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.

 

[Yaarel]

What feat are you talking about…?

Having a choice to pick any feat. For example, at level 20, the player would pick whichever boon they like, thus would benefit the overall character concept, whether improving or expanding what the character can do.

 

[Charlaquin]

Having a choice to pick any feat. For example, at level 20, the player would pick whichever boon they like, thus would benefit the overall character concept, whether improving or expanding what the character can do.

Ok, but… I’m not seeing the connection to this UA.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Upon a closer reading: does the 13th level rogue ability still require you to provide a costly material component? Don't most normal "features" that are spells let you cast without component?

The feature doesn’t let you cast at all, it lets you restore a spell slot to someone who has them.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The monk and the warlock look pretty good but need some tweaks(monk capstone).the other 2 need a lot more work.

The paladin subclass looks mechanically sound to me (bar the small potential for arguments about using its features on yourself). It seems thematically weak - oath of the wizard’s bodyguard doesn’t really seem sufficiently meaningful to me. However, the UA is shorn of context. With the right setting lore it might make more sense.

 

[Charlaquin]

The paladin subclass looks mechanically sound to me (bar the small potential for arguments about using its features on yourself). It seems thematically weak - oath of the wizard’s bodyguard doesn’t really seem sufficiently meaningful to me. However, the UA is shorn of context. With the right setting lore it might make more sense.

It’s not oath of the wizard’s bodyguard, it’s a pretty clearly just as much a mage hunter as it is a mage protector. The theming here seems pretty obvious to me, it’s pretty much a Templar from Dragon Age to a T. The guards at the mage towers who insure the apprentices don’t accidentally harm themselves or each other or turn to dark magic, and hunt down mages who go rogue.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It’s not oath of the wizard’s bodyguard, it’s a pretty clearly just as much a mage hunter as it is a mage protector.

Given that most of it's key abilities involve protecting an ally, I think it's very much more of a protector than a hunter.

The theming here seems pretty obvious to me, it’s pretty much a Templar from Dragon Age to a T.

It could be, but that is very setting specific. I guess it's possible that WotC have acquired a licence for Dragon Age, or are going to create a new setting that is similar, but otherwise, who is the oath too? How does it grant power? It's really just a set of mechanics in search of a theme.

 

[Sulicius]

The survey is open.

Just filled it in! We had a playtest last monday and it was interesting to see how some of my expectations were very wrong, and which were right.

Mystic Monk

• Great subclass. In our playtest the player had a blast weaving spells and monk abilities together.
• Getting focus back on a short rest might make recovering spell slots a bit too easy. I would put a limit on that.
• The level 17 feature should be replaced by something that works and has a clear theme.

Spellbreaker Paladin

• My least favorite subclass in a while.
• Guardian Bond is not that great. It requires someone to be within 5 ft. which constrains play or reminds the paladin player that they can't use the feature every time their bonded ally is hit outside of the range. On the other hand, I hate +AC boosting reactions. There are so many ways to give enemies disadvantage on attacks nowadays, I don't want to see AC stacking builds getting more tools.
• Also the shield spell. I don't want to see it on a heavy armor + shield user.
• The concentration aura is okay-ish.

Magic Stealer Rogue

• A concept I like, but it isn't really working.
• Empower Sneak Attack is fine, but man is it going to be exhausting every time a player asks me "is that a spell?" and I have to tell them "no, arcane burst is just a multiattack". I am actually glad it has few uses, just so that I know the player will stop asking after they used it the last time. I wish the core rules had done this better, but we can't go back to change that now.
• I like the occult shroud feature! I think a vocal minority doesn't allow any class to have ribbon features anymore because it doesn't help them with their "build". I think this adds character.
• I still don't quite understand what a magic stealer is.

Vestige Warlock

• Love the concept
• Don't like how you can change type every time you summon the vestige, that takes away personality.
• Somehow was a bit of a letdown in play, since the vestige dies easily.

 

[Charlaquin]

Given that most of it's key abilities involve protecting an ally, I think it's very much more of a protector than a hunter.

Two of its features - warding bond, and the upgrade to warding bond - are specifically about protecting one specific ally. The rest of its features are useful against enemy spellcasters.

It could be, but that is very setting specific. I guess it's possible that WotC have acquired a licence for Dragon Age, or are going to create a new setting that is similar,

I very much doubt it’s literally for a Dragon Age setting, it’s just a well-known point of comparison for a knight who both protects and fights against mages. The general concept is far from exclusive to that IP.

but otherwise, who is the oath too? How does it grant power? It's really just a set of mechanics in search of a theme.

An organization that protects good mages and fights evil ones, obviously. That could be any number of groups within any number of D&D settings. Church of Mythra, maybe. Who’s the Oath of Conquest to? How does the Oath of the Watchers grant power? Heck, how does breaking an Oath grant Oathbreakers power? This is a very silly standard to judge Paladin subclasses on.

The theme is a knight who is trained to fight alongside and against mages. It’s both very obvious and very common in fantasy where there are both knights and mages.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Two of its features

The most powerful and playstyle-determining ones.

An organization that protects good mages and fights evil ones, obviously.

It would be pretty essential to to present this subclass in the context of such an organisation.

That could be any number of groups within any number of D&D settings. Church of Mythra, maybe.

Pretty obscure. If that's the best you can come up with it makes my point.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The level 17 feature should be replaced by something that works and has a clear theme.

It occured to me that they could get a metamagic ability (powered by focus).

Also the shield spell. I don't want to see it on a heavy armor + shield user.

That's a pretty common EK setup. I've seen it on clerics too. And Armorer Artificers.