Let us imagine a completely hypothetical scenario: it is the start of the process for the making of the 1 DND core rulebooks (so quite a while ago) and WOTC asks the community "what do you want to see for the revised versions of classes in the 1 dnd rules?"
I would like to hear what the you guys would want for each of the core classes (and Artificer!) in this hypothetical scenario. Whether it be a change in theme (*cough*monk*cough) or mechanics, throw your best ideas out there.
I might consider playing one if it was a little less steampunky. I prefer more classic, medieval sword and sorcery, not magitech.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Unless otherwise noted, the optional features from Tasha's should be standard.
Artificer:
Have one more starting cantrip, and/or have the battle smith and artillerist subclasses give you Mending. When you only get two cantrips, it really sucks to have one of them feel mandated as Mending.
Let the alchemist pick their experimental elixir instead of rolling for it. Also give them some damage options that aren't fire or poison based.
Anything to make the class less daunting to learn. I had a heck of a time trying to even understand what their role was until I started putting one together.
Barbarian:
Non-combat features. Intimidate through Strength as a standard rule, for starters. But really, anything useful. Their need for high strength, high con, and at least 14 dex means they almost never have decent mental stats for skills.
More subclasses that aren't themed around magical or spiritual forces. Seriously, why are so many subclasses for the least magically-inclined base class focused around calling up spirits or some other magical tomfoolery? How about something unarmed-focused, or with the ability to grab and throw enemies at each other?
Fix berserker (exhaustion issues) and battlerager (scaling damage, better AC armor option).
Bard:
Dunno, not my cup of tea. Bards as an entire class have always seemed goofy to me.
Cleric:
The base class is fine as-is. I would just want some tweaks to subclasses.
Arcana cleric feels wrong being the "wizard cleric" subclass, but only getting Magic Missile for blasting things. Any cool blasty spell above first level would be appreciated, really.
Forge cleric not getting martial weapons feels wrong. At least let 'em use the bigger hammers!
Tempest cleric needs more than two things that deal lightning damage, if they're going to have a feature reliant upon lightning damage...
Druid:
Dunno. Their spell list feels like it needs a couple direct damaging options. Every time I've looked at this class, I didn't know what to do with it.
Fighter:
Out of combat features. They don't have it quite as bad as barbarians, but this issue still made me quit my first ever character. "Hi, I have nothing of value to contribute to this scene" is not a good way to start out.
Give one or two battle master maneuvers as a standard feature at level 1 or 2.
Give Arcane Archer more uses of their special shots. That's really all this subclass needs in order to not feel awful.
Monk:
Tear down some of the roadblocks that make it nigh-impossible to deviate from "straight-classed monk, who is an unarmed or staff-wielding person in no armor, who has high dexterity and wisdom." There is no room to do anything outside the norm in this class, and it drives me absolutely nuts.
Stop turning off half of the class' features just for daring to wear armor into battle. Even the spellcasters get away with this nowadays.
Free up the weapon choices, and/or increase the base unarmed damage.
Increase the starting amount of ki.
Change multiclassing requirements to only dexterity.
Paladin:
Any change to make Divine Sense even remotely useful on a regular basis.
Could honestly take a nerf, but I'm not going to suggest one. :P
Ranger:
With Tasha's upgrades, this is probably fine as-is.
Rogue:
Steady Aim is the one Tasha's feature that I think makes the game worse. It is one of those 'effective but not fun' options. Some other means of reliably getting advantage would be nice.
A "non-finesse sneak attack" subclass could be neat. Something with sort of a "thug" or "dirty fighter" theme to it.
Sorcerer:
More spells known, especially at 1st level. Could be tied to subclasses.
Give more sorcery points at level 2, and probably move meta magic down to that level as well. It feels really weird to have to explain to new players "Here's this resource you get now, that currently only lets you get a refill on a different resource."
Draconic bloodline: The choice of draconic ancestry should give you something at level 1.
Storm Sorcery needs to come with some lightning and thunder damage spells, if its features rely on having them.
Wild magic: "Tiny chance of random TPK" should not be a feature. (i.e. remove party-harming effects like the self-fireball from the roll table)
Warlock:
Thematically, turn down the edge. Give more neutral names to the features, so they don't sound weird on someone with a celestial or archfey patron.
Give more than one spell slot to start with... and preferably more during progression as well.
Eldritch Blast should be a feature, not a choice.
Wizard:
Flavor. This class needs more flavor. Outside of the bladesinger, scribes, and war wizard, nothing about this class brings about any mental image outside of the classic "bearded dude in robes, with a staff".
Probably also needs some nerfs via changes to spells. It's kinda hard to nerf them feature-wise when they hardly get any features.
Have one more starting cantrip, and/or have the battle smith and artillerist subclasses give you Mending. When you only get two cantrips, it really sucks to have one of them feel mandated as Mending.
FWIW, I don't think Artillerist needs Mending as a cantrip tax (their devices expire after an hour, anyway, and Mending can't really be used for combat healing). I would give each subclass a subclass-specific extra cantrip (maaaaybe a choice from a subclass-specific list): Mending for Battlesmith, Firebolt for Artillerist, Acid Splash for Alchemist, Resistance for Armorer; something like that.
Have one more starting cantrip, and/or have the battle smith and artillerist subclasses give you Mending. When you only get two cantrips, it really sucks to have one of them feel mandated as Mending.
FWIW, I don't think Artillerist needs Mending as a cantrip tax (their devices expire after an hour, anyway, and Mending can't really be used for combat healing). I would give each subclass a subclass-specific extra cantrip (maaaaybe a choice from a subclass-specific list): Mending for Battlesmith, Firebolt for Artillerist, Acid Splash for Alchemist, Resistance for Armorer; something like that.
I somewhat disagree. An hour is long enough to have multiple fights or what if the SD sets off a trap or something else that causes damage early in the summon? It still feels like mending is a must have cantrip. And would giving artificers mending for free (it’s thematic) be OP?
Well, they tossed out one of the changes I liked - sub-class features all fall on the same levels regardless of class.
I think warlock needs spell slots with the same progression as eldritch knight or arcane trickster to encourage lower level utility spells without blowing one of their few high level slots.
The monk fix is pretty good, but I think they should get additional ki points equal to their Wisdom modifier (and quit trying to dance around the monk's origins. If you're keeping druid - arguably more culturally specific than 'monk' - you don't need to worry about using terms like 'ki'.)
Druid - I think the template wild-shape was the way to go, but it could have been better implemented. It allows better scaling.
Arti-Artillerist - Don't make it a pet class, make it a blaster. And no force fields/health bubbles.
FWIW, I don't think Artillerist needs Mending as a cantrip tax (their devices expire after an hour, anyway, and Mending can't really be used for combat healing). I would give each subclass a subclass-specific extra cantrip (maaaaybe a choice from a subclass-specific list): Mending for Battlesmith, Firebolt for Artillerist, Acid Splash for Alchemist, Resistance for Armorer; something like that.
I somewhat disagree. An hour is long enough to have multiple fights or what if the SD sets off a trap or something else that causes damage early in the summon? It still feels like mending is a must have cantrip. And would giving artificers mending for free (it’s thematic) be OP?
Note that my suggestion, just like the first suggestion, still gives every Artificer one more cantrip, and Mending is still on the Artificer spell list. The difference is, instead of that extra cantrip always being Mending, it's something "thematic" for each subclass, and something each subclass is quite likely to take, anyway, freeing up one of the other cantrips to be Mending. It's literally more flexible and more powerful than "give every Artificer Mending."
(Also, Artillerist doesn't have an SD.)
