D&D 5E What is your least favorite class in 5E?

[pukunui]

It's hard for me to choose. Ultimately I went with druid for two reasons:

1) I don't like the way wild shape works
2) I don't like the fact that so many druid spells require concentration


Artificer would probably come in second for me -- a cool concept that just doesn't quite work out that well in execution, particularly if you're not fond of pets (which I'm not).

Warlock might come in third. I love the class conceptually, but its efficacy is hugely dependent on how many short rests the DM lets you have and the invocations are too split between "must have" and "not worth having".

 

[Ashrym]

To anyone who has issues with the setting for monks...

Boxing existed as one of the first martial arts from over 3000 BCE and is typical in MMA today.

Pankration was created over 4000 years ago. It is attributed to Theseus and Greek in nature. Greek mythology stressed superhuman an supernatural abilities in it's heroes.

The roots of parkour stem from a martial art developed prior to WWII based on the observations of a French naval officer observing African tribes and his position was strengthening the body, the energy, and the morality of the practitioners. The origins of parkour (African and European) fit the monk extremely well.

The class was based on a fictional Korean martial art using Remo Williams from The Destroyer so there was clearly some pop-culture reference but that doesn't mean the class doesn't apply to a typical European setting, especially in a fictional world anyway. I would point to Western martial arts and parkour as the basis here.

 

[Greg K]

To anyone who has issues with the setting for monks...

Boxing existed as one of the first martial arts from over 3000 BCE and is typical in MMA today.

Pankration was created over 4000 years ago. It is attributed to Theseus and Greek in nature. Greek mythology stressed superhuman an supernatural abilities in it's heroes.

The roots of parkour stem from a martial art developed prior to WWII based on the observations of a French naval officer observing African tribes and his position was strengthening the body, the energy, and the morality of the practitioners. The origins of parkour (African and European) fit the monk extremely well.

The class was based on a fictional Korean martial art using Remo Williams from The Destroyer so there was clearly some pop-culture reference but that doesn't mean the class doesn't apply to a typical European setting, especially in a fictional world anyway. I would point to Western martial arts and parkour as the basis here.

It is not that martial artists do not belong. It is that the Monk is terrible at replicating martial artists and styles (including the associated supernatural abilities) from most cultures- including both many East Asian styles and Western styles such as Pankration.

 

[Minigiant]

Okay, so the monk class, as written, doesn't do that, because martial arts = ki. You can only have divine ki, which works exactly like regular ki except it's yellow, and does not resemble other divine magic.

(And ki = martial arts, which is a whole other problem.)

Ki in 5e is just flowing life energy. The Monk's problem isn't Ki per se. The Martial arts = Ki wasn't the problem either. That is just flavor and fixed if the base wasn't so hardcoded.

The Monk's problem was that the WOTC designers based the the class off of the paytest but only offered one type of monk image: the old busted one. Then they tried to simplify it for new players

So there was no path to expand it as the only options for it was old bad ideas based on the skeleton for a single viewpoint and then dumbed down.
This is why when they attempted to expand on the monk with the ATLA-like Way of the 4 Elements, Street Fighter like Way ofte Sun Soul, and the Kensei, it was unfulfilling to many. 5e still was selling Caine from Kung Fu and Remo Williams and trying to paint new ideas on it just like 3e, 2e, and the rest did.

 

[Ashrym]

Ki in 5e is just flowing life energy. The Monk's problem isn't Ki per se. The Martial arts = Ki wasn't the problem either. That is just flavor and fixed if the base wasn't so hardcoded.

The Monk's problem was that the WOTC designers based the the class off of the paytest but only offered one type of monk image: the old busted one. Then they tried to simplify it for new players

So there was no path to expand it as the only options for it was old bad ideas based on the skeleton for a single viewpoint and then dumbed down.
This is why when they attempted to expand on the monk with the ATLA-like Way of the 4 Elements, Street Fighter like Way ofte Sun Soul, and the Kensei, it was unfulfilling to many. 5e still was selling Caine from Kung Fu and Remo Williams and trying to paint new ideas on it just like 3e, 2e, and the rest did.

I don't disagree that the class is very hard-coded to a specific model. Monks definitely continue to stress Remo Williams and Caine. Flavor can be reflavored. The western versus eastern argument for setting is what I don't see as a strong argument against the class.

Subclasses can help but I would hope to see a list of alternative abilities for given abilities at specific levels because I think it's possible to do a lot with that on a monk along those lines and it's those mechanics that could use some leeway.

 

[Ashrym]

It is not that martial artists do not belong. It is that the Monk is terrible at replicating martial artists and styles (including the associated supernatural abilities) from most cultures- including both many East Asian styles and Western styles such as Pankration.

Yes. Some of that can be worked on in subclasses, but I think a list of alternative abilities at given levels would do wonders for the class.

 

[Ancalagon]

Favourite class not in 5e, which I grumble about not being in 5e endlessly, is the swordmage. Teleporting round the battlefield while wreathing your sword in flame, encasing it in ice, or setting it crackling with lightning was a level of awesome which 5e just doesn't come close to.

What edition was that?

I'm playing a "sword sage" - a psi warrior fighter with the sage background

 

[ECMO3]

I love rangers, although I do take spells that readily lend themselves to the non-magical, nature-guy trope.

Since TCE I love Rangers too, although I lean the other way - I tend to take the magic-like spells and more magicish subclasses and pick up feats for even more magic.

Fey Wanderer with Shadow Touched feat, cause fear and druid warrior fighting style is freaking awesome!

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Since TCE I love Rangers too, although I lean the other way - I tend to take the magic-like spells and more magicish subclasses and pick up feats for even more magic.

Fey Wanderer with Shadow Touched feat, cause fear and druid warrior fighting style is freaking awesome!

I am happy for you. Are you happy for me?

 

[ECMO3]

I am happy for you. Are you happy for me?

Sure .... hence the smile ......

Having fun is the most important part and 5E made it pretty easy to do, even with the "bad" classes.