up with that made sense to me, is that it's rebuking negative chi.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I'd argue that College of Dance is one of those rare exceptions that prove the rule, like Oath of the Ancients is for Paladins and Primals.

But I'd be happy with The Celestial! Just wondering if a divine-ish Half-caster Warlock wouldn't feel too similar to a Paladin for the PHB, especially if they are also going Pact of the Blade…

I also think The Undead may not be as needed if they are doing Necromancer in the PHB. But I do think The Undead would establish the theme of Warlocks being the perilous occult class a bit better than The Celestial. Don't get me wrong, Lesser Key of Solomon Angel-binding, Old Testament eldritch abomination Angels, etc, The Celestial is occult as heck. But The Undead is Halloween occult, and may just be a bit more "core" of a Warlock concept than The Celestial is.

My guess is Genie Warlock, a Celestial Patron will step too much on Divine Soul Sorcerer too much and DS needs to be in as its the most effected by the rule changes to spell lists, because the cleric spell list doesn't exist anymore.

Also honestly the Genie Patron was one of the best designed subclasses for Warlock.

 

[Parmandur]

I'd argue that College of Dance is one of those rare exceptions that prove the rule, like Oath of the Ancients is for Paladins and Primals.

But I'd be happy with The Celestial! Just wondering if a divine-ish Half-caster Warlock wouldn't feel too similar to a Paladin for the PHB, especially if they are also going Pact of the Blade…

I also think The Undead may not be as needed if they are doing Necromancer in the PHB. But I do think The Undead would establish the theme of Warlocks being the perilous occult class a bit better than The Celestial. Don't get me wrong, Lesser Key of Solomon Angel-binding, Old Testament eldritch abomination Angels, etc, The Celestial is occult as heck. But The Undead is Halloween occult, and may just be a bit more "core" of a Warlock concept than The Celestial is.

Thing is, I don't think there is a rule at all. I don't think a Celestial Warlock steps on the Paladins toes, mechanically. Indeed, a divine list Valor Bard, Devotion Paladin and Celwstial Warlock could be the basis of a party belonging to a united military order, while covering different roles.