Arguably, it'd be more flexible to give each subclass an extra choice, like "Fire Bolt or Shocking Grasp for Artillerist" and "Mending or Mage Hand for Battlesmith" and such. And let them change it every level or whatever.
preferably, I would like if all classes got subclasses at level 1. It would be nice to establish my psi warrior’s psionic flavor and powers at level 1, and it’d be nice to not have to ask my GM to let me rebuild once we reach level 3 because of swords bard
This is a good point here, and something I meant to touch on in my previous post. Subclasses that change you into a different roll than your base class, and aren't available at level 1, should really come with an opportunity to swap your stats around somewhat. Or the base class should be given options that allow that role to be at least somewhat feasible - sort of like the 1D&D cleric having that choice between heavy armor, skills, or more cantrips (or something like that; it's been a while since I looked).
In general, I'd want for each class that has something unique about it (Sorcerer's Metamagic, Druid Wildshape, etc.) be usable more often, with accompanying nerfs if need be. It was excruciating playing a low level Sorcerer and have this class defining feature being usable, what, once per day? Twice, if the DM took pity and gave me a Bloodwell Vial.
For the martial classes, I think they'd do better if they all either had one more extra attack, or were given a free push, trip, or disarm attempt per turn. Something along those lines, to give them a little more tactical thought round to round.
Standardizing the subclass levels is a good idea for balancing, as well as allowing some other weird ideas like the initial attempt at the Strixhaven subclasses where they were available to multiple classes.
Really, just attempting to better balance the classes against each other. If that requires nerfs to spellcasters or spells, then so be it.
Barb- ditch the Zealot, and port over a version of the Brawler from Fighter. Barb should have some kind of unarmed/grappler/wrestler/mma type subclass. Since Wildheart is animal-themed, I'd like to see World-Tree be plant-themed. So, instead of teleportation (which, along with Advantage, seems to be way to cheap, easy, & prevalent in their UA ideas), I'd like to see World Tree be a Groot-like grappler that can throw enemies or use enemy bodies as bludgeoning weapons. Or move enemies or allies around the battlefield with reaching vine arms. Perhaps a defensive feature reminiscent of Groot's bramble-ball ("WE are Groot." Etc...)
Bard- I'm ok with the themes (Dance vs Glamour, Lore vs Valor.) I think dance needs tweaking, & it should look just a little less like Monk in how some of its features work. I'd like to see Lore lean further into the "scholar" idea. Perhaps free castings of Identify or Legend Lore, or something. Valor could use some buffs. I'd suggest that Combat Inspiration lasts until the beginning of your next turn, rather than for just one attack roll. I think using a Bardic Inspiration for a Shield Spell-like ability is not too over powered, nor would adding the Inspiration die to multiple attacks on a turn.
Cleric- I think the UA subclasses look mostly fine. I think Life coukd be buffed ever so slightly for even better healing. Of course, this subclass- and healing in general- could be given a more important role in combat if hit points were given dynamic consequences that made them less binary (aka whack-a-mole). So, if players suffered some kind of combat consequences for hit point loss (other than unconsciousness at 0 hp). For instance, if they take more than a quarter or a half of their hp in damage in one hit or one round, players could suffer some sort of status effect (like dazed) or Exhaustion (preferably the UA version.)
Druid. I think Circle of the Moon needs to NOT focus on moon-themed spells (like moonbeam). Instead, the whole subclass should be redesigned as the Lycanthrope subclass. I mean, one could re-skin the current version to be lycanthropic as it exists now (or in the UA version), but I think it'd be cool to see some specific player character lycanthrope wild shape mechanics for Moon Druids. I like what the UA did for Circke of the Land. Circle of the Sea looks interesting, but I wonder if they could've gone the Water-Bender route. Or perhaps Sub-Zero or Bobby Drake Ice-Man. Some features that are in those neighborhoods might be cool.
Fighter. Champion needs to be slightly more interesting. I get that it's supposed to be the beginner/gateway subclass. But it should also be interesting enough to engage more veteran players as well. I fear that Battle Master will be made less cool by the advent of Weapon Masteries. Otherwise, BM rules. Eldritch Knight is fine, too. Brawler should be a Barbarian subclass. And they've said it won't be in the 2024PHB. So, what will be the 4th Fighter Subclass? (I actually posted a thread on that very subject a while ago...) Many thought Arcane Archer. Which I'd be fine with- if they update its features to be less restrictive in their number of uses. For me, I'd rather let Ranger be the class that gets the ranged combat focused subclass. Fighter should have an all-out tank subclass. Something with damage reduction and/or resistance. And AC bonuses. Maybe some shield shenanigans. And some kind of taunt mechanic to draw enemy attention their way. I think this kind of play style is missing. Maybe an Armorer Arti can fulfill this role, sort of. But I'd still like to see a non-magical Fighter version.
Monk. Shadow, Open Hand, and Four Elements all look promising, and I like their themes. But Peace should not be one of the four main subclasses. It should be Kensai. Maybe this decision was made in keeping with WotC's aversion to anything that might be accused of cultural appropriation. I dunno. Peace is a mechanically strong subclass. But I think Kensai is a far more interesting and thematically fitting subclass. It is the perfect "opposite" for the Open Hand (if we assume they want to keep their "paired theme" subclasses paradigm.) And they can call them "Discipline" points, "Shadow", and "Elements" if they want, but everyone knows they are "Ki" points, "Ninjas", and "Avatars".
Paladin. I like these subclasses and themes (from the UA). Pally is still probably over-tuned, as a class, but I don't think it's Smites that we're the issue. There should be a burst damage class, and Pally is it. But combined with Lay on Hands healing, and Aura saving throw protection, and spellcasting (granted as half-caster)... it's a bit much. But the subclasses are cool. My one nit-pick is, I'd like to see a name change for Oath of Ancients. "Ancients" sounds cool, but it's not very evocative of the nature-theme of the subclass. But "Oath of Nature" sounds too generic, and too much like the cleric subclass. Glory, Vengeance, and Devotion are all abstract notions of morality. I think "Oath of Purity" would fit with the other 3 as an abstract moral theme, but it doesn't necessarily evoke the nature theme some of the features of the Ancients subclass. So maybe those features could be tweaked to fit the concept of Purity. I dunno.
Ranger. I like how these subclasses are themed/paired. Hunter/Beast Master (hunts animals vs befriends animals), and Fey Wanderer/Gloomstalker (Feywild vs Shadowfell). I think, mechanically, Hunter (moreso than the others) is in desperate need of improvement. First of all- if SOME subclasses get additional spells known, then they ALL should (Same goes for Sorcerers). I think instead of choosing one of several options for a feature at levels 3, 7, 11, & 15, players should get access to ALL of those features at level 3. But then make those features use a limited resource pool- either an existing one like Wis mod or PB times per rest (or per day?). Then at levels 7, 11, & 15, they could either scale those options up, or present new options, or both. This way, you don't feel like maybe you made the wrong choice at level up- you don't feel like you're missing out on a feature you could've had. And it gives Ranger players tactical options, like the UA Rogue and Barbarian got. Otherwise, I think Gloom, Fey, and Beast are all thematically good, if maybe they still need a few tweaks here or there.
Rogue. I like these 4 subclasses. Arcane Trickster is great, always has been. Assassin looks very cool with the UA changes they made, and the implementation and integration of the base class Cunning Strikes feature. Swashbuckler is solid, but I think it could be the one Rogue sub that gets an extra attack. But otherwise, also a clever way of weaving Cunning Strikes into the sub. For Thief, I think they should take a cue from BG3 and make Fast Hands just be an extra bonus action per turn. Maybe limit it to Cunning Action, Sleight of Hand, Use an Object, or the new Study or Search actions (Basically, all of the non-combat actions, so as to avoid the bonus action extra extra attack exploit).
Sorcerer. Mechanically, the subclasses are fine- or on their way to being fine. I really like what they did for Wild Mages. Draconic has always been classic, but could still use a bit of work from the UA. If anything, I'd like to see them tweak the Aberrant and Clockwork, because they seemed stronger than the others (probly due to added spells lists.) So, add spell lists to Draconic & Wild, for starters. Both Clock & Abby are good, but I wouldn't mind seeing the design team take a swing at tweaking them.
