D&D 5E Archetypes to add to 5e

[cbwjm]

I'm not sure if I've already mentioned it in this thread, but I'd like to see some more elemental themed classes, primarily in the caster classes. We have for the sorcerer already storm sorcery and I do like the idea of just a single element for different bloodlines which they trialed briefly in a UA (I could probably just use those with a few tweaks except for stone sorcery that felt less like earth, and more like metal).

An elementalist wizard subclass would be good, perhaps less focused on a single element and more generalist. This is actually where I'd put the old lore masters damage shifting ability focusing on cold, fire, lightning, thunder, and bludgeoning (for earth type spells, imagine an earth "fireball" as summoning up an orb of obsidian that streaks out and explodes striking people in the area with physical damage).

Warlock I created a genie pact a while back that acts similar to the old school shi'ar. A small gen familiar from level 1, bonuses with genies, etc.

Racial subclasses would also be cool. I don't mean like with the bladesinger or battlerager but something like the draconic rager, a barbarian subclass that builds on the dragonborn's draconic nature. These would be fairly niche though and I wouldn't really expect anything like them to come out from the DnD team.

 

[MichaelSomething]

There totally needs to be an "Opera Phantom" Bard subclass. They could get mask related powers, mind control via singing, and free proficiency in rowing boats!

 

[bedir than]

An archetype I've tried, and failed at building, the Shield-Mage. An expert in counter-spell and ending the threats from opposing magic wizards. Yes, this is a support class. It's also one that is necessary for many tales.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If D&D was overtly homophobic or overtly sexist or overtly racist, most of us would agree that would be offensive and inappropriate, even if it was just ‘flavor’.

But D&D 5e is overtly religionist, and it is equally offensive and inappropriate even if it is just ‘flavor’.

No, it isn’t.

Firstly, Polytheism is only even arguably the dominant form of religion in one nation on Earth, and DnD doesn’t even match that religion-group’s most dominant form of polytheism.

Second, polytheism is a type of religion, not a religion.

Third, dnd’s published settings being polytheistic does not perpetuate any oppression, anywhere in the world, in any way.
If the game were wholly monotheistic, you would have a case. I’d still disagree with you, though, for the next reason.

Lastly, DnD is a game with a setting. It has “baked in flavor” because it isn’t actually a generic lore-agnostic system with which one builds a game, like GURPS. One of the couple of games I’m working on will involve playing Church Mice, who work to defend the world from supernatural evil while supporting their community and maintaining healthy relationships (one path to corruption by The Dark is to become isolated and indifferent to those around you).

This game will have a religious categorization (ie, dualistic) that is objectively true.

The other main game I’m working on is set in the real world, and takes the position that pretty well all the gods ever written about in holy books or mythologies exists in some form. Including the god of Abraham and Their angels. In the setting of this game, it is objectively true that all these gods are real, and are not aspects of each other or of one main Cosmic Divinity or whatever.

These games take a specific tact WRT the nature of the divine, because they need to in order to create a setting.

Anyone who belongs to minority religion

So...polytheist faiths outside of India?

An archetype I've tried, and failed at building, the Shield-Mage. An expert in counter-spell and ending the threats from opposing magic wizards. Yes, this is a support class. It's also one that is necessary for many tales.

I really want a Counter-Mage/Anti-Mage. Like bad.

I’d love awhole set of anti-mage subclasses, at least one for each class. Play a whole campaign with a group Patron or AqInc style organization dedicated to hunting down necromancers and the like.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

My point is, D&D in its origin is inherently open to any kind of setting, including any kind of religiosity (monotheism, polytheism, animism, atheism, etcetera).

Yes, and it sill is, see the section I quoted in the DMG.

For me, when D&D 5e coerces polytheism

Why?

Where?

How?

You keep making this completely unsubstantiated statement. I maintain that IT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.

 

[DammitVictor]

But D&D 5e is overtly religionist, and it is equally offensive and inappropriate even if it is just ‘flavor’.

No, it isn’t.

I will see your flat denial of the patently obvious and raise you a Wall of the Faithless.

Except in campaign settings that deliberately went out of their way to subvert this-- such as Dark Sun and Eberron-- for the last forty years Dungeons & Dragons has promoted a non-historical and particularly idiosyncratic form of polytheism as the objective moral truth of its multiverse. Because socially necessary magics are gated behind acceptance of this truth, all existing communities and social structures must accept it and pressure their individual members into accepting it.

Only in Planescape is questioning the moral order of a cosmology in which the souls of people who do not worship these deities-- regardless of the deities' own moral alignment-- not explicitly an Evil act.

The theology of the "D&D multiverse" is complete and utter jank, but just like the arbitrary idiocy of its alignment rules, the game's rules demand that we pretend that it makes sense and avoid questioning it.

If you don't see how that's a problem, you're part of the problem.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I will see your flat denial of the patently obvious and raise you a Wall of the Faithless.

Stating something is "patently obvious" is another way of admitting you have absolutely no evidence to support your position.

Garbbage.

 

[DammitVictor]

Stating something is "patently obvious" is another way of admitting you have absolutely no evidence to support your position.

Except for the evidence I provided immediately after saying it was patently obvious, you mean?

Thank you for your participation.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Except for the evidence I provided immediately after saying it was patently obvious, you mean?

Thank you for your participation.

Campiagn setting specific feature is specific to a single campaign setting.

It is irreverent to the rest of the game.

 

[Undrave]

I'd like to see a holy slayer. An assassin with some divine abilities to back up their stealth and assassin abilities killing the enemies of the faith.

A sort of Heretic Hunter or Cultist Seeker?

Per the PHB, that would be Tempest. I dunno if they would do a new one, what do you think that would look like?

I personally would like one that has less to do with storms for a sea god. The problem is, the abilities I think they should have would be a modified nature domain that many would consider weak options. At the very least, I think they should be able to adapt to underwater (swim speed, water breathing), command water creatures like the nature domain commands all creatures. Be Aquaman.

I can see them being able to quell a storm at sea, there can be some overlap with the tempest domain, but definitely less thunder and lightning themes.

I think a problem with an ocean domain is that what I want might be quite limited in usefulness for the typical adventuring party, unless playing in an ocean themed campaign. I'd have to be careful to ensure that the majority of abilities are of wider usefulness rather than just useful when in or around water.

Yeah, some water spells, trident proficiency, some power for navigating and not getting lost, some calming of storm, some sort of power to command creatures with a swim speed, adaptation to water... Something a bit more nautical and less 'Smash with a thunder hammer'. Maybe even a slight boost to healing? Maybe they get Druidcraft but can only use the Weather divining part? And Shape Water of course.

Water Walk and Water Breathing are both rituals, so maybe the Sea Domain is a better ritualist than other Clerics? There's some design space to exploit there. Throw Ceremony in their domain list?