D&D (2024) New One D&D Playtest Shows Us The New Druid & Paladin

WotC has released the fourth One D&D playtest document. This 29-page PDF includes the druid and the paladin with Circle of the Moon and Oath of Devotion subclasses.

Druid. The Druid class and Circle of the Moon subclass are ready for playtesting here.

Paladin. The Paladin class and Oath of Devotion subclass are ready for playtesting here.

Feats. Several revised feats appear here for your feedback, with more revised feats coming in future articles.

Spells. More spells are ready for playtesting, with a focus on smite spells, Find Familiar, and Find Steed.

Rules Glossary. The rules glossary has been updated again and supersedes the glossary in previous Unearthed Arcana articles. In this document, any underlined term in the body text appears in that glossary, which defines game terms that have been clarified or redefined for this playtest or that don’t appear in the 2014 Player’s Handbook.

Claim Unearthed Arcana now! - D&D Beyond

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[Remathilis]

Maybe from the Complete Book of Druids. Which had kits, but not really variants.

Complete Druids Handbook had both. They had variant druid classes for different types of terrain like arctic, mountain, desert and underground. (Forest was the default druid). They wouldn't get minor tweaks like different access to spheres or minor resistances to local creatures.

 

[Scott Christian]

Listen, I feel your pain. But the druid should never have been able to out-tank a tank class and get level 9 magic.

Definitely agree. I never did understand why they didn't include a non-shifting druid into the PHB. It forced druids to play the tank role.

I agree the current druid wild shape needs a little more oomph, but the current CotM druid was too good at low level and then when they got to the level they fell behind in melee, they were at the point their spells more than made up for it.

I'm not sure it needs more oomph, as opposed to a role. That has always been the problem with druids: Wanna play a magic user? The wizard's better. Wanna play a nature based fighter? The ranger is better (in most editions). Wanna play a tribal leader? The barbarian is better. etc.

In a perfect world, I would love to see the druid as its own class, not a mixture of others.

 

[Mephista]

I'm of the opinion that the druid's first four major subclasses should be the following :

• Moon (focused on wildshape)
• Shepherd (focused on being a summoner)
• ??? (focused on being a healer, the druid equivalent of a life cleric, with elements that touch on herbalism )
• Land (terrain / weather manipulation magic)

I believe these four represent the core aspects of the druid, what defines the class fantasy. I'd like to see the core class reflect all of them instead of just one.

 

[OB1]

So I have to pay WotC to play a Druid?

How is that not exactly proving the point that druids as written are too complicated? It’s not like you need specialized character sheets to play other classes.

That's a weird take. Anyone who wants could do the same thing with a PHB, paying for it on DDB just makes it easier in the same ways it makes lots of D&D easier, that's what you pay for.

And you don't need the MM and various splat books to make a good Druid, those books give you more options, but even a PHB/SRD 2014 Druid is way cooler than the proposed 2024 version.

 

[Faolyn]

Complete Druids Handbook had both. They had variant druid classes for different types of terrain like arctic, mountain, desert and underground. (Forest was the default druid). They wouldn't get minor tweaks like different access to spheres or minor resistances to local creatures.

It's been so long since I've read the book. All I remembered is that there were different types of druid biomes.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm of the opinion that the druid's first four major subclasses should be the following :

• Moon (focused on wildshape)
• Shepherd (focused on being a summoner)
• ??? (focused on being a healer, the druid equivalent of a life cleric, with elements that touch on herbalism )
• Land (terrain / weather manipulation magic)

I believe these four represent the core aspects of the druid, what defines the class fantasy. I'd like to see the core class reflect all of them instead of just one.

Your healer druid is the Circle of Dreams. Healing pool, guarded rests and even save point teleportation.

 

[Greg K]

On paper, I think it’s a good idea to give Druids specific form stat blocks instead of sending them to the monster manual. But I think these three forms are way too generic. Instead of land, sea, and sky like the beastmaster companions, I think druids should have a larger selection of forms, divided by utility. Like, maybe to start you get a stealth form, a speed form, and a scout/perceptive form. Then at 5th level you gain a climbing form and a combat form; stick with the aquatic and flying forms at 7th and 9th. Not sure what to do about 11th level, but having to wait that long to get Tiny forms is a bad change in my opinion.

I just want
Avian: Small, and Quick form
Avian: raptor form
Bear, Small Form
Bear, Grizzl Form
Deer Form
Elk/Moose Form
Wolf Form
Panther Form
Snake, Small Constrictor
Snake, Large Constrictor
Mouse/Small Rodent form
Alligator/Crocodile Form
Fish , Small Form
Shark, Small form
Shark, Medium Form
Shark, Great White Form

 

[Greg K]

Does anyone else want to see Healing Blossoms removed?

 

[Bill Zebub]

I just want
Avian: Small, and Quick form
Avian: raptor form
Bear, Small Form
Bear, Grizzl Form
Deer Form
Elk/Moose Form
Wolf Form
Panther Form
Snake, Small Constrictor
Snake, Large Constrictor
Mouse/Small Rodent form
Alligator/Crocodile Form
Fish , Small Form
Shark, Small form
Shark, Medium Form
Shark, Great White Form

I agree you should be able to do all those things, but I believe the best way to support that is still through templates. You may narrate, "I turn into a grizzly bear" but mechanically it would be using the "tank"* template with level 8 benefits. Somebody else might describe it as a giant boar. Or a deer, for that matter. Are real deer as tanky as grizzly bears? No. But does it really matter?

*Probably not actually using the word 'tank' but we would all know what it means.

 

[Greg K]

Are real deer as tanky as grizzly bears? No. But does it really matter?

To me, yes it does