D&D 5E (2024) What should the 15th Class be?

[Remathilis]

Why can’t your “gish” use weapons? I really don’t understand this, or why rangers and paladins unacountably fail to qualify. What fantasy hero is it supposed to emulate? The Witcher? Ranger works fine. Elric? The hexblade warlock was based on him, but fighter/MU with a magic weapon is a better fit, and how he was statted in 1st edition deities and demigods. We have a “Jedi knight” fighter subclass that works fine.

Witcher is far better emulated by Bloodhunter, which is basically the spell less magical martial everyone wants, but slightly over designed mechanically and coated in an edgelord candy shell. If Jeremy and Chris could take a pass over the class to make a 2024 version and add some KISS to it, I think it would fill a large amount of the gish niche. It's practically the 15th class anyway due to its long DDB tenure.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This was kinda a problem with the 3.5 psion as well. The issue was since psionics overall were considered an add-on and not part of the base game, the DM had to consciously add them for the psionic character and it seemed to stand out. Enemy starts using psionics? This fight is for Bob. Found a psionic item? Here you go Bob. Running a module? Better swap in or add some psionic monsters or items for Bob. The problem is even more pronounced the more additional systems you add on: running a game with psionics, magic, incarnum and martial maneuvers would mean everyone is their own little island.

Was always an issue with 1st edition as well. There was maybe 10% of the Monster Manual dedicated to psionic powers and creatures which where irrelevant unless one of the PCs was psionic.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Witcher is far better emulated by Bloodhunter, which is basically the spell less magical martial everyone wants, but slightly over designed mechanically and coated in an edgelord candy shell. If Jeremy and Chris could take a pass over the class to make a 2024 version and add some KISS to it, I think it would fill a large amount of the gish niche. It's practically the 15th class anyway due to its long DDB tenure.

All the accounts I have heard of the Bloodhunter in actual play is that it is too fiddly and just not fun.

But, edgelordness aside, Geralt can’t do anything that can’t be covered by a ranger, fighter/MU or EK. Spells can always be fluffed as homebrew potions.

 

[Remathilis]

Was always an issue with 1st edition as well. There was maybe 10% of the Monster Manual dedicated to psionic powers and creatures which where irrelevant unless one of the PCs was psionic.

I get why people are upset psionics is essentially just a caster, but a small part of me gets that it's going to be a lot easier to slot in without all of a sudden having to make sure a portion of the treasure in your game comes in psi crystals and other usable stuff for your psion player.

 

[Remathilis]

All the accounts I have heard of the Bloodhunter in actual play is that it is too fiddly and just not fun.

But, edgelordness aside, Geralt can’t do anything that can’t be covered by a ranger, fighter/MU or EK. Spells can always be fluffed as homebrew potions.

BH is very fiddly, mostly because you have so many pools of stuff to track (brands, rites, hemo craft) and you are doing damage to yourself to use them. Flavorful? You betcha! Fun? Depends how much you like juggling resources.

But what BH excels at his feeling magical without needing to give the base class spell slots. The only way to get spells is to take a (rather confusing) subclass that gives you baby pact magic. But even without spells, you never feel you aren't doing eldritch magic when you ignite your sword in fire using your own blood as the catalyst. That's the feel they should be going for.

 

[Valetudo]

Except I can grab green flame blade and set my sword on fire without hurting myself.

 

[Remathilis]

Except I can grab green flame blade and set my sword on fire without hurting myself.

Yes, hence why the flavor is on point but the mechanics still shows 1e Pathfinder-level design notes.

 

[Valetudo]

Look go EK 16str 16int. Take magic iniate wizard at first(if human take whatever you think is witchery) and then take gfb and maybe fireball and shield as your first lvl spell.then take a mix of strength and int boosting feats. For the strength ones whatever str feats you think a wicther would take. For the int feats, take the ones which give you a c1/cast and allows you to prepare them. I prefer to grab utility spells and misty step. And maybe magic nissile(maybe).

 

[Minigiant]

Why can’t your “gish” use weapons? I really don’t understand this, or why rangers and paladins unacountably fail to qualify. What fantasy hero is it supposed to emulate? The Witcher? Ranger works fine. Elric? The hexblade warlock was based on him, but fighter/MU with a magic weapon is a better fit, and how he was statted in 1st edition deities and demigods. We have a “Jedi knight” fighter subclass that works fine.

The Gish should use weapon. The easiest way to describe how a Gish uses magic is they increase the range or damage of a melee strike.

Ashton Anchors
Ezra Scarlet
Byakuya Kuchuki
Shazam/Black Adam
More mystical version of Aquaman and Aqualad

I mean you could do it with ranger if you actually give ranger no concentration movement buffs.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The Gish should use weapon. The easiest way to describe how a Gish uses magic is they increase the range or damage of a melee strike.

Ashton Anchors
Ezra Scarlet
Byakuya Kuchuki
Shazam/Black Adam
More mystical version of Aquaman and Aqualad

I mean you could do it with ranger if you actually give ranger no concentration movement buffs.

As the man said “who?”

The only one of those I know is Shazam, and he is identical to Superman apart from being Magic Origin rather than Natural Origin (CoH forever!).