D&D (2024) One D&D Cleric & Revised Species Playtest Includes Goliath

"In this new Unearthed Arcana for the One D&D rules system, we explore material designed for the next version of the Player’s Handbook. This playtest document presents the rules on the Cleric class, it's Life Domain subclass, as well as revised Species rules for the Ardling, the Dragonborn, and the Goliath. You will also find a current glossary of new or revised meanings for game terms."

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WotC's Jeremey Crawford discusses the playtest document in the video below.

 

[Parmandur]

It is still planar. It's just a planar animal relative rather than being like Aasimar.

"Celestial animals roam the Beastlands, a plane of untamed beauty and wild nature. Many of those otherworldly animals serve the Beast Lords, and in the early days of the multiverse, some of the animals evolved into bipedal forms. Among their number are Ardlings, people with beastlike heads, keen senses, and an innate connection to divine magic."

"Animal Ancestry. You are descended from a Celestial animal."

Yeah, my bad, I was just dashing off what I was getting from listening to Crawford's description in the video rather than the text. So I overstated that they were shifting the focus more towards the animal side.

 

[Umbran]

How many times this morning did you repeat into the mirror: “My preferences are not popular.” ?

Less than some of us apparently repeat 'I'm gonna harass some dude on the internet'.

Mod Note:

Folks, it is time to become constructive, or take a break.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

so the fighter (battlemaster) 4/ Wizard (warmage)/4 compared to the fighter (eldritch knight) 8 or the Wizard (Bladesinger) 8 is confusing enough... but what about the Fighter (eldrtich knight) 5/Bard (swords) 3 or the Fighter (eldritch Knight) 3/ rouge (arcane trick) 3/ Ranger 2 or the Artificer (battle smith) 3/Wizard (blasdesinger) 5 or some other combo there of...

I mean there are like 100 combos for gish, each with pro and cons.

Totally ok, but I'd relegate that to 3rd level and not have it at level 1. This should present a relative clear picture.
Subclasses and multiclass can expand and blend the concepts. This is what I like about the multiclass and subclass system.

 

[Flamestrike]

Picking your subclass for a cleric is picking who you worship. Seems odd you would wait till third to do that.

Nothing stopping you from picking a God at 1st level, committing to a pantheon as a whole (then focusing at 3rd) or even roleplaying being selected by a God at 3rd level as a Prophet or whatever.

 

[TwoSix]

Yeah, my bad, I was just dashing off what I was getting from listening to Crawford's description in the video rather than the text. So I overstated that they were shifting the focus more towards the animal side.

Yea, but I'd definitely argue that the "animal" part is more important than the "celestial" part. Sort of like how being Fey is a kind of hazy backstory for Goblins/Hobgoblins/Bugbears now, but it doesn't really change the overall racial tropes you'd use during character creation.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Aren't Dragonborn burly?

Not mechanically.

 

[Zaukrie]

Holy Order is one of the worst kind of game designs IMO: take the option you want right away and at higher level when you're supposed to be more powerful, take the thing that you didn't really want the first time.

I know if flies in the face of traditions and sacred cows, but I'd rather the base cleric chassis have zero baked-in undead affecting abilities. As a DM, I don't want to have to include undead in my campaign or one-off just to make the cleric's features valid and as a player I don't want to play for months without engaging with a chunk of my class features because the arc doesn't have undead. If the features must be universal to all clerics, when you gain them you should at least be able to choose what kind of creature type you specialize in: aberration, fey, et al.

Agreed on the undead thing. You have to include them at low levels to give the cleric their chance to use the ability. It's why I want like ten or twenty channel abilities. Organized by domain or deity type I get that is counter to the direction of easier level one character building. Not sure the right answer, other than a suggested base class, and then freedom to not do that.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That would be great for multi-class dipping! Free weapons/armor prof, healing, divine magic and channel divinity for a 1 level dip? Sign me up!

Maybe limit or ban multiclassing? Its your game, and multiclassing is optional anyway.

 

[Horwath]

Absolutely.

Fear of flying is the ultimate in white room thinking.

The flier apparently doesn't care about the rest of the party, never goes indoors or near trees, and enemies never master rock throwing technology. If a flier is ruining your encounters, you ruined your encounter long before they showed up.

I agree with encounters, every enemy that is somewhat intelligent should have a good ranged option in it's arsenal.

but flying can and does invalidate lot's of environmental challenges.

difficult terrain? negated
obstacle to climb? negated
trigger traps? negated
travel at max speed in most direct way? Yes.

permanent flight might be good as 10/11th level class/sub-class feature or 5th level spell that lasts 24hrs and uses concentration.
at that level,characters should stop worrying about mundane obstacles.

 

[Horwath]

That would be great for multi-class dipping! Free weapons/armor prof, healing, divine magic and channel divinity for a 1 level dip? Sign me up!

Maybe I would move channel divinity to 2nd level if 1st level is too powerful.

But, I would always place proficiencies(weapons, armor, skills) at 1st level, being from class or sub-class and bonus spells prepared.

so,
1st level cleric:
Spellcasting, Holy order, subclass(spells prepared plus disciple of life)

2nd level:
channel divinity(options from class and subclass)

3rd level:
you get 2nd level spells


similar can be done to all subclasses:

Rogue; Scout

1st level: Nature and Survival proficiency
2nd level: Nature and Survival expertise
3rd level: reaction movement