D&D (2024) Species/Racial/Cultural Subclasses

Xeviat

Dungeon Mistress, she/her

• Apr 9, 2025

• #1

Hey everyone! The recent UA for the new Forgotten Realms book's subclasses got me thinking about more setting specific subclasses. Normally, I like how D&D's classes and subclasses are fairly generic, and I haven't liked others that were highly specific, like the Blade Singer. But I was thinking back to 3E prestige classes and started thinking about subclasses as storytelling tools for a setting.

That got me and my love of systematic approaches thinking: what other D&D tropes could be represented in subclasses that are thematic to the PHB species (without limiting them to species, just where the traditions started)?

Elves have Blade singers
Dwarves can have Battleragers or Dwarven Defenders

What else is there from D&D's History?

 

log in or register to remove this ad

doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle

• Apr 10, 2025

• #2

Seems like a Ranger subclass with advanced mobility and stealth and maybe enhanced crits styled on Wood Elven rangers, or one with illusion magic and animal speech flavored on Forest Gnomes, would be an easy pick.

 

jmartkdr2

Hero

• Apr 10, 2025

• #3

4e Genasi had several Paragon Paths for different kinds of elemental magic - and though written for genasi in particular, the could be adapted fairly easily to any elemental-themed character.

From the 4e FR Players' Guide: Elemental Tempest (for multi-element genasi), Whirlwind Genasi, and Wilfire Genasi.

Actually, if you want to find a lot of ideas quickly I'd see if you can find a list of racial paragon paths - they made quite a few.

 

Zardnaar

Legend

• Apr 10, 2025

• #4

Probably ones adding things to PCs that are a bit unbalanced on a race in the PHB.

You coukd also add prestige classes to 5E.

 

C

Corinnguard

Hero

• Apr 10, 2025

• #5

What about converting PF1's racial archetypes to 5e?

Examples from PF1:

Dwarf
Fighter (Foehammer)
Cleric (Forgemaster)- the Forge Domain
Paladin (Stonelord)- the Oath of Stone

Elf
Wizard (Spellbinder)- School of Spellbinding
Druid (Treesinger)- Circle of Trees

Gnome
Bard (Prankster)- College of Pranksters?

Aasimar
Paladin (Tranquil Guardian)- Oath of the Tranquil Guardian

 

cbwjm

Seb-wejem

• Apr 10, 2025

• #6

jmartkdr2 said:

4e Genasi had several Paragon Paths for different kinds of elemental magic - and though written for genasi in particular, the could be adapted fairly easily to any elemental-themed character.

From the 4e FR Players' Guide: Elemental Tempest (for multi-element genasi), Whirlwind Genasi, and Wilfire Genasi.

Actually, if you want to find a lot of ideas quickly I'd see if you can find a list of racial paragon paths - they made quite a few.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure I recall some paragon paths for tieflings and dragonborn, maybe in Dragon. I actually really like the idea of a subclass that is built for a specific race which enhances their racial powers.

 

jmartkdr2

Hero

• Apr 10, 2025

• #7

cbwjm said:

I'm pretty sure I recall some paragon paths for tieflings and dragonborn, maybe in Dragon. I actually really like the idea of a subclass that is built for a specific race which enhances their racial powers.

Click to expand...

If I recall correctly, they made them for pretty much every race. Geasi are just the ones I had handy and met the "can be expanded to other races" aspect of OP's question better than the dragonborn ones, at least of the ones I could recall offhand.

Most of the other racial ones in the FRPG were really rather generic ideas like "drow gloomstalker" or "elf archer."

 

el-remmen

Moderator Emeritus

• Apr 10, 2025

• #8

I was always a fan of the 2E Kit, the Breach Gnome, which I later converted to a 3E Prestige Class. Basically, a gnome who specializes in defensive fighting, esp. in narrow spaces - usually to hold off enemies to allow the gnomes in their community to flee or prepare defenses.

 

Twiggly the Gnome

Legend

• Apr 10, 2025

• #9

el-remmen said:

I was always a fan of the 2E Kit, the Breach Gnome

Click to expand...

Another good one was the Gnomish Professor "demi-bard" kit. It was sort of part Illusionist, part Artificer, and part Warlord.

 

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero

• Apr 10, 2025

• #10

There was a great Gnome Trickster prestige class in a Dragon annual that I really liked. Basically a prestige class version of the Beguiler from the 3E PHB2, as I recall.