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 of 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.

 

[mamba]

I don't follow the playtest stuff, but isn't this typically just released as a Beta and then never actually published?

that would defeat the purpose of testing it. Most of this stuff ends up in some books, just not all of it

 

[Minigiant]

a dead god is one of the things that can be a vestige

But a mage who screws up lichdom could be a vestige.

Or a slain lich like Acererak

Or a earth elemental

Or a blob of dead souls caused by a deity's wrath

The point is that a vestiges end was an event and abnormal but they were significant enough that their name or remains has power.

Getting stronger as the warlock levels. Because the vestige is dead, or imprisoned, or obliterated. Ain't nothing a mortal caster can do themselves to give them power.

A dying god can be helped. A dead god is freaking dead.

 

[Hussar]

But a mage who screws up lichdom could be a vestige.

Or a slain lich like Acererak

Or a earth elemental

Or a blob of dead souls caused by a deity's wrath

The point is that a vestiges end was an event and abnormal but they were significant enough that their name or remains has power.

Getting stronger as the warlock levels. Because the vestige is dead, or imprisoned, or obliterated. Ain't nothing a mortal caster can do themselves to give them power.

A dying god can be helped. A dead god is freaking dead.

Agreed. And, the vestiges were exactly that - vestiges. They were echoes of incredibly powerful beings but, not actual beings in their own right.

But, the big part of Binders is that you accessed ALL the vestiges and the vestige that you accessed at a given time changed how your character worked as well as potentially changing how you acted. Plus, as a way to keep balance, they made it so that some vestiges hated others and wouldn't bind with them. It was absolutely, hands down, my favorite class and this is not a binder.

This is a Circle of Wildfire druid with a new coat of paint. There is pretty much nothing to distinguish this from Circle of Wildfire.

 

[Chaltab]

It makes people not need to take the warcaster feat. Its not like that is mandatory to take.

Well its clearly meant that you can replace 1 or 2 of the attacks each with casting a spell. So allowing you to cast 2 spells or do 1 attack and a spell.

Badly worded but intend is quite clear.

Is it? It's just a copy-paste of the Eldritch Knight 18th level feature with 'wizard' changed to 'sorcerer', and that feature does exactly what it sounds like: Replace 2 of the Fighter's 3 or 4 attacks with a spell.

The problem is that Monks don't get more than 2 attacks with their attack action, so replacing those two with a spell doesn't improve their action economy.

 

[Charlaquin]

But a mage who screws up lichdom could be a vestige.

Or a slain lich like Acererak

Or a earth elemental

Or a blob of dead souls caused by a deity's wrath

Again, 5e fluff is pretty malleable. No reason those things couldn’t be the patron for a warlock with this pact.

The point is that a vestiges end was an event and abnormal but they were significant enough that their name or remains has power.

Ok

Getting stronger as the warlock levels. Because the vestige is dead, or imprisoned, or obliterated. Ain't nothing a mortal caster can do themselves to give them power.

Could you rephrase this? I’m not understanding it.

A dying god can be helped. A dead god is freaking dead.

Well, they’re also a god, so being dead doesn’t have to mean the same thing it means for mortals. Indeed, it kind of shouldn’t, given that mortality is the defining trait of mortals. Gods, by definition, lack it.

 

[Dire Bare]

I want a full binder class that, like the original, makes pacts with multiple vestiges. That book, the Tome of Magic, was one of the coolest books in 3rd Edition.

 

[Chaltab]

A god doesn't die like a mortal creature dies. A god dies like a fire dies. It can be rekindled even after aeons.

 

[Piperken]

... 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...

I missed this. We feel there will be a release that updates the UA/Tasha/Xanathar 2014 subclasses?

 

[Kurotowa]

I missed this. We feel there will be a release that updates the UA/Tasha/Xanathar 2014 subclasses?

Quite a lot of the Xanathar's Guide subclasses have trickled through the post-5.24e UA cycle. Guardian and Storm Herald Barbarian, Arcane Archer and Cavalier Fighter, Intoxication (formerly Drunken Master) Monk, an Oathbreaker Paladin that steals a lot of flavor from Conquest, Shadow Sorcerer, and Hexblade Warlock.

That's not all of them, but between the few that already made it into the PHB and these seven and a half, that's a lot seeing updates. Not a full revision of the book, but grabbing the best parts and bringing them forward.

 

[Hussar]

I want a full binder class that, like the original, makes pacts with multiple vestiges. That book, the Tome of Magic, was one of the coolest books in 3rd Edition.

This. Exactly this. That was the point of the class. A highly versatile class where you picked from a menu of powers to use for the day (or whatever period). You were never great at anything - but, it really was the best (IMO) Jack of All Trades class.

Mage Hand Press has a FANTASTIC version. I just have to find someone who will let me play it. Binder Base Class - Mage Hand Press