D&D (2024) How many classes do you want to see this edition?

[Corinnguard]

I voted same as 5e. Most of the classes in D&D in their various incarnations have been around for a very long time. So long that getting rid of some of them might not be as easy it sounds.

As for a possible Warlord class, there is A5e's Marshall class. Marshal | Level Up

 

[Yaarel]

I still say 5e was dreadfully missing 2 class, could use 2 more due to history, and 2 more after that rounds it out.

Basically each class group is missing a class.

Warrior: Warlord
Expert: Scholar
Priest: Inquisitor/Invoker
Mage: Gish

Then Psion/Mystic and Summoner round it out.

If the Eldritch Knight had more spell slots, starting at level 1, would that qualify for the missing Gish?

Personally, for me, the Paladin and Hexblade are the Gishes.

What aspects of the Gish are still missing?

 

[Corinnguard]

If the Eldritch Knight had more spell slots, starting at level 1, would that qualify for the missing Gish?

Personally, for me, the Paladin and Hexblade are the Gishes.

What aspects of the Gish are still missing?

Good question. The Magus Class by laserllama Maybe this homebrewed Gish from Laser Llama will help?

 

[Frozen_Heart]

If the Eldritch Knight had more spell slots, starting at level 1, would that qualify for the missing Gish?

Personally, for me, the Paladin and Hexblade are the Gishes.

What aspects of the Gish are still missing?

The type of gish people are asking for is an arcane one. With the expanded definition of gish, paladin, hexblade, and ranger count as gishes, but they have totally different themes. It's like saying a wizard class is pointless when cleric is a class.

Though technically anyone who can do magic and combat is a gish at this point, what made the previous edition arcane gishes special was the ability to cast spells directly through melee strikes.

In 5e, paladin and ranger can do this through spells like searing smite and ensnaring strike. But as bladesinger and eldritch knight use the wizard list, they don't get access to these spells (funnily enough, the wizard list isn't designed with hitting people in mind). 3e, pathfinder, and 4e swordmages had this applying magic on melee strikes to an even greater degree than even modern paladin and ranger.

So essentially in 5e, the posterboy of the spellstrike mechanic doesn't have the spellstrike mechanic, while paladin and ranger do.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I'd be fine with 3, honestly.

Take 3 vanilla classes and give the sprinkles to the archetypes.

Warrior (mix the identities of fighters and warlord): Weapon master, Paladin, Ranger, Berserker, Guardian

Mage (no different spell lists, ideally with themed magic group: fire, ice, creation, healing etc): Artificer, Nomad, Beguiler, Oracle, Geomancer, Dragon Disciple, Bladesinger etc

Rogues: Thief, Scout, Warlock, Duelist, Avenger

With a little more design time, could even go as a far as having two archetypes per character.

 

[Mephista]

Good question. The Magus Class by laserllama Maybe this homebrewed Gish from Laser Llama will help?

This looks suspiciously like it just plays like a paladin with smites. Like... the whole point is to use arcane blade thing. so, you imbue the attacks with things like magic missile. Or, if you want control, you use color spray.

People already complain that paladin doesn't use spells and just smites, smites smites. So, wouldn't the same thing happen here? These giant spell lists that never get used because people just "magic missile" smite? Maybe use a Shield or Absorb Elements spell, like the current Eldritch Knight does?

 

[Corinnguard]

This looks suspiciously like it just plays like a paladin with smites. Like... the whole point is to use arcane blade thing. so, you imbue the attacks with things like magic missile. Or, if you want control, you use color spray.

People already complain that paladin doesn't use spells and just smites, smites smites. So, wouldn't the same thing happen here? These giant spell lists that never get used because people just "magic missile" smite? Maybe use a Shield or Absorb Elements spell, like the current Eldritch Knight does?

What about using the Magus' 4th level Polymorph spell during a Spellstrike? I don't recall the Paladin having anything close to it. If the Paladin could polymorph someone with a Smite, that would be something.

 

[Minigiant]

If the Eldritch Knight had more spell slots, starting at level 1, would that qualify for the missing Gish?

Personally, for me, the Paladin and Hexblade are the Gishes.

What aspects of the Gish are still missing?

Basically what @Frozen_Heart said, the ability to infuse weapon attacks with arcane effects (slows, drains, fire, force, teleports).
It's not the spell slot but the spells or class features.

 

[Yaarel]

Good question. The Magus Class by laserllama Maybe this homebrewed Gish from Laser Llama will help?

I am fond of the Psion by LaserLlama. I am checking out the Magus.

It looks something like a Paladin with mainly elemental spells and antimagic. There is even a smite-like feature, with a choice of damage type.

Note its spell progression is the same as 2014 Paladin and Ranger, however looking at the 1dd Ranger, level 1 should have spells and cantrips.

If the Eldritch Knight Fighter class had the same spell progression as the Ranger and Paladin, it would probably satisfy the need for a Gish.

But for the LaserLlama Magus, specifically, I would make a Paladin subclass with an alternate spell list.

 

[Corinnguard]

One of the players I am currently playing with in Descent into Avernus likened the Magus class to an Eldritch Knight Fighter/Bladesinger Wizard hybrid. As it has features from both subclasses.