D&D 5E (2014) Which classes would you like to see added to D&D 5e, if any? (check all that apply)

[bedir than]

At least I didn't ask if we should have a Factotum class, right?

I'm the dork that thinks Bards shouldn't be as magical as they are in 5e, so would enjoy a new take on the Factotum. I even try to use a version in my homegame

 

[cbwjm]

I realised I missed the mystic, which I assume is the psionic version, and don't seem to be able to change my vote. Other than the mystic, I wouldn't mind seeing an arcane half caster but I don't know enough about the duskblade to select it.

Other than that, pretty much all of the options I feel could be subclasses or backgrounds. Even artificer could probably be subsumed into another class, however, I am aware that many people want it, it just never seemed like the kind of class to inspire me.

 

[mellored]

Its still OP though, compare it to a clerics semi anemic efforts at making an attack which gets a whole 1d8 extra damage at level 8. A warlord granting at will attacks to a Rogue is bad enough but even Barbarians and Fighters let it deal a lot of damage (at will attacks as sharshooter, yes please) even using the bonus action/reaction.

A single level 8 barbarian attack does 2d6+7 = 14
A single level 8 cleric attack does 2d8+5 = 14
A single level 8 dragon sorcerer firebolt does 2d10+5 = 16

Granting a single attack is very much on par with using a cantrip.
You will, at most, deal 50% of whatever damage your allies deal. Usually less since you don't get to benefit from things like action surge, flurry of blows.


Really, your much better off giving a fighter advantage for 2 attacks (greater invisibility), then 1 additional attack (haste). Even more so if they have sharpshooter.

but where do you draw the line to make up for its better attacks via a better class?

Compaire it to what can already be done.
For instance...

Level 8 divine soul sorcerer can cast hastes for each battle a day (using 5 SP to create a slot), has 7 casts of healing word, and firebolt. Plus option for other spells, like fireball, raise dead, and such.
Level 11 divine soul can twin-haste all day. And level 17 can twin-greater invisibility all day.

I would remove the +2 AC and force them to use up all their actions each turn (so no firebolts) to compensate for no risk of exhaustion and a d8 hit die.
Also, rogues can use haste to attack and ready an attack, getting double sneak attack. Though that's a bit of a loophole, so i wouldn't balance around it.

So, a balanced level 8 Tactician might...
*grant an attack as an action (on their own turn like haste)
*grant movement as a bonus action (half-speed, but no OA).
*grant advantage on dex saves as a reaction
*Heal for 60 HP. Or 80 HP out of combat.
*Attack for 11 damage on his own (only if it doesn't grants an attack).


But still, a martial support class has plenty of room to explore, beyond simply 4e attack granting. As you say, this is a new edition.
So just use the warlord as a starting place, and expand to other ideas. Add in all the other non-magic, non-damage sub-classes you can think of.
Like maybe a smith. Who repairs everone's weapon armor between battles.
Or someone who can use intimidate to cause fear.
Or a non-magical bard.
etc...

 

[mellored]

What I'd like to see most of all are new Fighter sub-classes. The existing ones just don't inspire, and it says something that two of those have to use magic (Eldritch Knight and Arcane Archer). I'd rather see things like "gladiator", "knight", and "warlord" turned into Fighter sub-classes.

The problem is that fighters have too much of their power in their base class. It fills up on damage, and doesn't leave any room for personality.

We need a figher re-design.
Let the Battlemaster, Arcane Archers (maybe), and Cavilier use their abilites every turn.
The champion keeps the title of simple fighter, but is now unique as the one that get's the third attack.

Marial things should be stuff you can do all the time. You shouldn't have to rest between special sword swings.

Edit: and yes, the warlord could fit under a re-desinged fighter too. There's just no room under the current one.

 

[Zardnaar]

A single level 8 barbarian attack does 2d6+7 = 14
A single level 8 cleric attack does 2d8+5 = 14
A single level 8 dragon sorcerer firebolt does 2d10+5 = 16

Granting a single attack is very much on par with using a cantrip.
You will, at most, deal 50% of whatever damage your allies deal. Usually less since you don't get to benefit from things like action surge, flurry of blows.


Really, your much better off giving a fighter advantage for 2 attacks (greater invisibility), then 1 additional attack (haste). Even more so if they have sharpshooter.

Compaire it to what can already be done.
For instance...

Level 8 divine soul sorcerer can cast hastes for each battle a day (using 5 SP to create a slot), has 7 casts of healing word, and firebolt. Plus option for other spells, like fireball, raise dead, and such.
Level 11 divine soul can twin-haste all day. And level 17 can twin-greater invisibility all day.

I would remove the +2 AC and force them to use up all their actions each turn (so no firebolts) to compensate for no risk of exhaustion and a d8 hit die.
Also, rogues can use haste to attack and ready an attack, getting double sneak attack. Though that's a bit of a loophole, so i wouldn't balance around it.

So, a balanced level 8 Tactician might...
*grant an attack as an action (on their own turn like haste)
*grant movement as a bonus action (half-speed, but no OA).
*grant advantage on dex saves as a reaction
*Heal for 60 HP. Or 80 HP out of combat.
*Attack for 11 damage on his own (only if it doesn't grants an attack).


But still, a martial support class has plenty of room to explore, beyond simply 4e attack granting. As you say, this is a new edition.
So just use the warlord as a starting place, and expand to other ideas. Add in all the other non-magic, non-damage sub-classes you can think of.
Like maybe a smith. Who repairs everone's weapon armor between battles.
Or someone who can use intimidate to cause fear.
Or a non-magical bard.
etc...

