Dungeons & Dragons Playtests Four New Mystic-Themed Subclasses

Dungeons & Dragons has dropped their first Unearthed Arcana playtest of 2026, with four brand-new subclasses being tested. Today, Wizards of the Coast posted a Mystic Subclasses Unearthed Arcana playtest to D&D Beyond, featuring four magic-themed subclasses. The new subclasses include the Warrior of the Mystic Arts Monk subclass, the Oath of the Spellguard Paladin subclass, the Magic Stealer Rogue subclass and the Vestige Patron Warlock subclass.

The Warrior of the Mystic Arts is a spellcasting subclass that grants Monks the ability to cast Sorcerer spells up to 4th level spells. The Oath of the Spellguard is designed with protecting magic-casters in mind, while the Magic Stealer Rogue targets spellcasting and can empower their Sneak Attacks with magic stolen from nearby spellcasters. The Vestige Patron Warlock forms a bond with a dying god, with the god taking on a vestige form as a companion. The Vestige companion grows in power with the spellcaster. Notably, the Vestige Patron draws inspiration from the Binder from past editions of D&D.

There's no indication when or what this new Unearthed Arcana could be related to. There are several Unearthed Arcanas not currently attached to an announced D&D product, although two almost are certainly tied to a Dark Sun sourcebook.

You can check out the subclasses here. Feedback opens for the playtest on January 22nd.

 

[bedir than]

I mean, they did put out the Apocalyptic UA with the Defiler Sorcerer and Sorcerer-King Warlock. So they've certainly put out UA with blazingly obviously clues for unannounced books. But maybe that's what made them change course and decide to do it differently next time. Past precedent is not binding.

Something with their own IP, yes

But if they're using another's IP they wouldn't drop hints

 

[GarrettKP]

I don't follow the playtest stuff, but isn't this typically just released as a Beta and then never actually published?

I would say 90% of the UA stuff is published, usually with balance tweaks. It’s rare these days for a Subclass to hit UA and then not become official down the line.

 

[Reynard]

I would say 90% of the UA stuff is published, usually with balance tweaks. It’s rare these days for a Subclass to hit UA and then not become official down the line.

I wonder if anyone has kept careful track.

 

[Minigiant]

I thought Vestiges weren't dying gods.

Vestiges were dead, transformed, punished, or forgotten gods. beings that failed ascending to godhood, slain patrons, or figments of magical creations or events that are near divine.

 

[GarrettKP]

I wonder if anyone has kept careful track.

Other than the ones currently in playtesting, the only new class option (for 2024) that did not make a book release was the Brawler Fighter during the 2024 PHB playtest.

Some playtests got heavy revisions to the point of being borderline "cut," like the PDK (printed as Banneret) or the half-caster Warlock (reverted to Pact Magic in 2024), but they technically saw print.

 

[TravDoc42]

It SCREAMS "placeholder because the real name would give it away"

What would that real name be?

 

[Tigris]

The Mystic Monk seems really basic as a subclass, it's just like the Eldritch Knight and I'm sure the key to that is finding the right can trip to combo off of. True strike or one of the weapon cantrips because you can use Monk weapons.

I guess Thunder Clap might be alright if you get surrounded a lot

This is another reason why having the same subclass progression for all classes would make sense. Than the "one third caster subclass" could have been just 1 subclass for all martials, instead of 4 slightly varying subclasses...

 

[Kilimanjaro]

This is another reason why having the same subclass progression for all classes would make sense. Than the "one third caster subclass" could have been just 1 subclass for all martials, instead of 4 slightly varying subclasses...

They tried this during the 5e playtest. People didn't like it. Made the classes too much alike.

 

[Remathilis]

What would that real name be?

Dunno. But it's giving me the "school of invention" vibe that the Ravnica UA (that didn't say it was for Ravnica) had that was clearly for Izzet but they didn't want to give it away so they refused to call it that.

 

[Tigris]

They tried this during the 5e playtest. People didn't like it. Made the classes too much alike.

Well just because they made it in a not so ideal way does not mean it needs to be bad.

Also they did not compare this with 3 subclasses for different classes giving the same 1/3 spellcasting...


Sometimes it feels like they just made bad playtests as excuses to not having to do new things... "But you did not like our bad implementation!"...