Level Up (A5E) State of the Archetypes

Timespike · Sep 30, 2022

My eventual goal is to have so many A5E-specific options that nobody feels obligated to use WotC ones any more.

Clarification: note the word "obligated;" there will always be folks that want to run some treasured favorite archetype from a WotC work, and that's fine. I just want there to be sufficient A5E-specific options where folks don't feel like they need to use O5E ones to give their players enough choices.

Faolyn · Sep 30, 2022

timespike said:
My eventual goal is to have so many A5E-specific options that nobody feels obligated to use WotC ones any more.

You're getting there. Based on the games I'm currently running or playing in, there's still room for a psi knight fighter (I wish @Steampunkette would publish that psi tradition), a sun soul adept, a glamour bard, and a chronurgy/graviturgy wizard.

On a personal note, I'd like to see the other elemental wizards (why should pyromancers get all the fun?) and a "small gods" warlock or druid--one who gains powers from nature or ancestor spirits or deities like kami, loa, or kachina. And I'm sure some people would like to see a proper four elements/bender.

Timespike · Sep 30, 2022

Some of those concepts are already in spreadhseets, outlines, etc., but that's a good list. I'll see what I can do.

Pedantic · Sep 30, 2022

@xiphumor I don't suppose you'd be interested in doing a similar chart (or maybe just a grind) for synergy feats pairings? That feels like another area potentially ripe for expansion/evening out. From Faolyn's document above, I've put the appropriate classes for all the 3rd party stuff and core feats below:

Ranger/Wizard Arcane Scout → Scholar of Arcane Paths → World Strider [TT03]
Herald/Sorcerer Arcane Sentinel → Mystic Warden → Cosmic Guardian [TT01]
Fighter/Herald Bronze Protector → Steel Protector → Adamantine Protector [GPG05]
Adept/Rogue Dimensional Step → Teleporting Combatant → Crawling Teleporter [GPG05]
Cleric/Warlock Heterodox Devotee → Heretic → Cultist [TT02]
Druid/Marshal Horned Lord → Commander of the Wilds → Nature’s General [MoAR01]
Berserker/Fighter Hulking → Tremendously Hulking → Impossibly Hulking [GPG05]
Adept/Sorcerey Iceborn → Frozen Steps → Subzero Soul [TT02]
Ranger/Rogue Stalker → WhisperFoot → Deadly Shadow [TT03]
Bard/Druid Storyteller → Tale Spinner → World Speaker [TT05]
Rogue/Herald Truth Seeker → Breaker of Secrets → Scourge of Lies [MoAR03]
Rogue/Wizard Underworld Mage → Magical Trickster → Arcane Thief [TT03]
Berserker/Marshal Warleader → Voice of Wrath → Havoc Crier [TT04]
Marshal/Wizard Talented Telepath → Mental Mastery → Boundless Mind [TT05]

Any Spellcaster Apprentice Lich → Journeyman Lich → True Lich [MoAR03]
Any Embalmed → Mummified → Mummy Lord [MoAR03]
Any Newblood → Vampire Spawn → Vampire Lord [Core]
Any Revenant → True Revenant [Core]

Fighter/Wizard Bladechanter → Whirling Incantor → Eldritch Whirlwind Master [Core]
Fighter/Wizard Eldritch Archer → Arrow Enchanter → Eldritch Volley Master [Core]
Cleric/Sorcerer Mystic Arcanist → Pure Arcanist → Arcanum Master [Core]
Adept/Rogue Nightstalker → Subtly Skilled → Night Master [Core]
Bard/Herald Proclaimer → Divine Orator → Harbinger of Things to Come [Core]
Rogue/Warlock Shadowdancer → Shadowmancer → Shadow Assassin [Core]
Berserker/Druid Untamed → Living Stampede → Wild Rioter [Core]
Adept/Ranger (Can swap Artificer for either) Vigilante → Equipped for Justice → A Symbol That Strikes Fear [Core]

xiphumor · Oct 1, 2022

Don’t forget the two Berserker/Rogues in H&H2: Feats, and the transformational feats there!

xiphumor · Oct 1, 2022

Steampunkette · Oct 1, 2022

Faolyn said:
You're getting there. Based on the games I'm currently running or playing in, there's still room for a psi knight fighter (I wish @Steampunkette would publish that psi tradition), a sun soul adept, a glamour bard, and a chronurgy/graviturgy wizard.

On a personal note, I'd like to see the other elemental wizards (why should pyromancers get all the fun?) and a "small gods" warlock or druid--one who gains powers from nature or ancestor spirits or deities like kami, loa, or kachina. And I'm sure some people would like to see a proper four elements/bender.

Soon... soooooon....

xiphumor · Oct 1, 2022

It occurs to me that I misentered data on the chart. I’m going to redo it.

Faolyn · Oct 3, 2022

I updated my googledoc to reflect the new heritages, cultures, backgrounds, and archetypes from the Dungeon Delver's Guide. I'll update for spells in a bit. (There's one archetype for each of the 13 classes.)

Now I have to go and read them in-depth. I was kind of surprised to see Grimlock as a culture and not a heritage. It's pretty interesting, though.

Timespike · Oct 3, 2022

Faolyn said:
I updated my googledoc to reflect the new heritages, cultures, backgrounds, and archetypes from the Dungeon Delver's Guide. I'll update for spells in a bit. (There's one archetype for each of the 13 classes.)

Now I have to go and read them in-depth. I was kind of surprised to see Grimlock as a culture and not a heritage. It's pretty interesting, though.

That went through some iteration. There was a heritage in there at various points, but as it turned out, it works best as a culture. I'm just glad they're in there as a playable option, tbh. I lobbied hard for that and I'm so happy it made the final cut.

Level Up (A5E) State of the Archetypes

Timespike

A5E Designer and third-party publisher

Faolyn

(she/her)

Timespike

A5E Designer and third-party publisher

Pedantic

Legend

xiphumor

Legend

xiphumor

Legend

Steampunkette

Rules Tinkerer and Freelance Writer

xiphumor

Legend

Faolyn

(she/her)

Timespike

A5E Designer and third-party publisher

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