D&D (2024) Classes: What changes do you predict?

[Horwath]

That is a bold definition of "minor improvements".

it's minor as it does not implement no new mechanics.

It just buffs up monk from incompetent to good.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I am somewhat curious whether or not some subclasses, like the Wild Magic Sorcerer for example, will be replaced in favor of a more popular Sorcerer subclass from the past decade.

i could see Divine Soul, I believe its one of the few preTasha none PHB Subclasses to be more popular then its PHB peers.

 

[Bluenose]

They can do it, they just have to be ballsy enough to narrow down the scope of the arcane spell list to around "2014 sorcerer" levels, and then give the wizard a limited feature (like Bard secrets) to expand beyond it. That mostly preserves backwards compatibility (individual wizard characters might need adjustment, but the subclasses and feats still work) but puts more strict limits on the wizard's main source of power.

I would say they should also take a serious look at the divine and primal lists. Clerics of a deity of water and deception probably shouldn't be making fire fall from the sky or moving the earth around, but certainly need more illusion and 'watery' magic. And it probably wouldn't hurt druids if they had to specialise in one 'Season' or some other term for the limit of the extent of their magic. Something like the Specialty priest from 2e as the default Cleric would go a long way to helping with issues of the excess 'spread' of spellcasters into every niche of other classes.
But I think that's about as likely as forcing Wizards to be more specialised.

 

[Vael]

I think a lot will depend on which underlying systems get changed. Any changes to weapon attacks, like Two-Weapon Fighting or altering how Extra Attack functions will affect the martial classes significantly. I'd like to kill a la carte multiclassing, which would make some significant changes to all classes, as you can front load more features because they're not so cherry-pickable. I'd also be tempted to maybe step away from the unified spell progression (unnecessary to keep if multiclassing were to be changed). I dunno, I like that all full casters have the same progression, not quite so happy for Artificers, having them as half-casters doesn't really work for me.

That said, even if none of those underlying things get changed, everyone knows which are the proud nails. Still, I'd like to see all of the classes get at least a little work done.

 

[OB1]

Given how I was surprised by the first playtest packet, I predict I'll be surprised again by the class packets. Hopefully just as pleasantly

That said, I do have one prediction and then a bunch of hopes.

Generic Subclasses - I predict players will be able to forgo choosing a subclass, and instead pick a feat at subclass levels instead.

Sorcerer - I hope metamagic will get split into options that are available to all sorcerers at no sorcery point cost, and another list that you choose from and use sorcery points to power. OR Sorcerers get access to all metamagic, and the ones you pick get their sorcery point cost reduced by 1. The only problem with the Sorcerer, IMO, is that they should be using metamagic almost every turn, and in a variety of ways depending on the situation.

Monk - Regain KI points by spending a Hit Die as an action and rolling to see how many Ki you get back. Flurry of blows adds an unarmed attack to your attack action (still allowing for a single bonus action unarmed strike).

Ranger - Prepared spells instead of known. Tasha's options become default.

Fighter - Indominable adds a +10 instead of a re-roll. If available, 2 can be used on one save. Spend 4HD as an action to get a spent Indominable back.

Bard - Spend a spell slot to get that number of Bardic Inspirations back as an action. Count any 1 on a bardic as a 2.

 

[Parmandur]

Oh, here's a prediction: Thieves Cant is now a language choosable as a Background feature. Thst leads me to suspect that Rogue will not give Thieves Cant as a Class Feature. Thst might tell us a lot about what they may be doing with Classes in terms of loosening their themes a little (looking st you again, Monk and Barbarian).

 

[cbwjm]

Oh, here's a prediction: Thieves Cant is now a language choosable as a Background feature. Thst leads me to suspect that Rogue will not give Thieves Cant as a Class Feature. Thst might tell us a lot about what they may be doing with Classes in terms of loosening their themes a little (looking st you again, Monk and Barbarian).

I'm hoping that it's something that thieves or assassins get specifically, but other rogue subclasses don't.

 

[cbwjm]

I'm actually wondering if they will shuffle around subclass levels. I recall Mike Mearls saying something about how a subclass shouldn't make a big change to the way you play your class and cited the college of valour with its bonus proficiencies. He also mentioned things like how a wizard could probably have gained its subclass at 1st level and have arcane recovery shunted to 2nd. I sort of wonder if any of these comments are held by the current design team. They did have the cool idea of the strixhaven subclasses, if they want something like that to work, then standardising subclasses would be the way to do it.

 

[Aldarc]

Oh, here's a prediction: Thieves Cant is now a language choosable as a Background feature. Thst leads me to suspect that Rogue will not give Thieves Cant as a Class Feature. Thst might tell us a lot about what they may be doing with Classes in terms of loosening their themes a little (looking st you again, Monk and Barbarian).

As you pick Class before Origin, then it's possible that Thieves Cant and Druidic may still be granted as part of the class, but that the Origin then offers the language for others.

 

[Parmandur]

As you pick Class before Origin, then it's possible that Thieves Cant and Druidic may still be granted as part of the class, but that the Origin then offers the language for others.

Yeah, it could go either way at this point, but thst is my prediction. One if the themes to recent changes seems to be making flavor less dictated by the game itself. I bet thst they will do what they can to make Classes customizable