Except Rogues and the -5/+10 feats exist in the game. Give up your attack at will to enable a rogue dealing 1d8+5+5d6 at level 9. Or give up your probably anemic ranged attack (most clerics are meh at ranged non spell attacks) and enable a ranger with sharpshooter and/or colossus slayer/hunters mark etc. Grant a cantrip casting how about eldritch blast+ hex or green flame blade?

At will attack granting doesn't play nice with other classes and the designers did not want to design the game around granting basic attacksand they can future proof the game as well (such as making things like GFB and invocations that effect Eldritch blast).

YOur choice is either break the game or design your game around enabling that and they already tried option 2.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think only the Mystic and the Artificer really have enough breath to be a base class.

Everything else is so narrow it'd better be someone else's subclass at best, otherwise a feat or a background.

The Witch is really just the female name of the Warlock for me.

The Shaman is a bit difficult to fit narratively under other classes. It doesn't have the same relationship to her power source as neither a Cleric or Warlock, but also doesn't have much to share thematically with the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list. The best shot as a subclass is probably Druid but I am not fully convinced by wildshape and also too many nature spells. It might be that it has to be a class of its own after all.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think only the Mystic and the Artificer really have enough breath to be a base class.

Everything else is so narrow it'd better be someone else's subclass at best, otherwise a feat or a background.

The Witch is really just the female name of the Warlock for me.

The Shaman is a bit difficult to fit narratively under other classes. It doesn't have the same relationship to her power source as neither a Cleric or Warlock, but also doesn't have much to share thematically with the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list. The best shot as a subclass is probably Druid but I am not fully convinced by wildshape and also too many nature spells. It might be that it has to be a class of its own after all.

Mostly this, there are only a few classes (without getting into very niche/silly names stuff) are strong enough concepts to stand on their own. Even artificer can be a wizard subclass (and it actually was pre Eberron in 2E).

THe Mystic/Psioni is one, a decent Fighter/Mage type (arcane Paladin/Swordmage/Duskblade etc) as the PHB ones are lacklustre. You could almost do a warlord but it would probably to be what 4E hard core players would want (ie at will attack granting, cleric levels healing) and you could arguably make that class 3 or 4 feats so anyone could do some of it as you do not need a dedicated leader class. Batttlemaster fighter+ healer feat+ inspiring leader+commander feat for example covers the concept. Creating variant fighter options could work such as swapping out second wind for something else.

 

[TrippyHippy]

I think the Mystic or Psion(?) and the Artificer work best in the context of specific settings - eg Dark Sun or Eberron, respectively. I was actually disappointed in both of these Classes when they appeared for Unearthed Arcana.

In the case of the Psion character, there was too much detail in the psychic system for a single Class. It was an entirely new system, which meant that the Class couldn't be explained in the standard 4-5 pages or so. For me, I could actually see a Mystic/Psion being easily done as a sub-class of Sorcerer without needing to create an entirely new psionic system. You just change to fluff of a Sorcerer that their self originating power is psychic. There are plenty of mind-blowing spells in the spell list as is.

In the case of the Artificer, I wasn't too worried about the Gunslinger sub-class, but disappointed in the Alchemist. The Alchemist was already catered for as a sub-class of Wizard (Transmuter) and Backgrounds to be found within the Guild Member and Sage (Alchemist), and these options actually were done right. The Artificer Alchemist was a cheap representation of the class - reducing all the mystery and philosophy of alchemy into just a bomb chucker. So that put me off it.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think the Mystic or Psion(?) and the Artificer work best in the context of specific settings - eg Dark Sun or Eberron, respectively. I was actually disappointed in both of these Classes when they appeared for Unearthed Arcana.

In the case of the Psion character, there was too much detail in the psychic system for a single Class. It was an entirely new system, which meant that the Class couldn't be explained in the standard 4-5 pages or so. For me, I could actually see a Mystic/Psion being easily done as a sub-class of Sorcerer without needing to create an entirely new psionic system. You just change to fluff of a Sorcerer that their self originating power is psychic. There are plenty of mind-blowing spells in the spell list as is.

In the case of the Artificer, I wasn't too worried about the Gunslinger sub-class, but disappointed in the Alchemist. The Alchemist was already catered for as a sub-class of Wizard (Transmuter) and Backgrounds to be found within the Guild Member and Sage (Alchemist), and these options actually were done right. The Artificer Alchemist was a cheap representation of the class - reducing all the mystery and philosophy of alchemy into just a bomb chucker. So that put me off it.

I think the UA artificer may have been based more off the 2E one than the Eberron one as the 2E one was a wizard specialist that was good at making magic items.

 

[TiwazTyrsfist]

I support as much class choices as possible. But I will say, to be a base class i feel they need to have some reason to not just be a subclass.

Gladiator, Knight, Samurai, Warlord. Why shouldn't these be Fighter subclasses?
Duskblade - how would you make this different from eldritch knight?
(I'm not saying they can't be, just, I'd personally want some ideas of what makes these base class grade instead of subclass)

What I'm saying is, to me, I need more than a name or a vague idea (pirate, boat based thief) to judge a class, i need at least the beginning of a class mechanic that makes it unique enough to stand alone.
Pirate - unique pistol & cutlass combat style, crib Grit/Panache system from pathfinder, subclasses Privater (socially acceptable, lawfully inclined), Freebooter (high mobility, extra panache stunts), Press-Ganger (two-handed weps, clubs, bonus damage).
Some description that gives the idea some meat.