D&D 5E What Classes do you really want to see in D&D Next?

In the case of the Warlord, I can get behind the notion of a tactical, strategic leader type, but i don't like how it's name denotes Rank rather than Class. I'd actually like to see it called 'Noble' or some such. In fact, if it is modeled after a Machiavellian Prince then I'd quite like to play one.
Noble and Prince also denote social rank and leadership, and in a broader context, less evocative of the warlord's martial concept.
 

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Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator
Staff member
Most of the words associated with martial leadership also denote some kind of status, earned or by birthright. Perhaps the "Warlord" should be a build type...maybe Feat based and open to anyone who meets the prereqs.
 

Hussar

Legend
Most of the words associated with martial leadership also denote some kind of status, earned or by birthright. Perhaps the "Warlord" should be a build type...maybe Feat based and open to anyone who meets the prereqs.

Honestly, I think this is the best way to go. Make it a specialization or a background (probably background from my limited understanding of Next) that can be applied to any class.

So long as I can make a character that is mechanically supported when trying to organize the party tactics, I'm pretty content. It doesn't HAVE to be a specific class, although I do think there's enough room there to do so. The Combat Superiority dice pool for fighters I think has the right design space for making a warlord.

I mean, it's not too much of a stretch to think that a Warlord background gives you access to things like, "Spend one die, grant an ally a single attack that does your die in damage". So, I can forgo my attack to let someone else take a swipe, but, without their damage bonuses - just like the Jab (?) effect that we already have. Add in some stuff about blocking damage and maybe some movement effects and we're pretty much good to go.
 

Texicles

First Post
I'll toss in my support for the Druid class. I know 4e doesn't get a lot of love around these parts and that's fine, but I think that the 4e druid was pretty well executed, especially with regards to Wild Shape. Sure there were some exploits with feats and equipment that could get a little ridiculous, but things were (generally) balanced, (imo) compelling, and far from the state of things in 3.5. Thing is... it kinda took the AEDU system to make it happen. I've just never been in love with pre-4e rules around Wild Shape and inheriting animal attacks and the 4e toolkit made things fun (for me).

Summoning can also definitely be tedious, and I wouldn't be upset to see the extent of summoning be reasonably curtailed for all classes.

If 5e Druids can cast spells like 2e and melee like 4e, or at least do so the way I want them to when I play, while doing whatever others want them to elsewhere, I'd be pretty satisfied with that.
 

Noble and Prince also denote social rank and leadership, and in a broader context, less evocative of the warlord's martial concept.

'Noble' denotes social class as opposed to rank, which is halfway towards being a 'Class' in the first place.

And I'm actually considering that the Class has broader application than just a martial concept - literally being a 'professional' strategist as such - with the concept being linked to Machiavelli as much as Sun Tzu .
 


'Noble' denotes social class as opposed to rank, which is halfway towards being a 'Class' in the first place.
A social class seems much closer to a Background, given what we've seen of the 5e paradigm, than it would be to a PC class.

And I'm actually considering that the Class has broader application than just a martial concept - literally being a 'professional' strategist as such - with the concept being linked to Machiavelli as much as Sun Tzu.
So, they're in the nice white tent, on the top of the hill, sipping Sancerre and directing the battle?
 

A social class seems much closer to a Background, given what we've seen of the 5e paradigm, than it would be to a PC class.
Admittedly, this could be the case.

So, they're in the nice white tent, on the top of the hill, sipping Sancerre and directing the battle?
....or engaging in courtroom politics and power plays, or strategising on the next great campaign...

I mean, we have seen a 'Noble' style Class used in D20 games before - Dragonlance and Star wars.
 

Blackwarder

Adventurer
For the last time, barbarian is a background, berserker is a speciality, none of them should be a class.

Want to play the classic 3e and 4e barbarian? Take a fighter with a barbarian background and berserker speciality, want to play a noble elf bard who been cursed? Elven berserker noble bard is a viable option.

Same goes for the warlord, just take a leader speciality.

Warder
 


Blackwarder

Adventurer
Or a Barbarian or Samurai.

Or a fire Mage class and a frost Mage class, or an archer class, or even a knight class, you know, with a horse.

And let's not forget the great baker class for the times we all want to flesh out our characters personal story, although a brick layer class is a bit too much, you have to lay your foot down somewhere and having a brick layer class is absolutely rediciluse... ;)

Warder
 

Stacie GmrGrl

Adventurer
For the last time, barbarian is a background, berserker is a speciality, none of them should be a class.

Want to play the classic 3e and 4e barbarian? Take a fighter with a barbarian background and berserker speciality, want to play a noble elf bard who been cursed? Elven berserker noble bard is a viable option.

Same goes for the warlord, just take a leader speciality.

Warder

Ditto. Agreed on all points..

The Barbarian could be renamed Battlerager as a class... it would make sense.

But, anything that could be seen as either a Feat tree/Fighting Style system should be a part of the Fighter class.

----- (separate minor rant)
I wish WotC looked at FantasyCraft for ideas and inspiration. Instead of having 8 different magic using classes they have one, maybe two. The other 10 classes fill non-magical Archetypes but many are non-combat focused... the Courtier,Burglar, Explorer, Sage, and Keeper classes are amazing because of this. Instead of making every combat focused, they put many of the awesome combat stuff into Feat Trees.

and FC doesn't have the problem of Linear Fighters/Quadratic Wizards. They are all fairly well balanced, without trying to be balanced. It's awesome.

If WotC got the people over at Crafty to get on this and help we would see a truly amazing game.
 

I mean, we have seen a 'Noble' style Class used in D20 games before - Dragonlance and Star wars.
And the 3e 'Aristocrat' NPC class.

Noble is a background. For one thing, literally, for another, it's independent of class: you could be a noble who wears heavy armor and goes jousting, a noble who joins the clergy and smites the foes of god & mankind, a noble who dabbles in the arcane arts, even a noble who goes to all the best parties and steals jewels.
 

Hussar

Legend
I think you can get away with something like a "noble" or "barbarian" or "samurai" class in specific settings far better than in core books. In a specific setting, like Dragonlance or Kara Tur, these classes have a place and an actual function within that setting.

Outside of specific settings though, I think these kinds of classes are far better as backgrounds - something that you can certainly have in the game, but not quite so centrally defining and so broadly setting changing. In Dragonlance, I have the specific information in order to make a Noble class and know exactly what that means. In Generic Fantasy Setting #28 , a Noble class dumps a butt load of work onto the DM. Great if he wants to do it, but, still a PITA.
 

Mishihari Lord

First Post
For the core I'd like so see

Fighter
Magic-User
Cleric
Thief
Paladin
Ranger
Illusionist
Bard
Warlord

So yeah, I'm a traditionalist. With the exception of the warlord of course - I love the idea even if I don't care for 4E's implementation.

I'd also like the priest to be primarily a caster, or maybe a caster/social class with the paladin taking up the combat side of the cleric, but there's not much chance of that.
 

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