A slew of new changes have just arrived in the D&D class, and they’re really shaking things up for the tabletop RPG.
available As a PDF file In D&D Beyond, this update is being introduced to get player feedback so adjustments can be made before the new core rulebooks that launch in 2024. This time, the focus is on the Barbarian, Fighter, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard classes (in other words, all those who missed out on testing last rules). Although these D&D class changes are not final and may be changed again during playtesting, they give a good indication of how these options will be handled in the future.
The biggest change revolves around spells. In previous playtests, you were able to use a wide range of magic regardless of your class. (A bard can use arcane, divine, or primal spell rolls, for example.) However, these changes were undone because they made certain classes seem less special. As game engineer Jeremy Crawford noted, although these updates “worked well for certain classes — for example, it was a big bonus for a Ranger to have access to the entire initial menu — we found for other classes turning to those large menus tended to dilute their identity.” “
To give you the lowdown on what’s different compared to existing Dungeons and Dragons books, you’ll find all the other significant changes to the D&D genre listed below.
- Barbarians: Along with a new subclass (“Path of the World Tree” that eventually lets you travel along the roots to different levels), these warriors now hit harder than before. For example, the Reckless Attack ability now has advantage on force attacks until your next turn. In other words, your attacks of opportunity can now take advantage of it.
- Fighters: With this update, one of the most reliable classes is now better outside of combat. You can now use Second Wind to add a d10 to any check you fail, and it is not spent if you fail again. There’s also a new “Brawler” subclass that’s all about grappling, improvised weapons, and general wreaking havoc on your enemies.
- Magicians: This category hasn’t seen the biggest change, but there are some notable adjustments. That is, Innate Sorcery gives you advantage on sorcerer spells as well as increasing the difficulty class by 1 for 1 minute. The unpopular Twinned Spell mods have also been eliminated (you can now target an extra creature with a spell as long as it can be upgraded to hit more people in the first place), and you’re more likely to get something out of Wild Magic. Increment table if you choose that subcategory.
- Magicians: Pact Magic is back after proving very popular, and “Magical Cunning” lets you regain half of its Pact Magic spell slots so you don’t get caught with your pants down in combat. Additionally, patron spells are always prepared, while summons are now available from 1st level.
- Processors: Since it wasn’t completed well, the option to create and modify the spell was gone. However, the “Savant” feature has been changed for many subclasses so that you get more spells when you gain new spell slots.
Now that 2024 is upon us, it seems like these playtest changes are starting to take hold – we’re getting a much better idea of what one of the best tabletop RPGs will look like when the new rulebooks launch. Unfortunately, we still don’t know when that will happen, so we’ll just have to keep our ears to the ground in the meantime.
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