D&D 5E New class niche?

[Zardnaar]

If you scrolled further down the front page you would have found a 17-page thread already going on about it.

Should The Paladin Be Changed Into A More Generic Half-Caster Magic Knight

Not really after an arcane smite build. Sword mage can mostly be done with a blade dancer.

Looking at older archetypes.

 

[J-H]

So one thing I have noticed missing is an arcane gish type character. Yes there's various subclasses but I mean a dedicated one like an arcane paladin.

Eldritch Knight, especially if you allow school-swapping (Transmutation gets you Haste, Conjuration gets you teleports, etc.).
Hexblade, or Fighter X/Warlock.
Artificer Armorer or Battlesmith. Arcane spells, self-buffing, and using magic weapons.
Bard, Valor or Swords.

4/13 base classes have at least some support for arcane casting Gishiness.
The Ranger is also a Gish, but it's nature magic instead of arcane, and the spell list is underbuilt compared to the Paladin list.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Sword Mage should be updated, it was wildly popular, they are leaving money on the table.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I play “mostly” blade pact warlocks. Celestial and fiend.

Eldritch smite on a 20 is fabulous.

If you use feats like shadow or fey touched, you can do a lot.

If armor bothers you and you like str based fighters like me, starting as cleric is great. I had celestial patron warlock who had a few levels of cleric to start. But honestly variant human or mountain dwarf (have used both) work fine.

I played one hexblade but was not as into it.

I have a 13th level warlock…mountain dwarf fiend patron…he kicks butt and hops around the battle field/throws illusions with glee.

Blade boon warlock, final answer

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I would rather the name duskblade, but this class should offer interesting subclasses.

 

[Seramus]

I've come to believe this is the Warlock.

Same. What I want out of a Gish is 2+ Attacks, Medium Armor, and a small number of full powered spells.

Warlock fits this criteria, save the armor, and the changes to Warlock in 5.5 further empower the class to fulfill the Gish niche.

That said, I know many people dislike the patron flavor.

 

[Ashrym]

I'd also argue that the artificer already counts as the 1/2 arcane. The "but expert" also applies to the ranger.

Eldritch Knight, especially if you allow school-swapping (Transmutation gets you Haste, Conjuration gets you teleports, etc.).

The 2024 eldritch knights have already fixed that.

Standard gish options go eldritch knights, artificer, warlock, valor bard. EK's and valor bards can mix cantrips and spells into attacks, and warlocks can all take blade pact invocations.

Plus multiclassing is an option. We got gishes.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

I've come to believe this is the Warlock.

Agreed. 5.5e Warlock is massively buffed in terms of being an actual Gish. Hexblade patron is nearly obsolete because you get their offensive kit from a single invocation while still getting to pick another Patron that supports spellcaster capabilities. You lose out on armor/shield proficiency but can easily grab that with a level dip elsewhere.

 

[Yaarel]

Magic User, Cleric, Druid, and Bard all use the same chassis.

Warlock, Psion, Swordmage, even Warlord, can also all use the same chassis.

More classes that rely on short rest − thus less "nova" − makes casters and fighters balance better with each other.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

So one thing I have noticed missing is an arcane gish type character. Yes there's various subclasses but I mean a dedicated one like an arcane paladin.

And a Sorcerer version of the blade dancer. Psions another obvious one.

I've articulated the missing 12 archetypes I believe need to be in there. Not really sure what "a sorcerer version of the blade dancer" would be--can you explain the idea further?

Anyway, the 12 "missing" archetypes/class fantasies I mentioned in previous threads were, in alphabetical order. Those marked with a dagger are, IMO, the most likely to actually be implemented.

Spoiler: Missing Class Fantasies

• Alchemist†, the chemist-as-magician, who uses magical ingredients and concoctions to control the world...or themselves.
• Assassin†, the warrior-of-shadow, whose skill with all the subtle ways to stalk (and un-alive) someone transcends mortal limits.
• Avenger†, the warrior-of-zeal, whose absolute focus is both shield and sword against their enemies, who executes the turncoat apostate.
• Invoker, the emissary-as-magician, who calls down disaster upon the foes of the faith, Elijah calling fire down against the altar of Baal.
• "Machinist" (not my fav name), the warrior-of-technology, who uses guns, machines, and tools to overcome their foes.
• Psion† (etc.), the telepath-as-magician, who draws on ESP, the paranormal, occult "science" etc. to bend the rules of reality in their favor.
• Shaman, the spiritualist-as-magician, who straddles the line between material and spirit, the bridge connecting these realms.
• Summoner, the overseer-as-magician, whose magic lies in getting other beings to use magic for her.
• Swordmage†, the warrior-as-magician, for whom swordplay is magic, and magic is swordplay (or other weapons), one and inseparable.
• Warden, the warrior-of-the-land, who wears Nature's power like a cloak, and wreaks Her wrath where he walks.
• Warlord†, the warrior-of-tactics, who transcends limits by cooperating with others rather than purely through her own mettle.

Anyway im thinking some kind of tanky d12 hit dice dragon disciple based off the 3E prestige class with bits of the 4E warden and D&D next playtest Sorcerer.

Thoughts?

I loved the playtest sorcerer as a concept, so if you can bring it to life, I'm all for it. I might suggest, however, making it be d10 or even d8, but having subclasses that get bonus HP on gaining more levels of this class. That way, you can capitalize on varied flavor--some of your bloodline-disciple characters might be linked to shadow (sneaky and brutal), fey (glamourous and beguiling),