D&D 5E (2014) What new classes do you think we need?

[Stacie GmrGrl]

A real Crafting type of class... With real crafting rules. An Engineer. Could be mixed with a Runesmith type of class.

A Psion for sure.

A Courtier, socially focused class.

 

[Corwin]

I'll know it when I see it.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Except you asked for 'a movie, book, etc.'

With the exception of the 4e Shaman influences, all of those draw from outside media, which is what you were asking for.

You didn't ask for a character, you asked for an "archetype, character, etc." I provided archetypes.

It wasn't me, it was Blue.

We parsed the question differently. I read it as "(archetype | character) from (book | movie)" and I think you read it as "archetype | (character from (book | movie))".

 

[Guest 6801328]

When asked what could be a ''needed'' new class, I challenge myself to find 3 archetypes to go in that class concept. Most of the time I cant, telling me that this concept would be better implemented in an archetype. For example, the witch-doctor thing if better suited for a new ''spirit world'' patron mixing druid spell and necromancy. Unless you prefer the Diablo version with his flask of critters, enchanted mask and totem, then it would make for a great artificer subclasse.

My archetypes/concepts for that class would be:
- Native American Shaman
- Voodoo Priest (movie version, not real version)
- African Witch Doctor (again, the politically incorrect movie version)
- Fairy Tale Witch

 

[Yunru]

It wasn't me, it was Blue.

We parsed the question differently. I read it as "(archetype | character) from (book | movie)" and I think you read it as "archetype | (character from (book | movie))".

Ah my bad, everyone looks alike on this app.

Death Gate Cycle is a series of books by the way.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

There's already far too much overlap between existing classes. We don't need a druid while the nature cleric exists. We don't need a paladin while the war priest exists. We don't need a sorcerer while the wizard exists.

Until they clean up the existing conflicts, it would be entirely fair to create a knight or samurai class alongside the fighter and paladin, or a healer class alongside the life cleric.

 

[Blue]

The lone scholar who spends days carving runes into items to give them mystical properties.

The mystic who communes and invokes various spirits to grant boons or inflicts curses.

Okay, first sounds like a reskin of the wizard. He takes time to prepare his "runes" so that he may trigger them during the day. Or were you envisioning someone who can hand them out, or put them on someone else's weapon and enchant it? That might be the new Artificer, with their Infuse feature. And pulling forth from the alchemists bag could easily be skinned to pulling out runes you had prepared.

I'm not saying that either are your vision - just that both could fit the short description, especially when viewed through the lens that 5e's longest resource economy is daily, so carving needs to be done on that scale or shorter in order to fit the game.

The second ... well, boons and curses are something that 5e intentionally cuts down on a LOT from previous editions witht he concentration mechanic, so I don't think this is the right game to model that as a playable class.

(We tried moving over a 4e game where I was playing a paragon level runepriest who was used to throwing a long-lasting buff or debuff, usually multi-targetted, throwing a heal that came with various buffs, and having an aura that gave buffs. And that was just one round. 5e was not the right system to try to mechanically replicate that character.)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

A full-on 4e Warlord wouldn't fit in 5e's system. You certainly can't have it enabling the ton of free attacks in 5e that it did in 4e. They just need a more action economy-friendly maneuver than Commander's Strike for the Battle Master, and a better designed leader sub-class for the Fighter than the very flawed PDK.

A 5e warlord needs:

*to be able to trade its action to give an action, no extra strings or restrictions. Just a 1-1 trade, with a bonus at higher levels (probably lvls 5 and 11)

*Abillity to give group buffs, sometimes

*abillity to give individual buffs, at will as an action

*Ability to give "lead by example" buffs, doing a thing and giving a buff to the next ally that follows suit

*Abilities to "think", plan, or lead the party into a better position, and out of bad positions, in and out of combat.

Subclasses for the 4e style soldier style warlord, Star Wars Saga style Leadership/Inspiration Noble, and something thematically similar to Robin Hood or a charming pirate captain.

I'd call the class Captain, not warlord.

 

[Xeviat]

If you pretend that the magic isn't magic and is just mundane, a Valor Bard functions reasonably well as a Warlord. A "grant attack" cantrip could be added easily enough. I don't like doing that kind of reskinning though, especially as you wouldn't want dispel magic to dispel warlord buffs.

As for asking what fictional character isn't covered by a D&D class, that's a hard question to ask. Outside of D&D inspired literature, magicians and other supernatural characters usually don't have as much magic as D&D characters do. Harry Potter wizards seem to have far more constant power than D&D wizards, but their magic seems to be smaller in effect generally speaking. All of the characters in the "Codex Alera" books don't work with existing spellcasting mechanics; they'd require a heavy mixture of Pokémon-esque summoning, self enhancement buffing, and very adaptable and largely consistent magical power. Comic-book style heroes also don't work, as they tend to have one or two powers and a lot of adaptability within them, so anyone inspired by these is going to have a hard time.


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[cbwjm]

Although I don't think it is needed, racial character classes could be interesting. I'm currently working on a genasi class drawing inspiration from the elemental tempest paragon path from 4e that lets a genasi choose a second subrace and granting access to a small list of elemental spells as they level. It's only a 5 level class, I don't believe it needs to be any higher than that although I could see a full 20 levels with it which would also enable me to add in subclasses.