Dungeons & Dragons Playtests Four New Mystic-Themed Subclasses

Dungeons & Dragons has dropped their first Unearthed Arcana playtest of 2026, with four brand-new subclasses being tested. Today, Wizards of the Coast posted a Mystic Subclasses Unearthed Arcana playtest to D&D Beyond, featuring four magic-themed subclasses. The new subclasses include the Warrior of the Mystic Arts Monk subclass, the Oath of the Spellguard Paladin subclass, the Magic Stealer Rogue subclass and the Vestige Patron Warlock subclass.

The Warrior the Mystic Arts is a spellcasting subclass that grants Monks the ability to cast Sorcerer spells up to 4th level spells. The Oath of the Spellguard is designed with protecting magic-casters in mind, while the Magic Stealer Rogue targets spellcasting and can empower their Sneak Attacks with magic stolen from nearby spellcasters. The Vestige Patron Warlock forms a bond with a dying god, with the god taking on a vestige form as a companion. The Vestige companion grows in power with the spellcaster. Notably, the Vestige Patron draws inspiration from the Binder from past editions of D&D.

There's no indication when or what this new Unearthed Arcana could be related to. There are several Unearthed Arcanas not currently attached to an announced D&D product, although two almost are certainly tied to a Dark Sun sourcebook.

You can check out the subclasses here. Feedback opens for the playtest on January 22nd.

 

[TravDoc42]

Is that a mezzoloth they are fighting and is it a spell being cast

It's a mezzoloth, from the 2024 PHB, illustrating a Paladin casting Divine Smite.

 

[Weiley31]

maybe for whatever reason WotC doesn't want to or cannot design class features that aren't, basically, spells.

5E's K.I.S.S. approach seems to stretch to even class designing. Spells are already there. Anything super fancy has "got to be" magic. Hence, time/energy/simplicity is already there by just GTAing a spell and calling it a day.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

5E's K.I.S.S. approach seems to stretch to even class designing. Spells are already there. Anything super fancy has "got to be" magic. Hence, time/energy/simplicity is already there by just GTAing a spell and calling it a day.

I want the best but I emphatically do not think WotC gave us the best.

 

[Parmandur]

So...

We can reasonably deduce a number of 2026 products at this point based on UA's, I think.

We have UA's in four categories, roughly:

Magic - Arcane Subclasses, Arcane Subclasses Update, Mystic Subclasses.

Horror - Horror Subclasses.

2014 Updates - Subclasses Update, various subclasses from other UAs above.

Dark Sun - Psion, Psion Update, Apocalyptic Subclasses.

If they have the same book release schedule as last year (1.25 per quarter), I think we could see something like this:

Q1 - Ravenloft expansion/companion to Van Richten's Guide. Similar to Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, a companion to the Ravenloft setting book that focuses on Player mechanics. Most of the Horror Subclasses UA falls here.

Q2 - Arcane players supplement. Here are most of the Arcane Subclasses, along with the new Mystic ones that make the cut. Plus expanded spells and other options.

Q3 - Tasha's/Xanathar combo/update book. Taking the revamped Xanathar's Subclasses they have tested in various spaces along with the left over Tasha's ones in a combined book to bring all the main 2014 mechanics up to date with current standards.

Q4 - Dark Sun Player and DM books. A combo of Player and DM books in the vein of the Forgotten Realms books from 2025.

Not bad thinking, but it seems easy enough to combine the Update Book with the Arcane & Mystic new options as simply the next Everything book (or equivalent major update in a new format).

 

[Remathilis]

The name is horribly clunky yes. Hopefully we are spared seeing that in print.

It SCREAMS "placeholder because the real name would give it away"