As much as we think the 2024 DnD Players’ Handbook is a decent upgrade over the original 5e ruleset, one thing I’ve seen holding fans back from diving in (along with being mid-campaign and the fact that you have to buy new books and learn a new ruleset) is the absence of most 5e subclasses.
Having only four DnD subclasses for each class in the new PHB is kind of limiting compared to the wealth of options available in base 5e. Hello, Wizards of the Coast, we’re RPG players! We want to splurge out on more adventure modules and setting books than we can possibly use, and have so many character options we face major choice paralysis upon level up.
And while you can easily mix and match – bring 5e DnD classes to a 2024 game and it’s mostly just fine – I’d much rather be playing a class I know was built with the same game rules in mind as everyone else’s and not have to worry about doing any conversion legwork.
But it’s exciting to be able to look forward to new expansions with brand new subclasses to try out. I know Wizards of the Coast has just put out an entirely new class in the Psion, but I’m still keen to see what subclasses it’s cooking.
I’m sure in future instalments, Wizards will come up with some new ideas just like they did with the College of Dance Bard or the Circle of the Sea Druid, but it will also be exciting to see 5e subclasses get the 2024 treatment. This will be a chance to get some fresh takes on old favorites or a second attempt at subclasses that were a little wonky the first time around.
In particular, I’m keen on the idea of weak subclasses getting new versions. Obviously, most of these aren’t fan-favorites, so perhaps Wizards doesn’t have good reason to prioritize them, but I’d be keen to see a Battlerager Barbarian that isn’t outmatched by every other damage-dealer, or an Undying Warlock that feels like more than a cosmetic choice.
While 2024 is backwards compatible for the most part and the majority of the 2014 subclasses work well alongside the 2024 base classes, there are also a few little quirks that could do with being smoothed out through new releases.
Some subclasses became stronger thanks to the changes to the core rules, such as the College of Whispers Bard, and no one has any complaints there. But other subclasses were hurt by the alterations and need some help. Specifically, the Circle of the Shepherd Druid has features that don’t gel with the sweeping changes to conjure spells, while martial subclasses of non-martial classes like the College of Sword Bard should surely now have Weapon Masteries.
Finally, there have been a bunch of UA subclasses playtested over the years that never got an official release, and I’ve seen some discussion online about using 2024 as an excuse to bring these back. The tanky Stone Sorcerer, in particular was well-liked by players and yet still never made it into a book, and I think the Raven Queen Warlock or dinosaur-themed Druid also have a lot of potential.
What subclasses do you want to see in whatever 2024 content Wizards puts out next? Let us know over at our site’s Discord. And if you’re looking for your next read, you might be interested in brewing up a new character with these DnD races and DnD character builds.
Source: Wargamer
