D&D (2024) Is the new Goliath intended to replace Rune Knight?

[ECMO3]

Looking at the ONE Goliath, it has a lot of thematic similarities and elements that are consistent with the Rune Knight. Just wondering if the subclass will go away?

 

[Charlaquin]

Well, I don’t expect Rune Knight to be in the 2024 PHB. It’ll probably still be possible to use the Rune Knight with the 2024 fighter. But it might take some adjustment to match the new unified subclass feature progression.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Well, I don’t expect Rune Knight to be in the 2024 PHB. It’ll probably still be possible to use the Rune Knight with the 2024 fighter. But it might take some adjustment to match the new unified subclass feature progression.

Yeah, it seems that there will be some new guidelines (and possibly new errata) to line up old subclasses with the new progression, but the intention of "One D&D" is explicitly "it's all D&D" (for whatever that's worth) and they've been pretty clear that just because they don't immediately print an updated version of something, does not mean that it has been "replaced".

So, no. I don't think so. I think they're taking some fun mechanics and giving players another way to access those mechanics. (This is, of course, assuming that the Goliath when printed, either in the PHB or in the upcoming Giants book, actually winds up with those abilities).

Honestly, I'm pretty sure at this point that they're sneaking into the playtest some stuff for other books (other than the 50th Core). The Goliath is probably not a PHB test.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah, it seems that there will be some new guidelines (and possibly new errata) to line up old subclasses with the new progression, but the intention of "One D&D" is explicitly "it's all D&D" (for whatever that's worth) and they've been pretty clear that just because they don't immediately print an updated version of something, does not mean that it has been "replaced".

So, no. I don't think so. I think they're taking some fun mechanics and giving players another way to access those mechanics. (This is, of course, assuming that the Goliath when printed, either in the PHB or in the upcoming Giants book, actually winds up with those abilities).

Honestly, I'm pretty sure at this point that they're sneaking into the playtest some stuff for other books (other than the 50th Core). The Goliath is probably not a PHB test.

I agree with most of this, but in one of the videos, Jeremy Crawford went over their reasoning for testing out adding the Goliath in the PHB (basically, so orcs aren’t the only “buff guy race” in the PHB). So, time will tell if it makes it, but I do believe they are seriously considering adding Goliaths to the PHB.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Looking at the ONE Goliath, it has a lot of thematic similarities and elements that are consistent with the Rune Knight. Just wondering if the subclass will go away?

The Rune knight is a class with Giant-themed abilities. The Goliath is a Race with Giant-themed abilities. The existence of one, does not prevent the existence of the other.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I agree with most of this, but in one of the videos, Jeremy Crawford went over their reasoning for testing out adding the Goliath in the PHB (basically, so orcs aren’t the only “buff guy race” in the PHB). So, time will tell if it makes it, but I do believe they are seriously considering adding Goliaths to the PHB.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Sure, okay. Goliath may wind up in the PHB. But I maintain that we can't "trust" the UA material to always be intended for the 2024 core, and even when it IS intended for it, we can't assume that it will make it in.

 

[Charlaquin]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Sure, okay. Goliath may wind up in the PHB. But I maintain that we can't "trust" the UA material to always be intended for the 2024 core, and even when it IS intended for it, we can't assume that it will make it in.

I may be wrong, but I think given that there’s a very hard deadline on 2024 revised core book, they would likely want to focus on content specifically for that product during this playtest. That said, yeah there’s definitely no guarantee any particular option playtested here makes it into that product.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I may be wrong, but I think given that there’s a very hard deadline on 2024 revised core book, they would likely want to focus on content specifically for that product during this playtest. That said, yeah there’s definitely no guarantee any particular option playtested here makes it into that product.

True, but next year's books may still need a few things playtested. There's probably a reason they chose to use Unearthed Arcana for the 2024 playtest. They've always used it to test multiple things at once, at various stages of development.

And they always treat it with equal consideration when they do interviews about it, even when (based on timing) they already know that it's been changed or scrapped.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The Rune knight is a class with Giant-themed abilities. The Goliath is a Race with Giant-themed abilities. The existence of one, does not prevent the existence of the other.

Yup. We have Dragonborn and Draconic Sorcerers... no reason we can't have Goliaths and Rune Knights to match (or even the Giant Soul Sorcerers if we want to go back into old UA.)

Isn't there also the rumors of a Giant-themed book being worked on a la Fizban's? That could easily support a larger footprint of Goliath options like Fizban's gave to the Dragonborn and this playtest packet would allow them to test stuff in preparation for it.

 

[Corinnguard]

Yup. We have Dragonborn and Draconic Sorcerers... no reason we can't have Goliaths and Rune Knights to match (or even the Giant Soul Sorcerers if we want to go back into old UA.)

Isn't there also the rumors of a Giant-themed book being worked on a la Fizban's? That could easily support a larger footprint of Goliath options like Fizban's gave to the Dragonborn and this playtest packet would allow them to test stuff in preparation for it.

It's Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants.