Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
I should note: we know the names of the classes that will appear in Level Up's upcoming Voidrunner's Codex, but don't have full details yet.
D&D General What Classes Would You Add to D&D?
Hmmmm....<cracks knucles>.....<cracks neck>.... <furrows brow>.... Let's do this..
Mystic Classes
1. Cleric - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of a Divine source
-- 1a-c. Inquisitor ("ranger/hunter/roguish" cleric), Templar (warrior cleric, your new Paladin), Theurgist ("Priest"/caster cleric)
2. Druid - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of a Nature (or "Primal" if you prefer) source
3. Shaman - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of the Spirit World (entreats divine, nature, and occult sources)
4. Warlock - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of an Arcane (or "Occult" if you prefer) source
-- 4a-c. "Hexblade" (warrior/weapon-using warlock), "Shadowweaver" (rogue/spy warlock), "Soulbinder" (conjurer/caster warlock)
Rogue Classes
5. Thief - skill expert of urban & dungeon settings
-- 5a-c. Acrobat (maneuverability/stunt thief), "Bravo" (assassin/fightery/"tough" thief), "Rake" (charisma/"face"/non-magic bard thief)
6. Ranger - skill expert of wilderness settings: the traditional "favored enemy" "favored terrain" monster-hunting survivalist ranger
-- 6a-c. Huntsman (animal companion ranger), Vanguard (warrior/leader ranger), Warden (nature magic/shapeshifter ranger)
7. Swashbuckler - skill expert of maritime settings: maneuverbility/stunts, fast blades, flash and flare (plus nautical pilot, expert swimmer, and marine flora/fauna/lore)
8. Occultist - skill expert of magical settings: discerning/thwarting/using magical locks/traps/items, deciphering scripts/spells, creating/generating countereffects, ritual use, arcane knowledge and magical creature lore.
-- 8a-c. Alchemist (potions/mutagens specialist occultist), Incantor (rituals/spells -arcane/divine/nature/occult specialist occultist) Mentalist (psychic/medium/spirits specialist occultist),
Warrior Classes
9. Fighter - combat expert.
-- 9a-c. Cavalier (charisma fighter w/Code of Honor), Swordmaster (dexterity fighter w/Weapon Focus), Warlord (intelligence fighter w/Stratagem)
10. Barbarian - combat expert w/ Battle Rage.
11. Dragon Knight - combat expert w/ Draconic Elan: energy resistance, damage enhancers, limited shapeshifting, eventual breath weapon.
12. Martial Adept (the class formerly known as "Monk") - combat expert w/ Technique: traditional fighting, nimble/speed, stealthy, iron will, some spirit stuff Monk.
-- 12a-c. Tiger (martial/warrior arts focused adept), Onyx (rogue/ninja focused adept), Phoenix (mystic/soul powers focused adept)
Wizard Classes
13. Mage - magic-user of Arcane power, supernatural/Occult-expert.
-- 13a-c. Battlemagus (evocation/combat caster/fightery magic mage), Illusionist (phantasmal/enchantment/deception/roguey magic mage), Warder (formerly "Abjurer," protections/healing/mysticy magic mage)
14. Psychic - supernatural(Occult) expert w/Mental Powers.
-- 14a-d. Empath (emotions/healing/mysticish psychic), Seer (clairvoyance/roguish psychic), Telepath (telepathy/magish psychic), Telekinetic (telekinesis/more martial/fightery psychic)
15. Swordmage - magic-user of Arcane power w/Combat Prowess: traditional/default spell progression w/ weapons and (limited) armor.
--15a-c. Bladecaster (a more generic/less elves-only "Bladesinger"), Green Guardian (a swordmage that uses nature/druidic magic), Psyblade (the class formerly not-so-originally-known as "Psychic Warrior," a swordmage that uses mental powers instead of spells)
16. Witch - magic-user of Arcane & Nature(Primal) power, supernatural(Occult) expert w/Dweomer Craefts
"Prestige Classes" - 5 levels (max) that deliver all the bells and whistles that make these classes a class.
Artificer - must have X levels in Wizard or Rogue class. Any alignment allowed.
Avenger - must have X levels in Warrior or Rogue class. Any alignment allowed.
Bard - must have X levels in Mystic or Rogue class. Neutral alignment required.
Necromancer - must have X levels in Mystic or Wizard class. Chaotic alignment required.
Paladin - must have X levels in Mystic or Warrior class. Lawful alignment required.
General Themes any class could take to layer on some skills/special abilities, but not enough for a class all their own, include (but not limited to): Assassin, Beastmaster, Bounty Hunter, Disciple (limited channeling), Magic Adept (limited spell use), Mercenary, Sensate (limited psychic powers), Spy, et al.
...I'd better stop before I pull something.
Artificerturn into (for lack of a better working title) "prestige class." See below.- Barbarian
Bardturn into prestige class. See below.- Cleric
- Druid
- Fighter
Monkclass rename.Paladinturn into prestige class. See below.- Ranger
Rogueclass category, not a class.Sorcerer- Warlock
- Wizard
Warlordflesh out as a solid, flavorful, Fighter sub-class.
Mystic Classes
1. Cleric - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of a Divine source
-- 1a-c. Inquisitor ("ranger/hunter/roguish" cleric), Templar (warrior cleric, your new Paladin), Theurgist ("Priest"/caster cleric)
2. Druid - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of a Nature (or "Primal" if you prefer) source
3. Shaman - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of the Spirit World (entreats divine, nature, and occult sources)
4. Warlock - advocate, guardian, champion, and channeler of an Arcane (or "Occult" if you prefer) source
-- 4a-c. "Hexblade" (warrior/weapon-using warlock), "Shadowweaver" (rogue/spy warlock), "Soulbinder" (conjurer/caster warlock)
Rogue Classes
5. Thief - skill expert of urban & dungeon settings
-- 5a-c. Acrobat (maneuverability/stunt thief), "Bravo" (assassin/fightery/"tough" thief), "Rake" (charisma/"face"/non-magic bard thief)
6. Ranger - skill expert of wilderness settings: the traditional "favored enemy" "favored terrain" monster-hunting survivalist ranger
-- 6a-c. Huntsman (animal companion ranger), Vanguard (warrior/leader ranger), Warden (nature magic/shapeshifter ranger)
7. Swashbuckler - skill expert of maritime settings: maneuverbility/stunts, fast blades, flash and flare (plus nautical pilot, expert swimmer, and marine flora/fauna/lore)
8. Occultist - skill expert of magical settings: discerning/thwarting/using magical locks/traps/items, deciphering scripts/spells, creating/generating countereffects, ritual use, arcane knowledge and magical creature lore.
-- 8a-c. Alchemist (potions/mutagens specialist occultist), Incantor (rituals/spells -arcane/divine/nature/occult specialist occultist) Mentalist (psychic/medium/spirits specialist occultist),
Warrior Classes
9. Fighter - combat expert.
-- 9a-c. Cavalier (charisma fighter w/Code of Honor), Swordmaster (dexterity fighter w/Weapon Focus), Warlord (intelligence fighter w/Stratagem)
10. Barbarian - combat expert w/ Battle Rage.
11. Dragon Knight - combat expert w/ Draconic Elan: energy resistance, damage enhancers, limited shapeshifting, eventual breath weapon.
12. Martial Adept (the class formerly known as "Monk") - combat expert w/ Technique: traditional fighting, nimble/speed, stealthy, iron will, some spirit stuff Monk.
-- 12a-c. Tiger (martial/warrior arts focused adept), Onyx (rogue/ninja focused adept), Phoenix (mystic/soul powers focused adept)
Wizard Classes
13. Mage - magic-user of Arcane power, supernatural/Occult-expert.
-- 13a-c. Battlemagus (evocation/combat caster/fightery magic mage), Illusionist (phantasmal/enchantment/deception/roguey magic mage), Warder (formerly "Abjurer," protections/healing/mysticy magic mage)
14. Psychic - supernatural(Occult) expert w/Mental Powers.
-- 14a-d. Empath (emotions/healing/mysticish psychic), Seer (clairvoyance/roguish psychic), Telepath (telepathy/magish psychic), Telekinetic (telekinesis/more martial/fightery psychic)
15. Swordmage - magic-user of Arcane power w/Combat Prowess: traditional/default spell progression w/ weapons and (limited) armor.
--15a-c. Bladecaster (a more generic/less elves-only "Bladesinger"), Green Guardian (a swordmage that uses nature/druidic magic), Psyblade (the class formerly not-so-originally-known as "Psychic Warrior," a swordmage that uses mental powers instead of spells)
16. Witch - magic-user of Arcane & Nature(Primal) power, supernatural(Occult) expert w/Dweomer Craefts
"Prestige Classes" - 5 levels (max) that deliver all the bells and whistles that make these classes a class.
Artificer - must have X levels in Wizard or Rogue class. Any alignment allowed.
Avenger - must have X levels in Warrior or Rogue class. Any alignment allowed.
Bard - must have X levels in Mystic or Rogue class. Neutral alignment required.
Necromancer - must have X levels in Mystic or Wizard class. Chaotic alignment required.
Paladin - must have X levels in Mystic or Warrior class. Lawful alignment required.
General Themes any class could take to layer on some skills/special abilities, but not enough for a class all their own, include (but not limited to): Assassin, Beastmaster, Bounty Hunter, Disciple (limited channeling), Magic Adept (limited spell use), Mercenary, Sensate (limited psychic powers), Spy, et al.
...I'd better stop before I pull something.
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Off the top of my head
- Alchemist: split off from Artificer and leaving the Artificer as the inventor/craftsman class.
- Arcane Warrior: The fighter/arcane caster hybrid class. Bladesingers, Duskblades, Eldritch Knights, Spellswords.
- Beastmaster: The Dar, Ka-Zar, Sheena, Tarzan class.
- Courtier (to borrow a class name from Fantasy Craft): non-magical social experts with status and influence including ambassadors, companions (think Inara from Firefly), courtiers, diplomats, envoys, and non-warrior nobles.
- Lancer: Cataphracts, Cavaliers, Knights, Samurai
- ?: The light/no armor warrior such as Brawlers/Pugilists, Corsairs, Duelists, Gallants, Kensei, Musketeers, Swashbucklers. Fantasy Craft calls this class the Martial Artist. The Compleat Adventurer supplement (Bard Games) for AD&D called it the Swordsman (although it did not cover the Brawler). Leave the rogue for Assassins, Charlatans/Swindlers, Thieves, and Masterminds,
- Priest/Oracle: a non-armored/non-warrior divine caster priest split off from the cleric. Otherwise, split the warrior priest off of the cleric into the War Priest or Templar.
- Psion: see Steve Kenson's Psychic/Psychic's Handbook for 3e and KibblesTasty's Psion for 5e
- Scholar: a non-magical knowledge expert class. See both Kyle Grant's and Sterling Vermin's Scholar classes for 5e.
- Shaman: see Steve Kenson's Shaman class/Shaman's Handbook for 3e and both Michael Wolf and Ross Leiser's Shaman classes for 5e.
- Warlord
- Witch: see Steve Kenson's Witch class/Witch's Handbook for 3e and both Walrock Homebrew and Mage Hand Press's Witch classes for 5e.
- maybe a Witch Hunter/ Inquisitor class
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MuhVerisimilitude
Adventurer
Very interesting. Not sure I agree about prestige classes. They always seemed like a bad idea to me. They're like a worse version of class archetypes from Pathfinder 1e.
Can't think of many classes I'd straight-up add to the roster-- basically just an INT-based, non-divine magical healer-- but I'd expand the roster by splitting existing classes and by recombining some. Kinda like I'm already doing for my Spelljammer game.
Fighter would break down into whole class knights, swashbucklers, gunslingers, archers, with their own subclasses. Rogue thieves and rogue ninjas would be different classes. Circle of the Moon Druids would be a half-caster martial class. The Wizard/Sorcerer/Warlock would be replaced with an arcanist (divination/abjuration/transmutation with a healing subclass), elementalist, an evocation/necromancy/enchantment black mage, and a feral kinda anti-bard. Hexblade would be its own thing, sort of in the liminal space between 5e hexblade, 3.5 hexblade, PF1 magus and DSP malefex.