Warlock. Good themes. Fiend/Celestial. Fey/GOO. But to be honest, I wish they'd abandon their ideal of "symmetry" for this, because I think Celestial is "ho-hum". Genie is much more interesting, and still fits with the Patron from one of the Planes idea. Besides, Celestial (imo) just is way too much in the area of Clerics and Paladins. Let those squares have Celestial Patrons. Let the cool kids play with beings from the other planes.
Wizard. I'd lament Scribes and Bladesingers not being in 2024, but thankfully... backwards compatible, so yay. So: Abjuror/Evoker and Diviner/Illusionist. Ok. Cool. I get the themes. Gonna piss off some Necromancers, tho. Not to mention Conjurers, Transmuters, and Enchanters. I always had a soft spot for Transmuters, even if I did not like how they were devised. The idea of being able to change "this" into "that" seems like one of the basic ideas of magic. Ditto for Conjuring objects & creatures out of thin air. I'm definitely ok with the 4 schools they chose, given the 4 subclass paradigm. But I will be looking forward to future books with reworks for Necro, Transy, Conjure, and Enchants. As for the four chosen: I think 3 are fine, if not very "flashy" or "flavorful". Abjurer has the Ward, which is cool. Evoker makes pew-pews go boom better. Good. Diviner gets Portent plus some decent features- but I'd like to see something with Arcane Eye and/or Scrying. Improved functionality or free castings or something. Fits the theme. Illusionist really needs work. Improved Minor Illusion is okay... but really level 3 could use more oomph than that. And I still don't really understand Malleable Illusions- what do they mean by "change the nature of the illusion"? I'd like to see maybe a bonus to the caster's save DC for illusions. Or something. And in general, I'd like the PHB & DMG to really clarify how illusion spells should work. I've had some DMs say that, since the enemy could see you casting a spell, they know it's an illusion without making a save. Maybe that's unfair. Maybe it makes sense. I dunno. But the rules could be clearer.
Should be more strategy & support focused, the current version is too focused on being a frontliner / melee / weapon based. They should have a tool for every job but not one tool to solve all problems, they should have the most options of any class, in terms of solving problems in & out of combat.
Need more ways to use tools by combining them with magic - let them magically animate tools to do stuff, and use tools to alter the terrain of a combat - e.g. making puddles of acid or oil, magically building walls or cover, animating tools to hinder enemy movement.
i.e. give me a Druid based on engineering & alchemy rather than nature.
Barbarian
Should be a monster in combat: should reliably deal the most damage and be capable of taking the most punishment of any character / class.
Should be melee and DPR focused : you run into the fray and hand the a** of the enemy to them in their face.
Shouldn't need to worry about running out of Rage, any and every combat they should be able to Rage without worry of running out, and Rage should reliably last for the entire combat so long as they are trying to kill things.
Should be able to be scare NPCs whether in combat or outside of it.
At higher levels, should get some mobility boost - like a super jump (like Hulk) or magic wings or something else... (should be subclass features) so they continue getting into the face of the enemy.
Bard
Should be the ultimate support class (not cleric), not a discount Wizard with a little healing and skills.
Less expertise (Rogues and Rangers should be the skill experts) and more Jack of All Trades.
More Divine spells, but less casting focused - give them something else unique to do in combat other than just Bardic Inspiration.
Cleric
Should be the best defensive caster, they have the favour of a divine being protecting them they should feel like it.
Offensively they should be more reactive - turning enemy hostility back on themselves - and nova-y for that real divine retribution theming. Rather than right now where they are incredibly powerful as sustained damage dealers with Spirit Guardians and Spiritual Weapon.
Needs some more features for the Social pillar out-of-combat, clerics are spreaders of faith, symbols of hope, or can be terrifying doomsayers they should have more ways to use their magic in social situations.
Druid
They call the forces of nature to battle. The masters of manipulating the battlefield to drown, slow, strangle, or trip their enemies.
They need more elemental damaging spells, a Wizard should not be better at throwing lightning bolts than a Druid.
Their battlefield control needs to be less reliant on being outside, wood buildings were once trees, dungeons are carved into the rock and soil, bathwater was once a raging river...
Less "furry" - there should be druids that focus on animals but it shouldn't be a requirement for all druids. Druids should be able to focus on plants, animals, rocks/earth, water, air, or fire.
Fighter
The masters of tactics, weapons, strategy, and warfare. They should have the most options of any class when wielding weapons & armour, and should be able to swap around their equipment for the best load out for the particular foe they are facing.
Should have more out-of-combat options particularly at sizing up enemies, forts, or battlefields for cover, advantageous positions, or vulnerable positions. While a Rogue might be good at hiding, a Fighter should be good at finding a route out of sight line of a sentry, while a Wizard can teleport across the river, a Fighter should be able to make a makeshift raft or bridge.
Monk
The ultimate combat debuffer. They should be able to identify and exploit the weaknesses of enemies, and use the enemy's strengths against them.
Needs more debuffing options other than just Stunning Strike, especially targeting different saving throws so they can identify & exploit the enemy's weaknesses.
Should have options outside of combat especially for negotiation and resolving conflicts peacefully and building understanding between parties.
Paladin
The holy knight in shining armour leading the charge on their divine quest, be that as a beacon in the dark or a burning force for revenge.
Their spells & spell list needs to be revamped so they are more than just a Smite machine, and have other good uses for their spellslots in combat.
As part of the above, they should have a unique caster-focused option for their Fighting Style, and some way to customize them to specialize for their particular quest.
Ranger
The ultimate explorer & tracker. They should be able to use the weather & terrain to their advantage, be that setting traps for enemies, luring enemies into danger, finding vantage points, or hiding in the shrubbery.
Need better skills, a Bard should not be a better scout than the Ranger.
Their spells & spell list needs to be revamped so they actually use their spells for something other than just Hunter's Mark.
Should get movement buffs & options and ways to ignore & exploit terrain hazards.
Rogue
The sly trickster, and master infiltrator, or cocky charmer.
Needs more options in combat to set up their sneak attack : feinting, tripping, distracting, or hiding.
Magic needs nerfing so it doesn't overshadow the Rogue's skills.
Sorcerer
The magical specialist vs the Wizard's magical Jack-of-all-Trades. Their magic should be more powerful than any other, but more limited in scope as well.
Keep their number spells known lower than any other caster, but give them a wide range of spells to choose from and much more & better Metamagic.
Warlock
Should be split into two to resolve it's bipolar nature. One being the magic-warrior that can turn cantrips into the equivalent of weapon strikes and can use magically conjured weapons & armour, the other being the master of the occult a spellcaster with a creepy theme with a strange occult object or creature that is the focus of their power and with abilities focusing on learning the magical/elemental weaknesses of their enemies & exploiting them.
Wizard
The magic nerds that know everything about everything. They should have the largest number and most diverse range of spells available and the ability to swap them around easily.
They should solve all problems with the right spell, thus should have minimal out-of-combat options other than Intelligence-based skills which they should excel at.
In general, I wanted power to be balanced a bit better. Overall, 5E balance could have been worse, but it could be better. I got a respectable amount of stuff I wished for.
The "Standard Adventuring Day" was anything but standard. 5E classes that leaned towards Long Rests (Paladins, Casters, etc) are significantly more powerful at tables that have 1 or 2 fights a day. Meanwhile, Short Rest classes (Monk and Warlock) required a long day with a couple of Short Rests to be comparable to other classes. The UA patched this a bit, but I do not know if it was sufficient or not. Along with this would be balancing Long Rest casters with martials (which UA did in multiple tiny steps).
I wanted subclasses to be balanced, bringing the bad subclasses (Battlerager, Land Druid, etc) up and the overpowered/overused subclasses (Peace Cleric, Hexblade, etc) toned down. Fortunately moving subclasses to Level 3 fixed multiclassing dips. I was hoping power spikes for certain classes (Monk 14, Paladin 6, Cleric 1) would be spread out over multiple levels.
