D&D (2024) New Classes for 5e. Is anything missing?

[Vaalingrade]

I'm all good with the classes we have. There are a few blind spots, but that's ok with me; a game/setting is defined as much by what it has than what it hasn't.

Which means that a specific setting could have a dedicated class to cover that specific gap (artificer for Eberron, psion for Dark Sun, Warlord for Birthright perhaps), but i'm not even sold on the artificer being open "outside" Eberron.

My issue with this philosophy is that not everyone uses official campaign settings and tying new classes to new CS's means tying them to the glacial release schedule. Why not provide a tool box for the homebrewers?

 

[Minigiant]

Doesn't seem to cover any ground not serviced by the Monk, Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, and Paladin as it is. Ki, Smite, Rage, etc. already cover all of this. 4 attacks per action is already Super speed.

It does if you want mechanics to match flavor.

There are so many "What class is X" videos and articles out there that push concepts into ill-fitting classes.

"Warrior with Invocations and Uncapped STR/DEX/CON" solves the problem so easily and is more satisfying to many.

 

[Parmandur]

It does if you want mechanics to match flavor.

There are so many "What class is X" videos and articles out there that push concepts into ill-fitting classes.

"Warrior with Invocations and Uncapped STR/DEX/CON" solves the problem so easily and is more satisfying to many.

Mechanics don't and can't "match" flavor. They are math constructs.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I'd start by shuffling some things around, then add some classes to fill the gaps.

1) Rangers Ranger as the strider, ambusher, monster slayer will be move to a fighter's archetype.
1.1) The 1/2 spellcasting nature guys becomes the Warden and brings the whole Primal barbarian with them. Lightly armored, a mountain of HP, infused by nature primal warriors.

2) Artificer. The 5e's one is pretty bad. Move their features around. Infusions should be a Transmuter thing (that archetype is so...empty...). Crafting bombs/poison/potion should be thing any character with the good tool's & skill prof. can do. Storing magical essence in items could be moved to sorcerers, same with Soul of Artifice: consuming raw magic from items would be a nice sorcerer thing to do!
2.1) The 1/2 int-caster is moved to Swordmage/spellblade etc

3) Bards. I'm a big fan of moving bards to short-rest based ala warlock.

4) Remove warlock: pact making should be a mix of background (ala Stryxhaven) and adventurer patron/faction (Ravnica Guild). Fighter could have a hexblade archetype, and a hex sorcerer and a summoner/alienist wizard or a fiend domain cleric could all still be a thing. The Boon thing should be for cleric, deciding if they are Warpriest (blade pact), Archivist (tome pact) or Messenger (Chain lock).

5) Monk. Double down of the self buffing, half-psionic caster.

6) Move Paladin/Blackguard to fighter and add Avenger instead for the unarmored, stealthy slayer of faith. There's already a heavy-armored holy-guy.

7) Barbarian. Move the the overtly-magical themes to the Warden and keep the more ritualistic primal slayer for the barbarian: totem, berserker, battlerager, dervish etc

6) Add

• Psion
• Scholar (non-magical support. Warlord as Scholar of War could go here).

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I think most classes are covered, but there are still a few which could be added which are not currently available in 5e. And even with those missing ones, you can make crude/janky approximations of them.

That is warlord, swordmage, and psion.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I'd like to see Warlord and Swordmage. Not into psionics personally but would make sense to have a Psion class for those who like it.

 

[Aldarc]

4e monk was quite viable, no?

We're not supposed to talk about that.

 

[Eric V]

We're not supposed to talk about that.

Apologies.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

4e monk was quite viable, no?

It was, and so is the 5e monk. It just isn't high on the CharOp DPR calculators.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Doesn't seem to cover any ground not serviced by the Monk, Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, and Paladin as it is. Ki, Smite, Rage, etc. already cover all of this. 4 attacks per action is already Super speed.

None of those serve the same purpose without multiclassing, having to dip into feats, and/or heavy reworking of class features that make no sense for the archetype in question.