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.

 

[bedir than]

cause how do you even do a D&D supplement around the idea of “Jace made an alternate timeline and now the other planeswalkers have to fight bizarro versions of themselves”?

Multiverse bleed in that Jace personas now exist in multiple universes rather than on a plane. One of those Universes could be D&D or the Realms. Universe walkers rather than Planeswalkers.
An adventure where the Big Bads are the most evil of the planeswalkers with classes of spell-stoppers and spellcasters needed to defend against
Liliana, Grist, Ral, Jace, Oko, the Elder Dragons, the Oriqs, etc are a nice collection of Tier 4 opponents for a significant campaign.
I don't really know magic lore, but I think it'd be interesting enough of a crossover event to be compelling -- and it would use those high-level abilities in this UA that normally are merely flavor.

 

[Parmandur]

It definitely won’t be another D&D set, if that’s what you’re thinking. They’ve been pretty clear that it is within Magic’s IP, and leaks from folks who participated in surveys strongly suggest it’s probably going to be the magic multiverse crossing over with an alternate reality version of itself, likely with the iconic characters confronting their own counterparts from this alternate reality.

No, I'm suggesting that they could use it for some cross media integration if they matched it with a D&D product.

 

[Parmandur]

Well, Reality Fracture is a Magic set. It’s just going to be what they call an “event set” - one that’s tied to a major event in the Magic storyline, rather than to a particular plane. And like I said, signs are pointing to the event in question being a crossover with an alternate-timeline version of the Magic multiverse. There’s no evidence that would suggest there’s likely to be any D&D tie-in product like the Ravnica book or the Lorwyn digital content. It wouldn’t even make much sense for there to be, cause how do you even do a D&D supplement around the idea of “Jace made an alternate timeline and now the other planeswalkers have to fight bizarro versions of themselves”?

A cosmic war between powerful magic using heros could work for a Campaign with high-octane "Mystic" character options on the table. Also a venue where anything can happen in the timely-whiney shenanigans.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Just spit balling, but, my version of a Binder Warlock would leverage invocations. You bind a vestige and get X number of invocations depending on the level of the warlock. Add in maybe some ribbon bonuses with binding - skill bonuses, movement bonuses, that sort of thing, and you've got a pretty workable binder mechanically.

We talkin a class or a subclass of warlock?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Me too!

Mystic monk: choose cantrips and spells from the Sorcerer Cleric list.

Done.

Thing is that in FR lore, there is at least one order of Shar Monks, that explicitly aren't supposed to use divine magic, they use either shadow or arcane magic, this is a great subclass for them.

Truth be told, I get what your saying about cleric spells fitting monks better in terms of lore, its time for a return of the Sacred Fist subclass, BUT I can see the appeal mechanically in the Sorcerer/Monk overlap in terms of point systems.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Given that many of the main designers at this point started with 5E...I doubt this originated as an attempt to replicate a Binder. Someone probably thought it would be fun to explore a Pet Warlock, and then they found the Vestige term that hasn't been used or twenty years and several editions to hang on the idea.

I think its more they wanted a divine Warlock, ala what the Divine Soul is for Sorcerers, and if you look at the DMs guide, Vestiges are considered to be Quasi Gods (along with Titans & Demigods), so its a perfect for that, while retaining the kind of creepy vibes Warlocks are supposed to have.

I'll add that Calimport has a temple to all the gods that has resident Vestiges.

also BG 2 has one meeting a vestige of a God as well.

So its not just hooks for Ravenloft.

I actually think FR has the possibility of being a Vestige Pact Warlock to a former Vestige of a dead God who made a come back during the Sundering.

Or a Vestige Pact with the undead corpse of a Mulan former incarnation of a Mulan God, don't know if that would count as a Vestige given its not the current incarnation of the God, but I like the flavour of that.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think its more they wanted a divine Warlock, ala what the Divine Soul is for Sorcerers, and if you look at the DMs guide, Vestiges are considered to be Quasi Gods (along with Titans & Demigods), so its a perfect for that, while retaining the kind of creepy vibes Warlocks are supposed to have.

I'll add that Calimport has a temple to all the gods that has resident Vestiges.

also BG 2 has one meeting a vestige of a God as well.

So its not just hooks for Ravenloft.

I actually think FR has the possibility of being a Vestige Pact Warlock to a former Vestige of a dead God who made a come back during the Sundering.

Or a Vestige Pact with the undead corpse of a Mulan former incarnation of a Mulan God, don't know if that would count as a Vestige given its not the current incarnation of the God, but I like the flavour of that.

Stop stealing plot points from my campaign (second sundering dead god)!!!!!

 

[Parmandur]

I think its more they wanted a divine Warlock, ala what the Divine Soul is for Sorcerers, and if you look at the DMs guide, Vestiges are considered to be Quasi Gods (along with Titans & Demigods), so its a perfect for that, while retaining the kind of creepy vibes Warlocks are supposed to have.

The only really Cleric element is the bonus Spells, which is pretty close to a flavor ribbon. The real meat is pet mechanics.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think its more they wanted a divine Warlock

Isn’t Celestial warlock in the PHB?

also BG 2 has one meeting a vestige of a God as well.

Amunator. A good example of a dead god who got better.

 

[Zardnaar]

Isn’t Celestial warlock in the PHB?

Amunator. A good example of a dead god who got better.

Amaunator story has been a 30 year metaplot. Somewhat inactive last 12 years.