I wanted overused/overpowered spells (Guidance, Wish, and everything in between) toned down a bit. Or to have a downside (such as Wish decreasing Constitution). Dud spells (too many to list) should be improved or dropped.
Angry Barbarian never appealed to me. I wanted license to RolePlay it as something else (which the UA delivered). I wanted to regain some Rage uses on a Short Rest (which UA delivered). I wanted Brutal Critical to be replaced with something more consistent (which UA delivered).
5E Bard is good, it just needed some minor tweaks. Better scaling of Song of Rest. Countercharm moving to a Reaction. And some adjustments to the spell list, like adding Counterspell. Along with the reigning in of casters in general.
Cleric just needed the general downplay of casters.
Druid NEEDED clarification on the wearing of metal (which UA delivered on). Wild shape needed some polishing (smoothing power spikes) and more beasts that closely matched their CR.
5E Fighter is good. I was hoping Action Surge would appear later to discourage multiclassing. Subclasses needed to be rebalanced though.
5E Monk was a hot mess. It was fragile for a melee class. My top want was for Deflect Attack, which UA delivered on. My next want was Diamond Soul to be split into multiple lower levels (which I did not get). Monk also needs out of combat contributions, which I hoped would be wall/water running at a level early enough to be relevant.
Paladin needed a decrease in nova ability (which UA did).
Ranger needed the Tasha's treatment of fewer ribbons and more solid features. I know some others disagree and consider ribbon features to be flavorful.
5E Rogue was solid. The only thing it needed was the general elevation of martials compared to casters.
Sorcerer needed more identity through metamagic (which UA did). And more than 2 subclasses in the PHB! I was hoping for CON casting to have fewer CHA classes. Along with a mechanic of sacrificing health (via Hit Dice) to regain Sorcery Points.
Warlock needed....a lot. It had the Short Rest issue. It had the issue of being front loaded for multi-class. It had the issue of being another CHA class. And no one could agree on the way to fix these issues because Warlocks have so many different identities. I was at least hoping the Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast was fixed by making it scale with Warlock level.
Wizard needed a nerf. There is already a running joke that it is the best class because of the name "WIZARDS of the Coast".
A fixed Artificer would be nice to have in the PHB as another INT class. But it would need a whole host of fixes.
I want every class to be able to effectively deliver on the fantasy it promises on the tin. I want each class to feel effective, not drastically overshadowed by other classes (except in areas of the the other's specialty), and for each subclass to be reasonably balanced with the others.
The two classes that needed the most help were the Monk and the Warlock. The monk appears to have been given what it needs, the Warlock has shown a glimmer of hope, but what the final product becomes remains to be seen. I doubt anything will remain 100% as we have seen it in the playtest, even the stuff that has near universal praise. Even that will probably get some tweaks.
In general, I'd want for each class that has something unique about it (Sorcerer's Metamagic, Druid Wildshape, etc.) be usable more often, with accompanying nerfs if need be. It was excruciating playing a low level Sorcerer and have this class defining feature being usable, what, once per day? Twice, if the DM took pity and gave me a Bloodwell Vial.
For the martial classes, I think they'd do better if they all either had one more extra attack, or were given a free push, trip, or disarm attempt per turn. Something along those lines, to give them a little more tactical thought round to round.
Standardizing the subclass levels is a good idea for balancing, as well as allowing some other weird ideas like the initial attempt at the Strixhaven subclasses where they were available to multiple classes.
Really, just attempting to better balance the classes against each other. If that requires nerfs to spellcasters or spells, then so be it.
Standardizing the subclass levels is horrible for narrative, flavor and class identity reasons
maybe if everyone got subclasses at level 1 that would be fine
but I want my level 1 cleric who worships a trickster god to do trickery things like disguise self or charm others. And I’d like my sorcerer who was blessed by a diety to have actual divine magic, like guiding bolt or even thaumatrugy.
Or maybe I want to play a healer sorcerer. Well per one dnd raw, my sorcerer can’t get any healing spells till level 3 and my party is screwed with me as the only support
Or maybe I want my celestial warlock or stars Druid to use sacred flame as their damaging cantrip… oh wait, can’t have that cantrip till level 3 :/
This hurts classes even now. The Scout subclass for Rogue either waits to get wilderness skills until level 3, or wastes 2 skill selections to take them right away. Or - if you are really lucky and have an understanding GM, they will let you retrain into something that fits the theme. But that's a house rule and will only benefit some players rather than all. It's one thing to force players to wait for things that round out the concept, but not for things fundamental to the base concept - like having the survival skill on a scout.
In general, I'd want for each class that has something unique about it (Sorcerer's Metamagic, Druid Wildshape, etc.) be usable more often, with accompanying nerfs if need be. It was excruciating playing a low level Sorcerer and have this class defining feature being usable, what, once per day? Twice, if the DM took pity and gave me a Bloodwell Vial.
For the martial classes, I think they'd do better if they all either had one more extra attack, or were given a free push, trip, or disarm attempt per turn. Something along those lines, to give them a little more tactical thought round to round.
Standardizing the subclass levels is a good idea for balancing, as well as allowing some other weird ideas like the initial attempt at the Strixhaven subclasses where they were available to multiple classes.
Really, just attempting to better balance the classes against each other. If that requires nerfs to spellcasters or spells, then so be it.
Standardizing the subclass levels is horrible for narrative, flavor and class identity reasons
maybe if everyone got subclasses at level 1 that would be fine
but I want my level 1 cleric who worships a trickster god to do trickery things like disguise self or charm others. And I’d like my sorcerer who was blessed by a diety to have actual divine magic, like guiding bolt or even thaumatrugy.
Or maybe I want to play a healer sorcerer. Well per one dnd raw, my sorcerer can’t get any healing spells till level 3 and my party is screwed with me as the only support
Or maybe I want my celestial warlock or stars Druid to use sacred flame as their damaging cantrip… oh wait, can’t have that cantrip till level 3 :/
I’m fine with gaining subclasses at 3rd level. Your cleric of a trickster god can still do trickster things until their god bestows upon them the powers to charm and disguise themselves (via the spells). And it is quite possible to explain narratively and via RP getting subclass features at 3rd level for those classes that got them earlier in the 2014 PHB
I would hope that the 2024 update would allow changes to be made, like the skills mentioned for the Rogue scout that Roland brought up. Or at least, if you already picked Survival and Nature you can choose two other skills on your list. So that you don’t feel that you are somehow losing out.
I also don't like subclasses being gained at 3rd level vs 1st. I also dislike the change to spiritual weapon as it was one of the few things a cleric can do offensively with their bonus action that didn't interfere with concentration.
I also don't like subclasses being gained at 3rd level vs 1st.
I'm not so bothered about sub-classes moving to 3rd-level, as it means everyone gets theirs at the same time; most of the groups I play with now start at 3rd- or 5th-level anyway because it's better for character building when you know what you're doing, and I very much recommend that for anyone that wants to play more established characters at the start of a new campaign. That said, I think it makes sense to keep 1st- and 2nd-level as straightforward as possible for newer players to focus on one thing (the class) before worrying about choices beyond that.
Personally I'm more disappointed with the loss of standardised sub-class levels; they teased this early on then dropped it really quickly which was annoying, especially as they tried to blame the players for doing so. It's the way 5th-edition should have been designed to begin with, so classes and sub-classes would be easier to balance, and players would get sub-class features at the same time as well.
I also dislike the change to spiritual weapon as it was one of the few things a cleric can do offensively with their bonus action that didn't interfere with concentration.
Has this change been confirmed? I know they made it concentration in one of the UAs, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't featured since so in later playtests you should just be using the 2014 version of the spell (no concentration). I don't recall them mentioning what the feedback was, so we don't know whether they've rolled back the change or might change it some other way, but I expect a lot of people would have complained about it.
