D&D (2024) Unearthed Arcana Playtest Packet 7 Live on D&D Beyond

Wizards of the Coast posted the seventh playtest packet for the 2024 update to Dungeons & Dragons. The new playtest packet includes updated class material for the Barbarian, Fighter, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard classes.

Highlights for each class:

Barbarian

• New Path of the World Tree subclass and updated Berserker, Wild Heart (formerly Totem Warrior), and Zealot subclasses.
• Attack recklessly for a full round rather than just one turn.
• Path of the Wild Heart (formerly Path of the Totem Warrior) has updated options.
• Brutal Critical gets damage buffs.

Fighter

• New Brawler subclass excels at using improvised weapons and unarmed strikes.
• Tactical Mind and Tactical Shift expand the use of Second Wind.
• Studied Attacks grants advantage on an attack roll against an enemy after you've missed an attack against them.
• Battle Master and its maneuvers have been updated.

Sorcerer

• Innate Sorcery empowers your spellcasting for a limited time.
• Sorcery Incarnate and Arcane Apotheosis boost your Metamagic while Innate Sorcery is active.
• Sorcerous Restoration is available at 5th level and scales with your sorcerer level.
• Wild Magic Sorcery now more reliably allows you to roll on the Wild Magic Surge table.

Warlock

• Pact Magic is back.
• Eldritch Invocations are now available at 1st level and your options have been revised.
• Pact Boons are now invocations, and Mystic Arcanum is once again a class feature.
• Patron Spells are always prepared.
• Updated Archfey Patron, Celestial Patron, Fiend Patron, Great Old One Patron subclasses.

Wizard

• Spellcasting feature now allows you to swap out a cantrip each long rest.
• Memorize Spell is now a feature. Modify Spell and Create spell have been nixed.
• Updated Abjurer, Diviner, Evoker, and Illusionist subclasses.

Universal changes include a return to class spell lists, more features from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and update to some of the spells including arcane eruption, sorcerous burst, counterspell, and jump.

The official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube account also posted an almost 90-minute-long video doing a deep dive on the playtest packet.

 

[Charlaquin]

So it has been mentioned that the Heavy property for weapons has been changed to requiring a 13 strength.

With this, it's now a requirement to have a 13 strength to not gain disadvantage on both Heavy Crossbows and Longbows as well. An interesting thing to consider for some ranged builds.

I like it! Opens up the option for small strength-based characters to use actual 2-handed weapons, and gives medium Dex-based characters a reason to consider shortbows and light crossbows.

 

[Simpletense]

So it has been mentioned that the Heavy property for weapons has been changed to requiring a 13 strength.

With this, it's now a requirement to have a 13 strength to not gain disadvantage on both Heavy Crossbows and Longbows as well. An interesting thing to consider for some ranged builds.

Not quite, heavy melee weapons require 13 Str, heavy ranged weapons require 13 Dex

"You have Disadvantage on your attack rolls with a Heavy weapon if it’s a melee weapon and your Strength score isn’t at least 13 and if it’s a ranged weapon and your Dexterity score isn’t at least 13."

 

[Charlaquin]

Not quite, heavy melee weapons require 13 Str, heavy ranged weapons require 13 Dex

"You have Disadvantage on your attack rolls with a Heavy weapon if it’s a melee weapon and your Strength score isn’t at least 13 and if it’s a ranged weapon and your Dexterity score isn’t at least 13."

Oh, right… Damn, I really liked the idea of a Strength prereq for heavy ranged weapons

 

[Vincent55]

A monk is a mystic fighter much like a paladin is to fighter, and really doesn't need to be its class, and could just be a path under fighter, paladin and even priest with armor and weapon restrictions. I do feel a great many of the classes are just overdone and could be sub-classes or arch types under others, ranger being another and druid under priest. With druid are able to follow different orders like a priest following different gods and gaining other abilities. But honestly, there are really only 3 real classes you have a warrior, a caster, and an expert, but as they say more books and more classes sells.

 

[Xohar17]

A monk is a mystic fighter much like a paladin is to fighter, and really doesn't need to be its class, and could just be a path under fighter, paladin and even priest with armor and weapon restrictions. I do feel a great many of the classes are just overdone and could be sub-classes or arch types under others, ranger being another and druid under priest. With druid are able to follow different orders like a priest following different gods and gaining other abilities. But honestly, there are really only 3 real classes you have a warrior, a caster, and an expert, but as they say more books and more classes sells.

Completely disagree in almost everything you said, except the part about more classes selling more, because people seem to like having more options.

 

[Nikosandros]

Oh, right… Damn, I really liked the idea of a Strength prereq for heavy ranged weapons

Yes, I'm tempted to put it in.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Not quite, heavy melee weapons require 13 Str, heavy ranged weapons require 13 Dex

"You have Disadvantage on your attack rolls with a Heavy weapon if it’s a melee weapon and your Strength score isn’t at least 13 and if it’s a ranged weapon and your Dexterity score isn’t at least 13."

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever read - not your fault but WotC's - the absolute purified brain-damage of the idea that a heavy crossbow requires exceptional dexterity to use is MADDENING.

Good god. I seriously lost braincells reading that and I've got few enough already. That's the worst of kind of idiot symmetry.

 

[Weiley31]

Hiding still makes you physically transparent. sigh

It's how the game engine renders it in the graphics.

 

[sevenbastard]

Wizard

• Spellcasting feature now allows you to swap out a cantrip each long rest.

Booo. So every wizard knows every Cantrip?

I already don't love how utility cantrips like Move Earth or Mending render normal tradesmen irrelevant but at least you had to pick them and replace a combat cantrip. Now you can just swap to them on days you are not adventuring and bankrupt the local Gravedigger union and Tailors Guild by doing three weeks worth of work in an hour.

 

[Weiley31]

Booo. So every wizard knows every Cantrip?

I already don't love how utility cantrips like Move Earth or Mending render normal tradesmen irrelevant but at least you had to pick them and replace a combat cantrip. Now you can just swap to them on days you are not adventuring and bankrupt the local Gravedigger union and Tailors Guild by doing three weeks worth of work in an hour.

Cantrips, technically, are supposed to be the "My first magic spell!" that your Wizard practiced and learned during Wizard School at Pogsquarts. So, it somewhat does fit in the fiction that a magic user would know how to do the most basic of spells.