D&D (2024) How quickly should WOTC add new classes?

[Nightfly]

One of my favorite things about 5e is how few classes there are. I love that 5e introduces new concepts in the form of subclasses and doesn't dilute the core 12.

Class bloat sucks. It makes it harder to DM when you don't know what the characters can do. And besides, "Fighter except left-handed and blood type O-" doesn't need to be its own damn class.

 

[Vaalingrade]

And besides, "Fighter except left-handed and blood type O-" doesn't need to be its own damn class.

So... we're getting rid of the wizard, right? They're just a cheaty sorcerer, after all.

And druid; that's a nature priest.

Oh, and Paladin, the Fighty Cleric.

Let's not forget the Wilderness Rogue called Ranger.

Plus the Angry Fighter, the Barbarian

And really, a Cleric is just a Sorcerer with heals.

And Fighter is just a rogue with more weapon choices.

Gets us down to a nice, svelt Rogue, Sorcerer, Bard, Warlock.

Actually, really all we need is Bards with subclasses.

 

[Incenjucar]

Every other class is just a bard with tunnel vision.

 

[cbwjm]

I could live with never if they released a swordmage type class and a psion. Most everything else would work as a subclass.

 

[Minigiant]

One of my favorite things about 5e is how few classes there are. I love that 5e introduces new concepts in the form of subclasses and doesn't dilute the core 12.

Class bloat sucks. It makes it harder to DM when you don't know what your characters can do. And besides, "Fighter except left-handed and blood type O-" doesn't need to be its own damn class.

I'd argue that subclass bloat is ten times worse than class bloat.

With subclasses, you have smaller design space and a larger chance to makesomething underpowered by adding too much (Tasha's) or underpowered by not having enough space (25% of the PHB subclasses).

It would be better to make a Beastmaster class for animal companions than try to shove it into a Ranger's Conclave.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Ideally I'd like a few more classes to be added.

Artificer, warlord, swordmage, psion/mystic, shaman, summoner/pet class, and a 'play as the monster' class.

But I don't think any more classes will get added. Including the artificer. I don't even think the artificer will get updated for 1dnd.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I'd argue that subclass bloat is ten times worse than class bloat.

Yep this. We're still getting bloat in 5e, just like with every other edition. Just this time around it's bloat while tons of archetypes are barely touched on.

5e will end up suffering from too much content and lack of content at the same time, and that's quite an achievement.

 

[Minigiant]

Yep this. We're still getting bloat in 5e, just like with every other edition. Just this time around it's bloat while tons of archetypes are barely touched on.

5e will end up suffering from too much content and lack of content at the same time, and that's quite an achievement.

That's because they changed "Class Bloat" to "Subclass Bloat".

It's like if a restaurant realized their menu had so many entrees that it confused people. so they reduced the menu to 4 entrees and 100 side items.

So now you can't buy a full order of steak (beastmaster), pancakes (shaman), ribs (warlord), or tacos (psion), you can only by the side plate with the small portion.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I understand that previous editions have gone well overboard with how many classes they have.

But there are more options than 12 classes or literally hundreds of classes.

 

[Minigiant]

I understand that previous editions have gone well overboard with how many classes they have.

But there are more options than 12 classes or literally hundreds of classes.

Not literally hundreds but In core D&D there are at least 40-50 iconic D&D archetypical characters that could be classes. That's before you get into the super niche.

You can combine about a quarter/third of them together with another quarter/third of them seemlessly.

So on your most charitable calculations, core iconic D&D as of 2024 has 25-27 iconic class archetypes each with there own individual combination or uniquely iconic base class feature.

For example the 3e Druid is 4 classes smashed together. That's why the 3e druid was OP OP and WOTC is struggling with the 5e druid. 4e was the only smart edition and broke the class up into 4.