D&D 5E Predictions and speculations for near future UA content

[Pauln6]

I'd like to see some more shadow magic options early on for once rather than a few months before they're ready to release 6th edition.

 

[Ketser]

So i though about making a topic about "themes" in the first four class articles, but then i remembered that i already made this topic.

First of all i don't think that subclasses are entirely built around needs for certain themes, as some people are predicting. At least not in the sense of every class getting something based on fey or death. Giving something fey related to bards and druids made sense, as spirit related stuff for barbarians and druids. Rather i think they are Cleric is perhaps the best example of new subclasses that were class expansions into concepts that the core domains didn't cover. Same with barbarian. The only one that seems to be popping up more than others is the shadowdeath theme, but its less about shadow and death and more about the need to give some classes access to some darker or anti-hero types (cleric is a sort of inversion with the grave domain actually).

Still there are themes that might be visited again under some classes, but where they will make some sense.

Death: I'm looking at this and shadow theme separately, because i dont think they will be always necessarily connected (although they can be). Not sure what else we might see under it. Most classes that should have it, already have. Sorcerer? More anti-undead Ranger?

Divine: Maybe some class gets a divine related option, not sure which. I don't think that it will be a 1/3 divine casting option for fighters.

Elemental: It can be argued that the storm barbarian is an elemental option. Other than that we haven't seen any other unless you consider forge domain one (and it can be certainly used as a fire or metal domain). I think we might see an additional elemental option for sorcerers (similar to stormborn) and warlocks (hopefully sha'ir or genie pact). An elementalist or wu jen option for wizards could be nice, but i'm feeling doubtful. I could also see an optional or revisited version of the way of four elements for the monks.

Fey: Ranger and Sorcerer are the only classes i see getting fey related subclasses. Others mot so much. Maybe a fey scholar or witch subclass for wizards.

Shadow: A "way of shadows" option for rogue, maybe a new version of the shadow sorcerer, maybe something for warlocks or wizards .

Spirit: I think we have seen all of the spirit theme. Maybe we get a option for monks, perhaps a "Tatooed monk" who channels animal spirits. Nature connection and primal theses give some possibility to ranger, but i feel doubtful.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

So i though about making a topic about "themes" in the first four class articles, but then i remembered that i already made this topic.

First of all i don't think that subclasses are entirely built around needs for certain themes, as some people are predicting. At least not in the sense of every class getting something based on fey or death. Giving something fey related to bards and druids made sense, as spirit related stuff for barbarians and druids. Rather i think they are Cleric is perhaps the best example of new subclasses that were class expansions into concepts that the core domains didn't cover. Same with barbarian. The only one that seems to be popping up more than others is the shadowdeath theme, but its less about shadow and death and more about the need to give some classes access to some darker or anti-hero types (cleric is a sort of inversion with the grave domain actually).

Still there are themes that might be visited again under some classes, but where they will make some sense.

Death: I'm looking at this and shadow theme separately, because i dont think they will be always necessarily connected (although they can be). Not sure what else we might see under it. Most classes that should have it, already have. Sorcerer? More anti-undead Ranger?

Divine: Maybe some class gets a divine related option, not sure which. I don't think that it will be a 1/3 divine casting option for fighters.

Elemental: It can be argued that the storm barbarian is an elemental option. Other than that we haven't seen any other unless you consider forge domain one (and it can be certainly used as a fire or metal domain). I think we might see an additional elemental option for sorcerers (similar to stormborn) and warlocks (hopefully sha'ir or genie pact). An elementalist or wu jen option for wizards could be nice, but i'm feeling doubtful. I could also see an optional or revisited version of the way of four elements for the monks.

Fey: Ranger and Sorcerer are the only classes i see getting fey related subclasses. Others mot so much. Maybe a fey scholar or witch subclass for wizards.

Shadow: A "way of shadows" option for rogue, maybe a new version of the shadow sorcerer, maybe something for warlocks or wizards .

Spirit: I think we have seen all of the spirit theme. Maybe we get a option for monks, perhaps a "Tatooed monk" who channels animal spirits. Nature connection and primal theses give some possibility to ranger, but i feel doubtful.

I think it is a mistake to separate ancestor spirits and death, because ancestors spirits are by definition Dead. So the Dead theme has shown up in 3 of 4 weekly UA's, with one (the barbarian) being good with the dead running around and giving them a hand, and 2 being opposed to the dead running around. I could see an oath of the ancestors paladin and a more necromancer-y sorcerer (and maybe a more overtly necromancer-y warlock patron then the Undying Ones). It doesn't really fit FR for "someone is messing with the ancestor spirits, let's go to the Shadowfell", but that would be a cool AP (likely around when the big book of crunch comes out so as to have some distance from CoS).

 

[Ketser]

At some level i agree with the assesment about the conenction between ancestor spirits and death theme, but on the other hands such entities are often treated as ascended above their status as souls of the dead.

In D&D sense is hard to speak about them as being death oriented, because everything death oriented/themed in D&D is usually one feet into necromantic stuff and undead, either using them or acting against them. Ancestor spirits really doesn't fit into the standard D&D form. Perhaps the best terminology would be "really minor deities" or a minor deity, but as consisting of group of entities instead of one.

I would actually really like 5e to expand on the spirit theme and ideas, both ancestral spirits and spirits of nature/primal forces.

In the same way the could get a bit more away of necromancy being always evil or questionable and perhaps find a way to bring in spirits of dead type concepts that wouldn't be necessarily undead.