I'm not so bothered about it becoming concentration to break the overuse of spirit guardians + spiritual weapon, however the spell needs some compensation if it's to gain concentration – much faster movement for one thing, as it has historically been far too easy to waste spiritual weapon because of even a small amount of enemy movement taking place in a battle.
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Personally I would really like half casters to better encompass the spell warrior archetype, using spells alongside their attacks. Using spells to empower their martial prowess more than what we see now. And finally to be able to spell cast more.
How would I do it?
Create new spells that entice warrior/ranger types
Make more lower level spells that functions to boost a martial character's capabilities; aka spells that would be interesting for a half caster but not really typical full casters. Basically it feels like half casters are under this curse of being given scraps from the full casters plate and then a few class specific spells that mostly break their respective level in terms of power. Hunter's Mark is performing way out of its league as a level 1 spell, mostly to compensate that Ranger's selection of 1st level spells is... not that interesting compared to their limited number of spell slots and the trade-off with casting instead of attacking.
Some rough examples could include:
Dash-attack, 1st lvl spell: you move up to 60 feet in a straight line and for each weapon you wield, you may make one weapon attack against a target along the path, each hit dealing an additional 1d6 Force damage. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.
Power-shot, 1st lvl spell: Infuse a piece of ammunition with magic. Make a ranged weapon attack against a target. If it hits the target takes 1d4 Necrotic damage and 1d4 Cold damage and is Dazed until the end of its next turn.
Twin-slice, 1st lvl spell: For the duration (1 minute, no concentration), whenever you make a weapon attack with a melee weapon you wield in one hand with the Light property, you may also make a bonus weapon attack with another weapon you wield in one hand with the Light property. Bonus attacks granted through this spell does not trigger a bonus attack. This cannot be used alongside the rules for Two-Weapon Fighting.
Grant more known spells through subclass features
One hindrance for half casters is their limited repertoire of spells known. If you include more through subclass features it opens up the opportunity to select more niche spells. Spells like Longstrider or Jump (I don't recall if there's any other movement-esque buffs at level 1) could perhaps be bundled together to one spell that selects an aspect of your body to empower on cast. Either you go for movement or jump or whatever else can be included in such a spell. Longstrider is by itself a fine spell (not excellent but fine). Jump however is a lot more... niche to pick up, especially for a Ranger.
Paladin is already getting some attention in this area by having their unique Smite spells included in a class featured spell list of known spells that is also always prepared in the UA6 works.
Trade an extra weapon attack for a spell cast
Give half casters the feature to replace one of their weapon attacks with a spell cast. Their spell slot level progression is already impaired compared to full casters so their spell casts are weaker than a full caster. Most likely there should be certain restrictions on what type of spells can be cast (other than spells that at maximum takes an action) - which might be done through a class feature (aka half casters make a selection of a few spells they have trained more, so they are capable of casting them whilst fighting) - if you don't want to make that distinction specifically per spell. In other words I want half-casters to strike a blow against an enemy and then cast something like a midway spell between Gust and Gust of Wind on another. I don't think it would be thematic to have them cast Time Stop in the midst of their flurry of blows so some restraint would be good. This would also give more life to smaller spells that don't really make sense to spend your entire turn doing but could be worth trading a weapon attack for.
Increase their spell slot quantity
Next to increase their spell slots. To avoid that half casters are very prone to save their spell casting for very specific situations, I would just give them more spell slots overall. However at a lower slot level than full casters to not step on any toes. So the they gain closer to the same quantity of spellcasting but not the same quality as full casters. If half casters gain class specific spell slots at certain levels like on level 2 you usually gain access to spell casting and 2x 1st level spell slots whilst full casters have 3x 1st level spell slots - that's a fair disparity. At level 3 though full casters gain +1x 1st level and 2x 2nd level spell slots for +3 spell slots. Half casters only gain +1x 1st level at level 3. Here I would make a class featured spell slot for another 1st level spell slot to half casters to put them up to 4x 1st level spell slots at level 3.
How would that work with multiclassing? You do the same as you do now, and then add the class featured spell slots on top. So a 10th level Ranger and 10th level Wizard would have the spell slot progression of a level 15 full caster: 4x 1st level, 3x 2nd level, 3x 3rd level, 3x 4th level, 2x 5th level, and 1x of 6th, 7th, and 8th level spell slots from the multiclass spell slot progression table. On top of that they have whatever spell slots are specifically gained at certain levels from their Ranger class - like the aforementioned +1 1st level from Ranger level 3. And yes later levels for full casters only see very few additional spell slots, so a multiclass full-caster and half-caster is likely going to have more spell slots than a full-caster. However there's still spell points to level out that issue along with your spell list progression for the multiclasser is limited to what it gains from its individual classes. So if you value a larger quantity of lower level spells over big spells... that's a possibility for you.
That's a lot of bonus, what's the catch?
Obviously yes this is mainly just bonuses, and certainly warrant looking into the other aspects of these classes and perhaps specifically their class specific spells like Smites and Hunter's Mark. I feel like it should be possible to tweak these classes to not overshadow neither martial nor spell casters but still feel like you are not choosing between being a poor martial or a poor spell caster. That's why the options that don't force that choice (like Smites or Hunter's Mark - aka bonus action spells) are your primary way to spend your spell slots for most half-caster characters. Hell, such a change might even warrant postponing the Extra Attack feature to later than level 5. Or the attack-for-spell trade might first come online at a later level - like level 6, 7. There should be enough dials to tweak that can balance them out but enable them to go for that magic-empowered warrior archetype. That one feels lacking under the current ruleset.
Personally I would really like half casters to better encompass the spell warrior archetype, using spells alongside their attacks. Using spells to empower their martial prowess more than what we see now. And finally to be able to spell cast more.
How would I do it?
Sorry but all of this sounds like it could be summarized as: "Turn class features for half casters into spells and then give them full caster spellslots to use them with." Which would just end up as a character with the mechanical limitations of a martial character - being reliant on weapon attacks that primarily deal single-target damage - and also all the limitations of a spellcaster - only being able to do the things a few times per day.
One could easily take away Extra Attack from all the half-casters and replace it with a spell-slot powered sneak attack - where you instead of making 2 attacks, make one "magically empowered" attack that gains additional damage of whatever type by expending a spell slot to do so. But IMO there is no way to balance two classes the both make the same number of attacks but one gets a ton of bonuses they can stack onto one of those attacks and the other doesn't. If you just give a Rogue extra attack without changing their sneak attack mechanics it's going to overshadow every other martial at the table.
Hey all,
Let us imagine a completely hypothetical scenario: it is the start of the process for the making of the 1 DND core rulebooks (so quite a while ago) and WOTC asks the community "what do you want to see for the revised versions of classes in the 1 dnd rules?"
I would like to hear what the you guys would want for each of the core classes (and Artificer!) in this hypothetical scenario. Whether it be a change in theme (*cough*monk*cough) or mechanics, throw your best ideas out there.
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I might consider playing one if it was a little less steampunky. I prefer more classic, medieval sword and sorcery, not magitech.
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Tasha
Let's see...
In general:
Unless otherwise noted, the optional features from Tasha's should be standard.
Artificer:
Barbarian:
Bard:
Dunno, not my cup of tea. Bards as an entire class have always seemed goofy to me.
Cleric:
Druid:
Dunno. Their spell list feels like it needs a couple direct damaging options. Every time I've looked at this class, I didn't know what to do with it.
Fighter:
Monk:
Paladin:
Ranger:
Rogue:
Sorcerer:
Warlock:
Wizard:
FWIW, I don't think Artillerist needs Mending as a cantrip tax (their devices expire after an hour, anyway, and Mending can't really be used for combat healing). I would give each subclass a subclass-specific extra cantrip (maaaaybe a choice from a subclass-specific list): Mending for Battlesmith, Firebolt for Artillerist, Acid Splash for Alchemist, Resistance for Armorer; something like that.
