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

[Minigiant]

a class with what unifying theme?

Having a monstrous or supernatural heritage or origin that enhances your martial prowess.

The class would offer classic "superpowers' like super strength or invulnerability that grow with level and are modified or accompanied by the monstrous or supernatural origin of your power.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

a class with what unifying theme?

The exact opposite as the sorcerer. Supernatural heritage which enhances your martial abilities with things like transformations.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I believe that these trope really doesn't fit any existing 5e class. You could hint or flavor it in a sorcerer or barbarian.

By the swordsman with white scales breathing fire or a dhampir fully embracing her vampire side doesn't fit the sorcerer or barbarian without either making the class very complicated or harming it base trope trying to make room for the expansions.

It really needs its own class.

As the game is, absolutely. It could have lived in the Barbarian, had they made “rage” more variable even in the most basic effects of it, IMO, and less limited in use.

Even vampires “vamp out”. An altered state is, IMO, more coherent a class concept than “you are a Dragonborn, as a class”.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Hmm wonder what would have happened if the 'take on traits of your bloodline' had gone the other way and become more martial, rather than being glued to the sorcerer.

Make the physical traits and abilities you take on the primary draw of the class, becoming a combat monster and not through weapons or armour. Some subclasses maybe having casting abilities, but not all of them.

You could make a subclass with this theme for any class, if sorcerer didn't already claim it.

 

[Minigiant]

As the game is, absolutely. It could have lived in the Barbarian, had they made “rage” more variable even in the most basic effects of it, IMO, and less limited in use.

Even vampires “vamp out”. An altered state is, IMO, more coherent a class concept than “you are a Dragonborn, as a class”.

I didn't say it couldn't be done. I'm saying it would pull the barbarian away from its core flavor more than the current 5e design does and would make it rather complicated. The barbarian is too much a magical transformation to me in 5e when it always always overtly magical in appearance and had several nonmagical options. The 4e barbarian was outright magical but waaaaaaaay more grounded than every barbarian after berserker. I feel it would get stretched so much that the regular hulking rager would look like the anomaly and be complex to even run.

My idea would to combine the Greek demigod, Super Soldier, and Half-"Monster" tropes into a single class. A superhero or mythical hero with a major "always on" power flavored by their origin and possibly other adventurer and ribbon powers. Let you play as Achilles or Alucard.

You start with super speed at level 1. Then level 3, your origin leaks out. You grow your dragon scales or your body stops aging.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

My idea would to combine the Greek demigod, Super Soldier, and Half-"Monster" tropes into a single class. A superhero or mythical hero with a major "always on" power flavored by their origin and possibly other adventurer and ribbon powers. Let you play as Achilles or Alucard.

You start with super speed at level 1. Then level 3, your origin leaks out. You grow your dragon scales or your body stops aging.

Fair enough.