D&D General Unique Class Mechanics you would love to see in a D&D "goes wild" Edition [+]

J-H · Wednesday at 8:33 PM

Vael said:
Another thought... I'd like to see charge up mechanics in DnD. DnD is built on the assimption that you have full access to all your abilities after a long rest, but what if mages had to gather power to cast their powerful spells? Warriors had "finishing moves" that they couldn't use immediately after initiative was rolled?

Matt Colville has done this with some of his designs, like the monster pet book (don't recall the name).

Tigris · 2026-03-19T01:31:29+0000

Vael said:
Another thought... I'd like to see charge up mechanics in DnD. DnD is built on the assumption that you have full access to all your abilities after a long rest, but what if mages had to gather power to cast their powerful spells? Warriors had "finishing moves" that they couldn't use immediately after initiative was rolled?

This could definitly be fun, if it is not done like Draw Steel.

13th age has this with its monk. It has like a progession of 3 attacks getting stronger: Monk – 13th Age SRD

But this does not really use ressources, more like stances.

On the other hand some D&D 4e paragon paths had them collecting ressources from fallen enemies, it was a side thing, but something similar (for some abilities not all for all classes) could be interesting.

Steampunkette said:
You misunderstand: Give them a bonus action attack independent of weapon type.

Archer? Bonus action longbow shot.
Pikeman? Use that reach with a bonus action to stab someone.
Bastard Sword? 1d10 to that guy's dome as a bonus action.

And then also allow them to dual-wield with dual-wielding specific functions to keep it on par with the other options.

This for me sounds really kind of the opposite of "wild" more mild, like a 5E homebrew.

Like in 4E the ranger can just do 2 shots per default (at will), or the later simplified one would just get another basic attack when the first hits.

Similar 13th age you just get a 2nd autoattack if the first one has an even roll.

Vael · 2026-03-19T02:48:19+0000

Tigris said:
This could definitly be fun, if it is not done like Draw Steel.

13th age has this with its monk. It has like a progession of 3 attacks getting stronger: Monk – 13th Age SRD

May I ask what you dislike about Draw Steel? I haven't tried it.

I really like the 13th Age Monk, I've thought that system would be how I'd make a new iteration on Tome of Battle, but admittedly I've not played 13th Age since the Monk came out, so I've not seen one in play.

Tigris · 2026-03-19T03:06:37+0000

Vael said:
May I ask what you dislike about Draw Steel? I haven't tried it.

Well first how the books are laid out and how hard they are to ubderstand, but speaking about the ressource mechanic of it I dislike several things:

All classes have more or less the same ressource system, but each of them has a different name, which makea it more complicated for no other reason than to give an illusion of bigger difference.. I dont like this kind of game design, making things harder (especially for beginners) to trick people. (Like every class gets X ressources (depending on adventure day) at start of encounter and you have each methods to gain more ressources in your turns by doing "normal" actions).
Then it is meant to "dolve the alphastrike issue", which it does, but it does not understand/solve the underlieing problem: Alpha strikes (bursting turn 1 with best attacks) is bad because it leaves no real choice when its just the best thing to do, so it creates repetition and lowers choice. But this is still the case if you need to first wait 2 tuens and only then can do the burst. You still want to use the burst as soon as you can!
Even worse, in a long adventuring dax when you start with enough ressources you will again have just alpha strikes, but with no mechanics (like 4e or 13th age had) to prevent it.
There is absolutely nothing preventing you from always use the same resource consuming action. So you can "spam" always your best/most point efficient attack with the ressource. Like in PF2 with the focus spell where its not uncommon to just always use the same. This is the problem psionics in 4e had just reintroduced.

Vael said:
I really like the 13th Age Monk, I've thought that system would be how I'd make a new iteration on Tome of Battle, but admittedly I've not played 13th Age since the Monk came out, so I've not seen one in play.

The final fantasy d20 monk had a bit similar really cool class mechanic where you needed to do 3-5 normal attacks (different combinations you had 3 different normal attacks) to then trigger a stronf combo attack.

Not sure why it was changed recently... Felt really unique and also had this buildup of not doing best attack turn 1.

doctorbadwolf · 2026-03-19T03:58:08+0000

Oh, i forgot

Id want to see the Fighter get legendary saves and actions.

High level rogues can steal intangibles somehow.

High level assassins can Death Strike higher cr creatures if they fall below a certain hp level.

Wizards at high level can block, supress, and eliminate spellcasting

EzekielRaiden · 2026-03-19T07:06:17+0000

Oh, God, what have you done? You've given me a reason to blather.

Oh boy. Gonna be burning the midnight oil for this...or not. I promised my best friend I wouldn't. But you'd better freakin' BELIEVE you're gonna be seeing heightened maximized quickened wall of text!

dave2008 · 2026-03-19T11:11:41+0000

EzekielRaiden said:
Oh, God, what have you done? You've given me a reason to blather.

Oh boy. Gonna be burning the midnight oil for this...or not. I promised my best friend I wouldn't. But you'd better freakin' BELIEVE you're gonna be seeing heightened maximized quickened wall of text!

I checked out this thread just because I noticed you had responded and I wanted to see your wall of text! I look forward to it!

Plaguescarred · 2026-03-19T12:24:50+0000

I would love to see a return of the Warlord! It was a 4E martial leader type class capable of healing!

Steampunkette · 2026-03-19T16:10:53+0000

Tigris said:
This for me sounds really kind of the opposite of "wild" more mild, like a 5E homebrew.

YMMV, of course, but it'd have to depend on the fullness of the rest of the bonus action economy and also the structure of the core system. Without the core system identity expressed I just went off 5e's designs 'cause... well. You haven't really outlined anything.

Tigris said:
Like in 4E the ranger can just do 2 shots per default (at will), or the later simplified one would just get another basic attack when the first hits.

Cool.

Tigris said:
Similar 13th age you just get a 2nd autoattack if the first one has an even roll.

Sure.

Your design notes for "Wild" on Spellblade was just the PF Magus's melee weapon spell attacks. I've got that in my Swordmage design and have had for months. And it's not even their core identifying feature, but a late-game bonus.

And for you that would just be a "5e Homebrew" class.

Then you hit on a FF Magic Structure that's been adapted to almost every edition since 2e, and one Mike Myler made for 5e in one of his recent releases.

And then you hit Truenamer which is straight out of 3e and there's at least a dozen of those online including C. E. Usiku's version which he's sold on DTRPG.com for the past 6 years at this point.

None of these are "Wild" they're just concepts that have been done but never as core structures.

The post I was responding to, which lead to that reply chain, was trying to build up unique stuff for each class and was like "Barbarian rage is already unique" so I took that design note and tried to do something 'unique' for Ranger that fit in within the same level of creativity and change.

You want something wilder? Take a look at Paranormal Power. I released that years ago, now, and the Esper's definitely out there in how it wields psionics. I've even got the Wilder in there as a Bard Archetype.

fuindordm · 2026-03-19T18:15:34+0000

doctorbadwolf said:
High level rogues can steal intangibles somehow.

Love this idea!

I think in general levels 1-10 (or thereabouts) should be for grounded fantasy and levels 11-20 you can start bringing mythical abilities like this into even the mundane classes.

Frankly, they don't even need to be in the same PH. But if they are I wouid also be OK with major changes in the architecture of class progression after the breakpoint : HP but not hit dice (like 1e), saving throws, xp needed, feats, etc.