I somewhat disagree. An hour is long enough to have multiple fights or what if the SD sets off a trap or something else that causes damage early in the summon? It still feels like mending is a must have cantrip. And would giving artificers mending for free (it’s thematic) be OP?
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Well, they tossed out one of the changes I liked - sub-class features all fall on the same levels regardless of class.
I think warlock needs spell slots with the same progression as eldritch knight or arcane trickster to encourage lower level utility spells without blowing one of their few high level slots.
The monk fix is pretty good, but I think they should get additional ki points equal to their Wisdom modifier (and quit trying to dance around the monk's origins. If you're keeping druid - arguably more culturally specific than 'monk' - you don't need to worry about using terms like 'ki'.)
Druid - I think the template wild-shape was the way to go, but it could have been better implemented. It allows better scaling.
Arti-Artillerist - Don't make it a pet class, make it a blaster. And no force fields/health bubbles.
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Note that my suggestion, just like the first suggestion, still gives every Artificer one more cantrip, and Mending is still on the Artificer spell list. The difference is, instead of that extra cantrip always being Mending, it's something "thematic" for each subclass, and something each subclass is quite likely to take, anyway, freeing up one of the other cantrips to be Mending. It's literally more flexible and more powerful than "give every Artificer Mending."
(Also, Artillerist doesn't have an SD.)
Arguably, it'd be more flexible to give each subclass an extra choice, like "Fire Bolt or Shocking Grasp for Artillerist" and "Mending or Mage Hand for Battlesmith" and such. And let them change it every level or whatever.
This is a good point here, and something I meant to touch on in my previous post. Subclasses that change you into a different roll than your base class, and aren't available at level 1, should really come with an opportunity to swap your stats around somewhat. Or the base class should be given options that allow that role to be at least somewhat feasible - sort of like the 1D&D cleric having that choice between heavy armor, skills, or more cantrips (or something like that; it's been a while since I looked).
In general, I'd want for each class that has something unique about it (Sorcerer's Metamagic, Druid Wildshape, etc.) be usable more often, with accompanying nerfs if need be. It was excruciating playing a low level Sorcerer and have this class defining feature being usable, what, once per day? Twice, if the DM took pity and gave me a Bloodwell Vial.
For the martial classes, I think they'd do better if they all either had one more extra attack, or were given a free push, trip, or disarm attempt per turn. Something along those lines, to give them a little more tactical thought round to round.
Standardizing the subclass levels is a good idea for balancing, as well as allowing some other weird ideas like the initial attempt at the Strixhaven subclasses where they were available to multiple classes.
Really, just attempting to better balance the classes against each other. If that requires nerfs to spellcasters or spells, then so be it.
Arti- I agree with OverdesignBob.
Barb- ditch the Zealot, and port over a version of the Brawler from Fighter. Barb should have some kind of unarmed/grappler/wrestler/mma type subclass. Since Wildheart is animal-themed, I'd like to see World-Tree be plant-themed. So, instead of teleportation (which, along with Advantage, seems to be way to cheap, easy, & prevalent in their UA ideas), I'd like to see World Tree be a Groot-like grappler that can throw enemies or use enemy bodies as bludgeoning weapons. Or move enemies or allies around the battlefield with reaching vine arms. Perhaps a defensive feature reminiscent of Groot's bramble-ball ("WE are Groot." Etc...)
Bard- I'm ok with the themes (Dance vs Glamour, Lore vs Valor.) I think dance needs tweaking, & it should look just a little less like Monk in how some of its features work. I'd like to see Lore lean further into the "scholar" idea. Perhaps free castings of Identify or Legend Lore, or something. Valor could use some buffs. I'd suggest that Combat Inspiration lasts until the beginning of your next turn, rather than for just one attack roll. I think using a Bardic Inspiration for a Shield Spell-like ability is not too over powered, nor would adding the Inspiration die to multiple attacks on a turn.
Cleric- I think the UA subclasses look mostly fine. I think Life coukd be buffed ever so slightly for even better healing. Of course, this subclass- and healing in general- could be given a more important role in combat if hit points were given dynamic consequences that made them less binary (aka whack-a-mole). So, if players suffered some kind of combat consequences for hit point loss (other than unconsciousness at 0 hp). For instance, if they take more than a quarter or a half of their hp in damage in one hit or one round, players could suffer some sort of status effect (like dazed) or Exhaustion (preferably the UA version.)
Druid. I think Circle of the Moon needs to NOT focus on moon-themed spells (like moonbeam). Instead, the whole subclass should be redesigned as the Lycanthrope subclass. I mean, one could re-skin the current version to be lycanthropic as it exists now (or in the UA version), but I think it'd be cool to see some specific player character lycanthrope wild shape mechanics for Moon Druids. I like what the UA did for Circke of the Land. Circle of the Sea looks interesting, but I wonder if they could've gone the Water-Bender route. Or perhaps Sub-Zero or Bobby Drake Ice-Man. Some features that are in those neighborhoods might be cool.
Fighter. Champion needs to be slightly more interesting. I get that it's supposed to be the beginner/gateway subclass. But it should also be interesting enough to engage more veteran players as well. I fear that Battle Master will be made less cool by the advent of Weapon Masteries. Otherwise, BM rules. Eldritch Knight is fine, too. Brawler should be a Barbarian subclass. And they've said it won't be in the 2024PHB. So, what will be the 4th Fighter Subclass? (I actually posted a thread on that very subject a while ago...) Many thought Arcane Archer. Which I'd be fine with- if they update its features to be less restrictive in their number of uses. For me, I'd rather let Ranger be the class that gets the ranged combat focused subclass. Fighter should have an all-out tank subclass. Something with damage reduction and/or resistance. And AC bonuses. Maybe some shield shenanigans. And some kind of taunt mechanic to draw enemy attention their way. I think this kind of play style is missing. Maybe an Armorer Arti can fulfill this role, sort of. But I'd still like to see a non-magical Fighter version.
Monk. Shadow, Open Hand, and Four Elements all look promising, and I like their themes. But Peace should not be one of the four main subclasses. It should be Kensai. Maybe this decision was made in keeping with WotC's aversion to anything that might be accused of cultural appropriation. I dunno. Peace is a mechanically strong subclass. But I think Kensai is a far more interesting and thematically fitting subclass. It is the perfect "opposite" for the Open Hand (if we assume they want to keep their "paired theme" subclasses paradigm.) And they can call them "Discipline" points, "Shadow", and "Elements" if they want, but everyone knows they are "Ki" points, "Ninjas", and "Avatars".
Paladin. I like these subclasses and themes (from the UA). Pally is still probably over-tuned, as a class, but I don't think it's Smites that we're the issue. There should be a burst damage class, and Pally is it. But combined with Lay on Hands healing, and Aura saving throw protection, and spellcasting (granted as half-caster)... it's a bit much. But the subclasses are cool. My one nit-pick is, I'd like to see a name change for Oath of Ancients. "Ancients" sounds cool, but it's not very evocative of the nature-theme of the subclass. But "Oath of Nature" sounds too generic, and too much like the cleric subclass. Glory, Vengeance, and Devotion are all abstract notions of morality. I think "Oath of Purity" would fit with the other 3 as an abstract moral theme, but it doesn't necessarily evoke the nature theme some of the features of the Ancients subclass. So maybe those features could be tweaked to fit the concept of Purity. I dunno.
Ranger. I like how these subclasses are themed/paired. Hunter/Beast Master (hunts animals vs befriends animals), and Fey Wanderer/Gloomstalker (Feywild vs Shadowfell). I think, mechanically, Hunter (moreso than the others) is in desperate need of improvement. First of all- if SOME subclasses get additional spells known, then they ALL should (Same goes for Sorcerers). I think instead of choosing one of several options for a feature at levels 3, 7, 11, & 15, players should get access to ALL of those features at level 3. But then make those features use a limited resource pool- either an existing one like Wis mod or PB times per rest (or per day?). Then at levels 7, 11, & 15, they could either scale those options up, or present new options, or both. This way, you don't feel like maybe you made the wrong choice at level up- you don't feel like you're missing out on a feature you could've had. And it gives Ranger players tactical options, like the UA Rogue and Barbarian got. Otherwise, I think Gloom, Fey, and Beast are all thematically good, if maybe they still need a few tweaks here or there.
