D&D World of Warcraft subclasses will swap out classic class features for new abilities

The new Dungeon Masters series has previewed some upcoming subclass mechanics for the upcoming World of Warcraft D&D book. Last night, the first two episodes of Dungeon Masters premiered on D&D’s YouTube channel. This season focuses on the upcoming World of Warcraft book, with players using character options from that book and playing through an adventure inspired by the book. The first episodes revealed some teases as to how the upcoming WoW inspired subclasses will work, with Neil Newbon playing as an Oath of the Ebon Blade Death Knight. The Death Knight is a WoW class and appears to use the Paladin class as a base. Notably, the Oath of Ebon Blade has two features that replace core paladin features. Death Coil is a replacement for Lay on Hands and creates a dice pool of necrotic energy that players can inflict on foes. The size of the pool is based on a player’s Charisma modifier, with players spending an Action to force a creature within range to make a saving throw or be hit by necrotic energy. The Death Knight will also get a new spell called Rune Strike that acts as a counterpart to Divine Smite, with the spell dealing necrotic damage and dealing bonus damage to celestials.

Another new feature in the World of Warcraft book is a revamped pet system. This was partially shown off in the episode, with a Beast Master Ranger gaining the ability to assign weapon mastery features to their animal companion. This means that, when the animal companion makes a successful attack, they can inflict one of the weapon mastery effects chosen by the Ranger. The weapon mastery ability can also be swapped out with every long rest.

A video from the Insight Check YouTube channel confirmed that the Death Knight, Demon Hunter, and Evoker classes are “hero classes,” which are available to Level 3 characters and higher. These Hero Classes require players to choose a specific subclass that alters certain base features of their class. Only the Death Knight and Demon Hunter classes feature changes to their respective classes, while the Evoker changes the Draconic Sorcery subclass.

The new subclasses in the World of Warcraft were not publicly playtested before release. Instead, a secret playtest was held, with testers held by an NDA. The new World of Warcraft book comes out on November 17th.

 

[Corinnguard]

Until 5.5

Absolutely for a DnD 6 if they want "training levels" they need to name them level -1 and level -2 (or 0) or something and have the level 3 be named level 1.


Some people are reluctant to start at any level but level 1 as we can see.

Level 1 has been the default level for most players since 1e. The first time I saw level 3 as the default starting level was when Dark Sun debuted back in 2e.

 

[Remathilis]

They outright say in the DMG that the PCs shouldn't be level 1 or level 2 longer than 1 game session for each of those levels.

Which is still different than "skip those levels entirely."

 

[Tigris]

Until 5.5

Level 1 has been the default level for most players since 1e. The first time I saw level 3 as the default starting level was when Dark Sun debuted back in 2e.

Well DnD 5.5 does have it as recommended starting level. Different editions had different designs. DnD 4e had its level 1 pretty much the same as dnd 3.5/5 its level 3/4.


I do think it makes sense to have starting level at 1, but I dont think having it at any other level being a big thing, unless people are stubborn, which in RPGs they often are. They remember some old outdates games and want to do things the same way 30+ years later.

 

[Remathilis]

Absolutely for a DnD 6 if they want "training levels" they need to name them level -1 and level -2 (or 0) or something and have the level 3 be named level 1.


Some people are reluctant to start at any level but level 1 as we can see.

Maybe WotC should stop producing starter adventures for levels 1-3 if they don't want people playing them. Since 5.5 alone there has been The Lost Library of Lethchauntos, Death at Sunset, Tomb of the Shadow Serpents, and Heroes on the Borderlands.

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

They might as well say that level 3 is the new level 1.

The Player's Handbook only calls out the recommendation with the qualification that everyone in the group are seasoned players, so the official rules and the official recommendation, broadly speaking, is still to start at 1st level.

 

[Zaukrie]

If I was running a game from level 1, and a player wanted to play one of these hero classes, I'd probs tell them to swap out the relevant abilities from the start.

Though as we've not seen the details yet, there might be something which prevents that working smoothly.

Agreed

 

[Tigris]

Maybe WotC should stop producing starter adventures for levels 1-3 if they don't want people playing them. Since 5.5 alone there has been The Lost Library of Lethchauntos, Death at Sunset, Tomb of the Shadow Serpents, and Heros on the Borderlands.

They produce what people buy. If GMs are stubborn and mostly buy level 1 stuff they will produce it.

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

Well DnD 5.5 does have it as recommended starting level.

It's important to qualify that this recommendation comes with the qualification that "your group is composed of seasoned D&D players."

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

And to be clear I agree with this recommendation. I wouldn't start a campaign at 1st level unless the group included a new player. With "seasoned" players particularly, many times they already have a character concept in mind, and starting at level 3 at least puts them into the subclass they're looking for to support that concept.

 

[Tigris]

It's important to qualify that this recommendation comes with the qualification that "your group is composed of seasoned D&D players."

"It is particularly recommended to start at level 3 if your group is composed of seasoned D&D players."

Yes so its recommended unless you have beginners, so level 1 and 2 are tutorials as I said before. If you have tutorial levels they are, of course, for beginners, i.e. "non seasoned players".