D&D 5E Should 5e have more classes (Poll and Discussion)?

[jmartkdr2]

I fully agree. And know you know I feel about most of your class ideas.

But ultimately in a world where paladins exist as a separate class, one battlemage class is not an utterly terrible idea. However, that would definitely require deleting Eldritch Knight, because this would pretty much be the Eldritch Knight the except as a full class. It is also thematically super similar to the Hexblade, though Hexblade is only an awkward attempt to patch the blade pact.

If we're deleting EK, we might as well delete several other attempted gish subclasses (hexblade, sword bard, bladesinger, arguably spore druid) and make them Gish (whatever it ends up being named) subclasses. Hexblade is a good example of how it should work, I would say - just make it easier to remove the dark-magic flavor and drop in whatever other kind of magic.

And make "casting mod to weapon attacks" a level-three ability at minimum. Just to keep multiclassing nonsense down.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I'm calling science fiction not magic. I am fine with a class who can harness low powered science fiction.

One, I'm not even saying the use of electricity is widespread. It took a while for electricity to be accepted and this in modern eras. Imagine how the dumb hicks and suspicious nobles of typical D&D settings would treat electricity. Especially if proper safety measures were not discovered. Half treated like people treated open warlocks.

Two, of course it would have repeatable effects. So does arcane magic. And there is only 1 popular D&D setting that make arcane magic widespread. Professor Plum discovering electricity isn't going to have ever street lit up by lightbulbs in a decade. D&D already has light spells.

Three, D&D already has arcane and divine magic competing with mundane technology. And it is still medieval based. I doubt adding flashlights, roids, and Frankenstien's monsters is going to kick out the mages who litterally laugh at conservation of energy.

Yeah, I don't think what you envision fits in typical D&D settings at all. D&D version of this concept is the artificer, it is a magitech user because D&D is a fantasy setting, not a science fiction one.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

If rangers don't get heavy armor at base, I don't think the arcane gish should get heavy armor at base.

To me, the heavy armor gish costs a pair of feats or subclass. You must earn the right to no be Dexterity's lapdog, mage.

You kiss her feet or pay her off like the rogue.

(fixed gish for you)

I disagree. You can choose to be Dex based and go light armor or strength based and go heavy armor, like a paladin. That's what I'm currently designing it around.

 

[Minigiant]

Yeah, I don't think what you envision fits in typical D&D settings at all. D&D version of this concept is the artificer, it is a magitech user because D&D is a fantasy setting, not a science fiction one.

I dunno. The game has 9 spellcasting classes in it with the remaining 4 all getting spells as an option via subclasses.
A guy with a taser, Art of War, a few doses of uppers, and alaw degree isn't going to change much.

(fixed gish for you)

I disagree. You can choose to be Dex based and go light armor or strength based and go heavy armor, like a paladin. That's what I'm currently designing it around.

Autocorrect will never accept the word gish.

It's a purely a personal design decision.
I like the tradition of the arcanists not getting armor above light as default and them using racle, subclass, feats, and magic items to overcome these.
Plus heavy armor is half the duskblade's gimmick. It wore heavier armor and applied touch spells with its sword.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I dunno. The game has 9 spellcasting classes in it with the remaining 4 all getting spells as an option via subclasses.
A guy with a taser, Art of War, a few doses of uppers, and alaw degree isn't going to change much.

I totally get the desire for more non-magical classes, but a guy with a taser is not something that a fantasy game needs.

It's a purely a personal design decision.
I like the tradition of the arcanists not getting armor above light as default and them using racle, subclass, feats, and magic items to overcome these.
Plus heavy armor is half the duskblade's gimmick. It wore heavier armor and applied touch spells with its sword.

I wouldn't give a battle-mage an armour proficiency at all. They could have cool magical warding tattoos instead.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It's a purely a personal design decision.
I like the tradition of the arcanists not getting armor above light as default and them using race, subclass, feats, and magic items to overcome these.
Plus heavy armor is half the duskblade's gimmick. It wore heavier armor and applied touch spells with its sword.

Yeah, just a design preference. I envision it as an arcane knight who can master any type of armor, as well as any type of melee weapon. I've purposefully made the class be an open concept, not focused on Dex or Strength. I personally think a plate-armored, maul-wielding, fireball-striking gish should be as viable a character in this class as a studded leather-wearing, dual-scimitar bladed, dexterous swordmage type.

I don't know what Duskblades or Swordmages did, and may take some inspiration from them, but that's not really the purpose of the class I'm making.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I envision it as an arcane knight who can master any type of armor, as well as any type of melee weapon.

But totally not the same concept than the Eldritch Knight!

 

[Minigiant]

I totally get the desire for more non-magical classes, but a guy with a taser is not something that a fantasy game needs.

All fantasy games need is something not real.
D&D can benefit from having defined rules for lore as an option.
D&D can benefit from having taser, stimulants, and abominations as options.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

But totally not the same concept than the Eldritch Knight!

At eldritch knight is a fighter that can cast some spells. A bladesinger is a wizard that can do some fighting. This Gish is someone combining both aspects, mostly in equal terms.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

This isn't really on the topic of more classes, but I think Fighter is a dumb name. It should just be changed to the Warrior.
(At least it's not Fighting Person, though.)