Fighter would break down into whole class knights, swashbucklers, gunslingers, archers, with their own subclasses. Rogue thieves and rogue ninjas would be different classes. Circle of the Moon Druids would be a half-caster martial class. The Wizard/Sorcerer/Warlock would be replaced with an arcanist (divination/abjuration/transmutation with a healing subclass), elementalist, an evocation/necromancy/enchantment black mage, and a feral kinda anti-bard. Hexblade would be its own thing, sort of in the liminal space between 5e hexblade, 3.5 hexblade, PF1 magus and DSP malefex.
CreamCloud0
One day, I hope to actually play DnD.
personally the concept of prestige classes does appeal to me, especially in the context of 5e where after your picking your original subclass there's often not a ton of meaningful options to customise your character further beyond feats or multiclassing, but i definitely wouldn't do them the way MuhVerisimilitude is proposing them here
Scott Christian
Hero
The cook. All sorts of edibles that do neat tricks.
LuisCarlos17f
Legend
I said it several times in the past and I will say again here. The keys to design a new class are:
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Because of manganime Fullmetal alchemist I imagine the achemist like an incarnum version of the artificer.
Pathfinder has showed knight can be a class with different subclasses based in orders. I imagine knight like a fighter who has inherited some special item, maybe a magic weapon or armour.
I imagine the remake of the warmage like an arcane ranged-attack version of the martial adepts. They could wear light armour, and they would need a concentration check to reload the arcane maneuvers, or to reload special crossbows with a magitek motor.
Other idea I like is something like the D&D version of the biohacker from Starfinder, or the evolutionist.
The harupex would be like the living equivalent to necromancer, about "biotech", the lifeshifters from Dark Sun. Auspice would be like the urban cousin of the druid.
- right power balance, of course.
- fun gameplay. The martial adepts were an interesting idea, but the combat was slower when players started to use maneuvers. The psionic wilder had got psyhic enervation, something like betting psionic power points. I would rather if you failed, then you would be dazed for a turn.
- interesting concepts. Here the failure of the incarnate and the soulborn from Magic of Incarnum, what were variant of paladins.
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Because of manganime Fullmetal alchemist I imagine the achemist like an incarnum version of the artificer.
Pathfinder has showed knight can be a class with different subclasses based in orders. I imagine knight like a fighter who has inherited some special item, maybe a magic weapon or armour.
I imagine the remake of the warmage like an arcane ranged-attack version of the martial adepts. They could wear light armour, and they would need a concentration check to reload the arcane maneuvers, or to reload special crossbows with a magitek motor.
Other idea I like is something like the D&D version of the biohacker from Starfinder, or the evolutionist.
The harupex would be like the living equivalent to necromancer, about "biotech", the lifeshifters from Dark Sun. Auspice would be like the urban cousin of the druid.
roger semerad
Explorer
D&D Class Test For anyone who is curious about which class might be the best for them.
Here are my test results:
Barbarian 55%
Bard 35%
Cleric 25%
Druid 35%
Fighter 25%
Monk 65%
Paladin 45%
Ranger 45%
Rogue 55%
Sorcerer 35%
Warlock 55%
Wizard 55%
The Monk was a complete surprise. I didn't know I was living monastically.
you may need to spin this off to another thread, it's too much fun. Here's my results.
I answered the questions as truthfully as I could. I'm highly intellegent, poorly social, a bit of an outcast, highly independent, and strongly value knowledge. I was expecting to be like 110% wizard, but nope. I'm apparently full Paladin. Nailing Paladin that hard at first confused me, but then I remembered that 5th Paladins didn't have to be divinely focused. A freedom fighter type Paladin actually would describe my perfect self pretty well. Highly motivated by my own moral compass, trying to help those that I saw as being taken advantage of, perfectly confortable working on the fringes of society.
