D&D (2024) New One D&D Playtest Document: 77 Pages, 7 Classes, & More!

There's a brand new playtest document for the new (version/edition/update) of Dungeons of Dragons available for download! This one is an enormous 77 pages and includes classes, spells, feats, and weapons.

Unearthed Arcana Playtest

Unearthed Arcana Playtest Materials Get Unearthed Arcana playtest content, try it out in your game, and provide feedback! Check back regularly for ...

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In this new Unearthed Arcana document for the 2024 Core Rulebooks, we explore material designed for the next version of the Player’s Handbook. This playtest document presents updated rules on seven classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Rogue. This document also presents multiple subclasses for each of those classes, new Spells, revisions to existing Spells and Spell Lists, and several revised Feats. You will also find an updated rules glossary that supercedes the glossary of any previous playtest document.

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[Jefe Bergenstein]

Nice to see the monk still pays a feature tax to function. Unarmored Defense isn't a meaningful class feature, it's a fluffed form of armor proficiency. Martial arts barely qualifies as well. Two of their three starting class features bring them up to the default level of "dude with a stick and basic armor", which every other fighting type class just gets on top multiple class abilities.

I think giving them a fighting style would help.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Bards getting to pick from any spell list just seems a tad... much.

Like, have a Ranger concept? Wouldn't you like more Expertise, better initiative, cantrips, early access to spells, more spell slots, use your weapon as spell focus? Just pick Valor Bard + Primal.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Lots of interesting design in this packet...but it lost me.

I just cant get interested by MOAR buttons!! (each with their own pool and recovery) anymore. I think I'm not in the market for a game with that much fiddly bits. I really need a more streamlined system with less things happening on the character's sheet.

I'll still wait to see Cubicle 7's offering, but I thing gasp I might be done with 5e?

 

[Gladius Legis]

I mean, yes? That's absolutely necessary, because Clerics get full spell progression and will have more and higher level spell slots. A Cleric who could do full Paladin Smites would be a terror.

Oh, I agree. That wasn't a complaint. I just think it's funny that WOTC pretty much admitted Searing Smite is an intentionally inferior spell.

 

[palikhov]

My impressions:
pls, return Mearls and hire again Monte Cook.

 

[jerryrice4949]

Lots of interesting design in this packet...but it lost me.

I just cant get interested by MOAR buttons!! (each with their own pool and recovery) anymore. I think I'm not in the market for a game with that much fiddly bits. I really need a more streamlined system with less things happening on the character's sheet.

I'll still wait to see Cubicle 7's offering, but I thing gasp I might be done with 5e?

I like it. To me it is close to the sweet spot. I really like 5E but I always felt like there wasn't quite enough customization. PF 2E always felt like too much so I am happy with just some small additions.

 

[Parmandur]

I like it. To me it is close to the sweet spot. I really like 5E but I always felt like there wasn't quite enough customization. PF 2E always felt like too much so I am happy with just some small additions.

Yeah, this stuff is awesome.

 

[Kurotowa]

Here's a thought. The new Rogue Cunning Strike and the revised Paladin's Smite feature are basically the same thing. They give you the option of trading away a little damage to get a debuff or other additional effect to the attack. Rogues do it by subtracting Sneak Attack dice. Paladins do it by picking between the pure damage of Divine Smite and all the other automatically prepared Smite spells that do about one or two spell level's less damage but have additional qualities.

I mean, they're not exactly the same thing. Smites cost a limited resource and are always damage focused, while Sneak Attack is free and has more room to scale the amount of damage sacrificed up or down. But from a design perspective they're working on the same principle.

 

[TwoSix]

Level Up's Adept is all-around a better take on the concept.

Gotta stay on brand, you know.

I don’t know if I have a brand, sadly but I’ll recommend Laserllama’s alt monk as I normally do.

Homebrew forever!

 

[Vael]

So, I guess we can use this list as the current definitive list of what subclasses they are planning to put into the 2024 PHB

Bard: Dance, Glamour, Lore and Valor. Dance is new, Glamour reprinted from Xanathar's, Lore and Valor from PHB2014
Cleric: Life, Light, Trickery and War. All PHB2014 reprints
Druid: Land, Moon, Sea and Stars. Sea is new, Stars from Tasha's, Land and Moon from PHB2014.
Monk: Open Hand, Mercy, Shadow and Four Elements. All reprints, 3 from PHB2014, one from Tasha's.
Paladin: Devotion, Glory, Ancients and Vengeance. All reprints, 3 from PHB2014, one from Tasha's.
Ranger: Beast Master, Fey Wanderer, Gloom Stalker, Hunter. All reprints, 2 from PHB2014, one from Xanathar's, one from Tasha's.
Rogue: Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Swashbuckler, Thief. All reprints, 3 from PHB2014, one from Xanathar's.

I said earlier I'd have wanted one new subclass for each class, but tbh, I was scraping barrels trying to come up with good notions that fit a PHB (ie, most iconic and generally applicable) for several classes. So, IMO, this is a solid list.