Rogue. I like these 4 subclasses. Arcane Trickster is great, always has been. Assassin looks very cool with the UA changes they made, and the implementation and integration of the base class Cunning Strikes feature. Swashbuckler is solid, but I think it could be the one Rogue sub that gets an extra attack. But otherwise, also a clever way of weaving Cunning Strikes into the sub. For Thief, I think they should take a cue from BG3 and make Fast Hands just be an extra bonus action per turn. Maybe limit it to Cunning Action, Sleight of Hand, Use an Object, or the new Study or Search actions (Basically, all of the non-combat actions, so as to avoid the bonus action extra extra attack exploit).
Sorcerer. Mechanically, the subclasses are fine- or on their way to being fine. I really like what they did for Wild Mages. Draconic has always been classic, but could still use a bit of work from the UA. If anything, I'd like to see them tweak the Aberrant and Clockwork, because they seemed stronger than the others (probly due to added spells lists.) So, add spell lists to Draconic & Wild, for starters. Both Clock & Abby are good, but I wouldn't mind seeing the design team take a swing at tweaking them.
Warlock. Good themes. Fiend/Celestial. Fey/GOO. But to be honest, I wish they'd abandon their ideal of "symmetry" for this, because I think Celestial is "ho-hum". Genie is much more interesting, and still fits with the Patron from one of the Planes idea. Besides, Celestial (imo) just is way too much in the area of Clerics and Paladins. Let those squares have Celestial Patrons. Let the cool kids play with beings from the other planes.
Wizard. I'd lament Scribes and Bladesingers not being in 2024, but thankfully... backwards compatible, so yay. So: Abjuror/Evoker and Diviner/Illusionist. Ok. Cool. I get the themes. Gonna piss off some Necromancers, tho. Not to mention Conjurers, Transmuters, and Enchanters. I always had a soft spot for Transmuters, even if I did not like how they were devised. The idea of being able to change "this" into "that" seems like one of the basic ideas of magic. Ditto for Conjuring objects & creatures out of thin air. I'm definitely ok with the 4 schools they chose, given the 4 subclass paradigm. But I will be looking forward to future books with reworks for Necro, Transy, Conjure, and Enchants. As for the four chosen: I think 3 are fine, if not very "flashy" or "flavorful". Abjurer has the Ward, which is cool. Evoker makes pew-pews go boom better. Good. Diviner gets Portent plus some decent features- but I'd like to see something with Arcane Eye and/or Scrying. Improved functionality or free castings or something. Fits the theme. Illusionist really needs work. Improved Minor Illusion is okay... but really level 3 could use more oomph than that. And I still don't really understand Malleable Illusions- what do they mean by "change the nature of the illusion"? I'd like to see maybe a bonus to the caster's save DC for illusions. Or something. And in general, I'd like the PHB & DMG to really clarify how illusion spells should work. I've had some DMs say that, since the enemy could see you casting a spell, they know it's an illusion without making a save. Maybe that's unfair. Maybe it makes sense. I dunno. But the rules could be clearer.
Ok. That's all I got.
Artificer
Barbarian
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Fighter
Monk
Paladin
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Warlock
Wizard
In general, I wanted power to be balanced a bit better. Overall, 5E balance could have been worse, but it could be better. I got a respectable amount of stuff I wished for.
The "Standard Adventuring Day" was anything but standard. 5E classes that leaned towards Long Rests (Paladins, Casters, etc) are significantly more powerful at tables that have 1 or 2 fights a day. Meanwhile, Short Rest classes (Monk and Warlock) required a long day with a couple of Short Rests to be comparable to other classes. The UA patched this a bit, but I do not know if it was sufficient or not. Along with this would be balancing Long Rest casters with martials (which UA did in multiple tiny steps).
I wanted subclasses to be balanced, bringing the bad subclasses (Battlerager, Land Druid, etc) up and the overpowered/overused subclasses (Peace Cleric, Hexblade, etc) toned down. Fortunately moving subclasses to Level 3 fixed multiclassing dips. I was hoping power spikes for certain classes (Monk 14, Paladin 6, Cleric 1) would be spread out over multiple levels.
I wanted overused/overpowered spells (Guidance, Wish, and everything in between) toned down a bit. Or to have a downside (such as Wish decreasing Constitution). Dud spells (too many to list) should be improved or dropped.
Angry Barbarian never appealed to me. I wanted license to RolePlay it as something else (which the UA delivered). I wanted to regain some Rage uses on a Short Rest (which UA delivered). I wanted Brutal Critical to be replaced with something more consistent (which UA delivered).
5E Bard is good, it just needed some minor tweaks. Better scaling of Song of Rest. Countercharm moving to a Reaction. And some adjustments to the spell list, like adding Counterspell. Along with the reigning in of casters in general.
Cleric just needed the general downplay of casters.
Druid NEEDED clarification on the wearing of metal (which UA delivered on). Wild shape needed some polishing (smoothing power spikes) and more beasts that closely matched their CR.
5E Fighter is good. I was hoping Action Surge would appear later to discourage multiclassing. Subclasses needed to be rebalanced though.
5E Monk was a hot mess. It was fragile for a melee class. My top want was for Deflect Attack, which UA delivered on. My next want was Diamond Soul to be split into multiple lower levels (which I did not get). Monk also needs out of combat contributions, which I hoped would be wall/water running at a level early enough to be relevant.
Paladin needed a decrease in nova ability (which UA did).
Ranger needed the Tasha's treatment of fewer ribbons and more solid features. I know some others disagree and consider ribbon features to be flavorful.
5E Rogue was solid. The only thing it needed was the general elevation of martials compared to casters.
Sorcerer needed more identity through metamagic (which UA did). And more than 2 subclasses in the PHB! I was hoping for CON casting to have fewer CHA classes. Along with a mechanic of sacrificing health (via Hit Dice) to regain Sorcery Points.
Warlock needed....a lot. It had the Short Rest issue. It had the issue of being front loaded for multi-class. It had the issue of being another CHA class. And no one could agree on the way to fix these issues because Warlocks have so many different identities. I was at least hoping the Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast was fixed by making it scale with Warlock level.
Wizard needed a nerf. There is already a running joke that it is the best class because of the name "WIZARDS of the Coast".
A fixed Artificer would be nice to have in the PHB as another INT class. But it would need a whole host of fixes.
Overall I wanted the classes to feel the same while balancing them out a bit, especially at higher tiers of play.
I want every class to be able to effectively deliver on the fantasy it promises on the tin. I want each class to feel effective, not drastically overshadowed by other classes (except in areas of the the other's specialty), and for each subclass to be reasonably balanced with the others.
The two classes that needed the most help were the Monk and the Warlock. The monk appears to have been given what it needs, the Warlock has shown a glimmer of hope, but what the final product becomes remains to be seen. I doubt anything will remain 100% as we have seen it in the playtest, even the stuff that has near universal praise. Even that will probably get some tweaks.
This hurts classes even now. The Scout subclass for Rogue either waits to get wilderness skills until level 3, or wastes 2 skill selections to take them right away. Or - if you are really lucky and have an understanding GM, they will let you retrain into something that fits the theme. But that's a house rule and will only benefit some players rather than all. It's one thing to force players to wait for things that round out the concept, but not for things fundamental to the base concept - like having the survival skill on a scout.
