D&D 5E (2024) What should the 15th Class be?

[Minigiant]

Really, I think D&D is missing a Mental Martial.

A warrior who attacks with their Int, Wis, or Cha.

We see that Pact Blade Warlocks and Shillelagh Rangers are not OP. And we who remain are okay with nonmagical healing

So just Do it

• Some kind of buffing and healing feature
• Can attack with Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma
• Subclasses
  • Battle Captain (Intelligence based)
  • Combat Veteran (Wisdom based)
  • Knight Commander (Charisma based)
  • Arcane Marshal (1/3 arcane caster)
• Harsh multiclassing requirement (maybe needing 13 in 2 or Int, Wis, or Cha)

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I imagine the warlord class like a martial adept with the maneuvers of the white raven school (Tome of Battle: Book of the nine Swords).

I imagine the shaman like a mixture of summoner(Pathfinder) and totemist (Magic of Incarnum).

How should be the knight/cavalier, only a paladin without divine spells?

How would be the subclasses of the gish/duskblade (martial-arcane)?

You can't say there are too many classes because it is like saying we have enough subclasses, feats, spells, magic items, PC species. Always there is space for new things.

The cocern by WotC is where to publish new crunch for the no-core classes.

Any idea? the avenger or slayer, a stealth+divine class hybrid focused into terminate unholy enemies, something like the vampire-hunters.

 

[Gorck]

Back in the OneD&D days, when they were still categorizing the classes as Experts, Mages, Priests, and Warriors, they mentioned Artificers would be in the Experts group. I predicted they’d eventually release a Psion for the Mages group, a Shaman for the Priests group, and a Warlord for the Warriors group. So I chose Shaman because we couldn’t pick more than one option and I prefer it slightly more than Warlord.

 

[Kurotowa]

I have to admit I'm generally underwhelmed by the suggestions people have. Pretty much every request is either a highly specialized variant of something in an existing class, or a hybrid of two existing classes.

Given how rarely we see new full classes, I would much rather see something completely new and off the wall, even if it doesnt fit some standard archetype. How about an anti-magic user, a lawyer, a magic baker, or intelligence-based shade of blue? I dunno. Something we haven't seen before, rather that just tweaking what we have.

Very much this. Can you easily name at least four distinct subclasses that will go with this new base class? If no, then it's something that should itself be a subclass somewhere, not a base class.

That's why I voted Other. None of the other options are broad enough to support the number of subclasses a true 5e base class needs to.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

If you were reading a D&D novel and a new character was casting primal magic, how would you notice she is a shaman instead a druid? Maybe druid is more focused into "physical" creatures and shaman into spirits. Or there is a warrior with a shinning armour, is he a paladin or a knight? Maybe the knight is a warrior with some special legacy item, like a magic weapon or armour only can be used by knights with that subclass, something like the henshin heroes from manga subgenre. Maybe this concept would be interesting for players who dislike the limit of attunements.

How would be the subclasses of warlord class? If WotC wants to create a skirmishes and mass-battle mode the class features would be harder for a right power-balance. For example a warlord with a bluff-area effect would be more effective if she is the leader of a squad or troops instead a little group of adventurers. How would be a warlord in a skirmishes virtual miniature game style "Mordheim"?

WotC would wellcome some class about monster allies but this would need a lot of work and feedback. Maybe they would rather this to be designed by a videogame studio and after to be adapted to TTRPG. Yes, Hasbro would love a D&D mon* subfranchise

(* mon, videogame subgenre about catching, collecting and training monsters for arena duels, like Palworld, Digimon or Pokemon).

 

[Lanefan]

And, frankly, even the "martials" we have can often cast spells or have spell like abilities. I mean, Barbarians can literally fly. Monks (depending on subclass) have straight up access to spells. Everyone loves a caster apparently.

You say this. But then you say this...

Having a Warlord (whatever name you want to call it, I don't care by this point) means that you can FINALLY play a low magic version of D&D without having to massively fudge the healing rules or allow a bunch of half casters to cover all the healing stuff.

...and in so doing express a desire for another martial with spell-like abilities. Doesn't quite mesh, somehow.

As for the low-magic healing question, 5e makes it easier than ever before to do this right now. You're going to fully recover every night as it is, so all you have to do is better manage your hit-point resource during the day (as in, maybe not fight everything you meet, and maybe be willing to pack it in for the day a bit sooner - embrace the 5-minute workday!) and you're good to go - and to keep going!

 

[Lanefan]

None. D&D already has too many classes, it’s time to start losing some.

I agree with this sentiment, but as the thread assumes there'll be another class and just wants our ideas on what it should be, that's how I answered.

 

[Lanefan]

Very much this. Can you easily name at least four distinct subclasses that will go with this new base class? If no, then it's something that should itself be a subclass somewhere, not a base class.

That's why I voted Other. None of the other options are broad enough to support the number of subclasses a true 5e base class needs to.

Sooooo...why does a new class need to support subclasses at all?

There's no reason why one base class can't have five subclasses while another has zero, depending on the flexibility and scope of the base class.

 

[cbwjm]

Sooooo...why does a new class need to support subclasses at all?

There's no reason why one base class can't have five subclasses while another has zero, depending on the flexibility and scope of the base class.

Mostly because that's how 5th edition works. Otherwise, I agree with you, it would be great if there could be classes that stand on their own with flavourful abilities in place of subclasses.

 

[Zardnaar]

Mostly because that's how 5th edition works. Otherwise, I agree with you, it would be great if there could be classes that stand on their own with flavourful abilities in place of subclasses.

Think im getting over subclasses.