New D&D Unearthed Arcana Reveals Two New Subclasses for Monk and Sorcerer, Plus Revamps For Seven More

Wizards of the Coast has a new Unearthed Arcana playtest for Dungeons & Dragons, featuring revamps of seven existing Arcane-themed subclasses, plus two new subclasses. Today, Wizards of the Coast unveiled a new Arcane Subclass Unearthed Arcana, featuring the following subclasses:

• Arcana Domain Cleric
• Arcane Archer Fighter
• Hexblade Patron Warlock
• Conjurer Wizard
• Enchanter Wizard
• Necromancer Wizard
• Transmuter Wizard
• Tattooed Warrior Monk
• Ancestral Sorcery Sorcerer

Notably, the Hexblade Patron and Necromancer Wizard were both relatively high on the wishlist of many D&D players.

That Tattooed Warrior grants the Monk access to several magic tattoos with specific effects that enhance various monk abilities. The Ancestral Sorcery plays off the idea of having a powerful magical ancestor that grants them guidance and direction from beyond. Notably, the ancestral spirit has an spectral haze form and can even Frighten those around the sorcerer at higher levels.

Some of the notable changes in the UA include a revised Arcane Shot ability that comes with an Arcane Shot die used to deal extra damage that ramps up in size, the Conjurer Wizard's benign transposition starts at an earlier level as does Durable Summons, the Enchanter Wizard has some more versatile low-level options that replace Hypnotic Gaze, and the Necromancer has been wholly redesigned with an emphasis on generating temporary hit points for the wizard, their party members, and undead thralls.

 

[Parmandur]

Piggy-backing off this. So far the two themed UA's included 8 subclasses (not including the Hexblade rework in Arcane which bumped it up to 9) and 2 of them were new, so other themes will likely follow a similar pattern.

Elemental Subclasses

1. Storm Herald Barbarian
2. Forge Cleric
3. Tempest Cleric
4. Wildfire Druid
5. Storm Sorcerer
6. Fathomless Warlock
7. New Subclass
8. New Subclass

Divine Subclasses

1. Ancestral Guardian Barbarian
2. Peace Cleric
3. Twilight Cleric
4. Sun Soul Monk
5. Redemption Paladin
6. Divine Soul Sorcerer
7. New Subclass
8. New Subclass

Planar Subclasses

1. Wild Magic Barbarian (Feywild)
2. Dreams Druid (Feywild)
3. Astral Self Monk (Astral)
4. Watchers Paladin
5. Horizon Walker Ranger
6. Genie Warlock (Elemental)
7. New Subclass
8. New Subclass

Martial Subclasses

1. Swords Bard
2. Cavalier Fighter
3. Samurai Fighter
4. Drunken Master Monk
5. Kensei Monk
6. Swashbuckler Rogue
7. New Subclass
8. New Subclass

Primal/Nature Subclasses

1. Beast Barbarian
2. Nature Cleric
3. Spores Druid
4. Shepherd Druid
5. Swarmkeeper Ranger
6. Scout Rogue
7. New Subclass
8. New Subclass

Politics/Intrigue Subclasses

1. Whispers Bard
2. Eloquence Bard
3. Order Cleric
4. Conquest Paladin
5. Crown Paladin
6. Inquisitive Rogue
7. Mastermind Rogue
8. New Subclass

Dragons vs Giants Subclasses

1. Giant Barbarian
2. Rune Knight Fighter
3. Ascendant Dragon Monk
4. Drakewarden Ranger
5. Monster Slayer Ranger
6. New Subclass
7. New Subclass
8. New Subclass

Leftover Subclasses

1. Battlerager Barbarian (unlikely to return)
2. Creation Bard (likely to return)
3. Death Cleric (unlikely to return)
4. Echo Knight Fighter (unlikely to return)
5. Long Death Monk (unlikely to return)
6. Oathbreaker Paladin (unlikely to return)
7. Lunar Sorcery (unsure)
8. Undying Warlock (unlikely to return)
9. Chronurgy Wizard (unlikely to return)
10. Graviturgy Wizard (unlikely to return)
11. Scribes Wizard (likely to return)
12. War Wizard (unsure)

I tell you what, this theory does seem more and more plausible.

I wonder if we might see a boatload of new Level 1 Feats and Backgrounds, too...

 

[Savage Wombat]

I've been looking at old monk subclasses (published and not) and at first glance, a lot of them seem to be built around giving abilities to monks that the monks have by default in 2024. So some rethinking might be in order.

 

[Parmandur]

I've been looking at old monk subclasses (published and not) and at first glance, a lot of them seem to be built around giving abilities to monks that the monks have by default in 2024. So some rethinking might be in order.

Yeah, Monk or Ranger Subclasses would need a lot of rethinking.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

First, let me say that Enchanting Talker is the best thing I have read in a wizard UA in a looong time.

I feel a little hypocritical about not being awed by Arcana Domain Cleric, since it does check all the boxes for things I like in domains, but let's just do a little thought experiment. Picture an Arcana Domain priest that wasn't a PC. What would a God of Magic who is trying to have more (and better) wizards, bards, sorcerers, and warlocks want the priest to do? And what kind of abilities would support that? Now, how many of those abilities does the Arcana Domain Cleric get? If your answer is none, you and I are in agreement. It would be like having a Love Domain Cleric that is justified because they can cast calm emotion. The whole subclass doesn't need to be "spellcaster support warlord", but even a "when you heal someone who can cast spells, you recharge one of their spell slots of level 2 or less" would go a long way here.

I also miss the minion for the hexblade.

In addition to swarms for necromancers and conjurers, I could see walls of ghoul flesh or bones or a pit where demons grab anyone who comes too close and they finally climb out 1 round per level of the spell, taking X damage each round as fitting. I don't see the 100 skeleton army coming back no matter how much some people like it.

I was thinking of early Naruto for the monk (totally forgot about Iron Fist) in the sense that there are ninja fights where some magic is happening, but the fight really ends when someone hits someone else with a throwing knife (or a bunch of them). I like the idea, but I think it would work better if it was more like the eldritch knight and was just a monk who was a third caster. If they need something especially monkish, the monk could use an unarmed strike to deliver touch spells.