I’m fine with gaining subclasses at 3rd level. Your cleric of a trickster god can still do trickster things until their god bestows upon them the powers to charm and disguise themselves (via the spells). And it is quite possible to explain narratively and via RP getting subclass features at 3rd level for those classes that got them earlier in the 2014 PHB
I would hope that the 2024 update would allow changes to be made, like the skills mentioned for the Rogue scout that Roland brought up. Or at least, if you already picked Survival and Nature you can choose two other skills on your list. So that you don’t feel that you are somehow losing out.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
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I also don't like subclasses being gained at 3rd level vs 1st. I also dislike the change to spiritual weapon as it was one of the few things a cleric can do offensively with their bonus action that didn't interfere with concentration.
I'm not so bothered about sub-classes moving to 3rd-level, as it means everyone gets theirs at the same time; most of the groups I play with now start at 3rd- or 5th-level anyway because it's better for character building when you know what you're doing, and I very much recommend that for anyone that wants to play more established characters at the start of a new campaign. That said, I think it makes sense to keep 1st- and 2nd-level as straightforward as possible for newer players to focus on one thing (the class) before worrying about choices beyond that.
Personally I'm more disappointed with the loss of standardised sub-class levels; they teased this early on then dropped it really quickly which was annoying, especially as they tried to blame the players for doing so. It's the way 5th-edition should have been designed to begin with, so classes and sub-classes would be easier to balance, and players would get sub-class features at the same time as well.
Has this change been confirmed? I know they made it concentration in one of the UAs, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't featured since so in later playtests you should just be using the 2014 version of the spell (no concentration). I don't recall them mentioning what the feedback was, so we don't know whether they've rolled back the change or might change it some other way, but I expect a lot of people would have complained about it.
I'm not so bothered about it becoming concentration to break the overuse of spirit guardians + spiritual weapon, however the spell needs some compensation if it's to gain concentration – much faster movement for one thing, as it has historically been far too easy to waste spiritual weapon because of even a small amount of enemy movement taking place in a battle.
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Personally I would really like half casters to better encompass the spell warrior archetype, using spells alongside their attacks. Using spells to empower their martial prowess more than what we see now. And finally to be able to spell cast more.
How would I do it?
Create new spells that entice warrior/ranger types
Make more lower level spells that functions to boost a martial character's capabilities; aka spells that would be interesting for a half caster but not really typical full casters.
Basically it feels like half casters are under this curse of being given scraps from the full casters plate and then a few class specific spells that mostly break their respective level in terms of power. Hunter's Mark is performing way out of its league as a level 1 spell, mostly to compensate that Ranger's selection of 1st level spells is... not that interesting compared to their limited number of spell slots and the trade-off with casting instead of attacking.
Some rough examples could include:
Dash-attack, 1st lvl spell: you move up to 60 feet in a straight line and for each weapon you wield, you may make one weapon attack against a target along the path, each hit dealing an additional 1d6 Force damage. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.
Power-shot, 1st lvl spell: Infuse a piece of ammunition with magic. Make a ranged weapon attack against a target. If it hits the target takes 1d4 Necrotic damage and 1d4 Cold damage and is Dazed until the end of its next turn.
Twin-slice, 1st lvl spell: For the duration (1 minute, no concentration), whenever you make a weapon attack with a melee weapon you wield in one hand with the Light property, you may also make a bonus weapon attack with another weapon you wield in one hand with the Light property. Bonus attacks granted through this spell does not trigger a bonus attack. This cannot be used alongside the rules for Two-Weapon Fighting.
Grant more known spells through subclass features
One hindrance for half casters is their limited repertoire of spells known. If you include more through subclass features it opens up the opportunity to select more niche spells. Spells like Longstrider or Jump (I don't recall if there's any other movement-esque buffs at level 1) could perhaps be bundled together to one spell that selects an aspect of your body to empower on cast. Either you go for movement or jump or whatever else can be included in such a spell. Longstrider is by itself a fine spell (not excellent but fine). Jump however is a lot more... niche to pick up, especially for a Ranger.
Paladin is already getting some attention in this area by having their unique Smite spells included in a class featured spell list of known spells that is also always prepared in the UA6 works.
Trade an extra weapon attack for a spell cast
Give half casters the feature to replace one of their weapon attacks with a spell cast. Their spell slot level progression is already impaired compared to full casters so their spell casts are weaker than a full caster. Most likely there should be certain restrictions on what type of spells can be cast (other than spells that at maximum takes an action) - which might be done through a class feature (aka half casters make a selection of a few spells they have trained more, so they are capable of casting them whilst fighting) - if you don't want to make that distinction specifically per spell.
In other words I want half-casters to strike a blow against an enemy and then cast something like a midway spell between Gust and Gust of Wind on another. I don't think it would be thematic to have them cast Time Stop in the midst of their flurry of blows so some restraint would be good.
This would also give more life to smaller spells that don't really make sense to spend your entire turn doing but could be worth trading a weapon attack for.
Increase their spell slot quantity
Next to increase their spell slots. To avoid that half casters are very prone to save their spell casting for very specific situations, I would just give them more spell slots overall. However at a lower slot level than full casters to not step on any toes. So the they gain closer to the same quantity of spellcasting but not the same quality as full casters. If half casters gain class specific spell slots at certain levels like on level 2 you usually gain access to spell casting and 2x 1st level spell slots whilst full casters have 3x 1st level spell slots - that's a fair disparity. At level 3 though full casters gain +1x 1st level and 2x 2nd level spell slots for +3 spell slots. Half casters only gain +1x 1st level at level 3. Here I would make a class featured spell slot for another 1st level spell slot to half casters to put them up to 4x 1st level spell slots at level 3.
How would that work with multiclassing? You do the same as you do now, and then add the class featured spell slots on top. So a 10th level Ranger and 10th level Wizard would have the spell slot progression of a level 15 full caster: 4x 1st level, 3x 2nd level, 3x 3rd level, 3x 4th level, 2x 5th level, and 1x of 6th, 7th, and 8th level spell slots from the multiclass spell slot progression table. On top of that they have whatever spell slots are specifically gained at certain levels from their Ranger class - like the aforementioned +1 1st level from Ranger level 3. And yes later levels for full casters only see very few additional spell slots, so a multiclass full-caster and half-caster is likely going to have more spell slots than a full-caster. However there's still spell points to level out that issue along with your spell list progression for the multiclasser is limited to what it gains from its individual classes. So if you value a larger quantity of lower level spells over big spells... that's a possibility for you.
That's a lot of bonus, what's the catch?
Obviously yes this is mainly just bonuses, and certainly warrant looking into the other aspects of these classes and perhaps specifically their class specific spells like Smites and Hunter's Mark. I feel like it should be possible to tweak these classes to not overshadow neither martial nor spell casters but still feel like you are not choosing between being a poor martial or a poor spell caster. That's why the options that don't force that choice (like Smites or Hunter's Mark - aka bonus action spells) are your primary way to spend your spell slots for most half-caster characters. Hell, such a change might even warrant postponing the Extra Attack feature to later than level 5. Or the attack-for-spell trade might first come online at a later level - like level 6, 7. There should be enough dials to tweak that can balance them out but enable them to go for that magic-empowered warrior archetype. That one feels lacking under the current ruleset.
Sorry but all of this sounds like it could be summarized as: "Turn class features for half casters into spells and then give them full caster spellslots to use them with." Which would just end up as a character with the mechanical limitations of a martial character - being reliant on weapon attacks that primarily deal single-target damage - and also all the limitations of a spellcaster - only being able to do the things a few times per day.
One could easily take away Extra Attack from all the half-casters and replace it with a spell-slot powered sneak attack - where you instead of making 2 attacks, make one "magically empowered" attack that gains additional damage of whatever type by expending a spell slot to do so. But IMO there is no way to balance two classes the both make the same number of attacks but one gets a ton of bonuses they can stack onto one of those attacks and the other doesn't. If you just give a Rogue extra attack without changing their sneak attack mechanics it's going to overshadow every other martial at the table.