D&D 5E Which classes have the least identity?

[CreamCloud0]

I mean, BG3 proves it has a thematic one with how hard it ties into your customisation if nothing else. "You can get dragon scales and horns by picking this because you're half dragon" is an absolutely massive perk just by itself. Its just the mechanics that fail then

which. Wouldn't have been a problem with playtest sorcerer leaning further into that.

I think they could’ve added a purely fluff feature to base sorcerer saying something like ‘sorcerers often develop superficial traits associated with their magic source, horns and slitted eyes for draconic bloodline, a perpetual breeze, static sparks and the smell of ozone for a storm sorcerer...’ and people would’ve gone wild for customising their characters with flavour quirks.

 

[Yaarel]

Please no. Fighters should be inspiring and tactical without magic.

If there are only four classes, then the Warlord is utilizing the Wizard Intelligence-Perception for nonmagic.

Oppositely, the Barbarian is utilizing the Fighter Strength-Constitution for magic.

 

[ECMO3]

To be fair, "never played D&D" doesn't necessarily mean "never exposed to the fantasy genre".

I know lots of people who have never played D&D, but know what a Druid is thanks to World of Warcraft.

I know more who think of actual historical Druids when you say Druid.

 

[ECMO3]

While I'd tend to use the word Warrior more natively, if I was roleplaying a Fantasy type War Leader and was challenged to send out my best "Fighter" - it certainly wouldnt be a "hot header gang enforcer".

I think "Warrior" does describe what players know as the Fighter class pretty well. But "fighter" doesn't and moreover the Fighter class in 5E is not the best at fighting anyway. If you are playing the game and sending your best "fighter", i.e. the best class you have at fighting, it is probably a Wizard or Cleric.

 

[ECMO3]

You seem to be confusing historical context for fantasy context. There’s many very popular games that have implemented monk classes as martial artist classes. I’m much less versed in fantasy literature so don’t know how well it applies there as well.

But those people have been exposed to RPGs. They are not random members of the society at large and I think a lot of people who have played an RPG or even D&D itself once or twice still don't automatically think Monk=martial artists.

I am Catholic and I grew up around Monasteries and Convents. I had several nuns and one monk as a school teacher in elementary school. I had never associated them with Martial Arts until after I played 1E and there are millions of people with similar experience. If you include China and India and eastern world monks, probably billions of people.

Again, you too focused on history as providing identity. Besides almost no one knows that particular historic tidbit.

I am focused on identity based on the common use and understanding of the term "Druid" in the population at large.

My argument wasn’t the class needs to represent some historical real world group of people. Not sure why you keep going there.

D&d isn’t the only ttrpg. There are also crpgs. There are other mmorpgs. There are other games. Possibly novels as well. Etc.

Most would picture a soldier or mercenary. Kind of timeless in that sense.

Most do not put those words into the context of an RPG or fantasy novel at first thought.

More than just any ole knight. A holy knight.

Keep in mind the whole concept of a Knight is based on Christian medieval Europe. All the Knights were holy in this context.

 

[Undrave]

I think "Warrior" does describe what players know as the Fighter class pretty well. But "fighter" doesn't and moreover the Fighter class in 5E is not the best at fighting anyway. If you are playing the game and sending your best "fighter", i.e. the best class you have at fighting, it is probably a Wizard or Cleric.

Something has gone terribly wrong.

 

[TwoSix]

I know more who think of actual historical Druids when you say Druid.

We definitely know different people.

 

[ECMO3]

We definitely know different people.

I think more people associate Druids with Stonehenge (even though they did not build it) than associate Druids with the D&D archetype.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I think more people associate Druids with Stonehenge (even though they did not build it) than associate Druids with the D&D archetype.

I imagine most people would now druids form video games, where they're most often "nature-themed spellcasters" of some sort. The Stonehenge archetype doesn't really conflict with that.

I can't think of a single popular representation of druids that isn't "nature-themed magic user" though.

 

[Remathilis]

I imagine most people would now druids form video games, where they're most often "nature-themed spellcasters" of some sort. The Stonehenge archetype doesn't really conflict with that.

I can't think of a single popular representation of druids that isn't "nature-themed magic user" though.

Occasionally, I see the "barbaric ancient pagan child sacrificers" and the "neo pagan hippie" used, but both in a more specific context. Druid, paladin, bard and warlock are all sufficiently old and rarely used that most people would probably use some version of a fantasy character concept to describe them, even if the idea didn't conform to any one games interpretation.