Every previous edition of Dungeons & Dragons features its own roster of classes, using the rule change to shake up the player character options. 6e is bound to do something similar, possibly reworking several well-established D&D 5e classes, but if it’s still relying on 5e’s class list on the whole, then there may not be much room for wholly new class options. While there are a variety of areas for growth within D&D’s current class roster, there are also design elements that may make adding new classes difficult. Wizards of the Coast will have to walk a fine line if it wants to expand the D&D class list.
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Dungeons & Dragons Still Has New Class Opportunities
The current list of classes available in Dungeons & Dragons 5e has plenty of gaps left to be filled by 6e. 5e still lacks a Constitution-based class, for instance, and while the Artificer adds a valuable new Intelligence-based option, there’s still room to add some creative new classes based on Intelligence, whether they’re also magical like a Wizard or a martial support class like a Tactician. Wizards of the Coast could also introduce new half-casters to D&D in 6e. Much like how Paladins are a martial take on a Cleric, D&D could use martial takes on Bards and Sorcerers that provide clever new balances of might and magic.
A large wave of new classes in D&D 6e wouldn’t just diversify the class list, but they’d open doors to new subclasses as well. D&D 5e has tons of compelling subclasses, but because each class has a very specific theme, subclasses are fundamentally limited by each class concept to certain degrees. Bard subclasses always have to tie into the power of words or music somehow, Paladin subclasses have to tie into an oath, and so on. If D&D adds more classes in 6e, then Wizards of the Coast has lots of new bases to build subclasses on. Every class that joins D&D brings multiple subclasses with it, thereby adding lots of possible gameplay experiences to the game.
New Classes Might Be Superfluous in D&D 5e
However, while the 5e subclass system would make new classes highly impactful, they also cut down on the need for more classes. Even if each D&D 5e subclass needs to tie into a certain theme, most of those themes have proven flexible enough to take classes in lots of different direction. D&D 5e’s Rogues, for instance, have subclasses that range from the detective-like Inquisitive to the haunted Phantom to the classic Thief. These vastly disparate subclass concepts partially cover a lot of ground that new D&D classes might try to tap into, meaning new classes might struggle to stand out alongside subclasses that already fill their niches, in part or in whole. Creating a whole class with a new theme is also much more work for WotC than just creating a subclass that introduces new skills and abilities with the help of established mechanics.
Ultimately, the question of new classes may be a matter of balance. D&D 6e should definitely add a new class or two; there are a few significant mechanical niches that subclasses would likely struggle to cover, and the success of the Artificer proves that 5e could use a few more classes. Moderation will serve WotC well, however. Focusing on subclasses over new classes will make 6e meld with 5e more naturally while avoiding unnecessary overlap. There’s still quite some time to go before D&D 6e rolls around, but fans should be prepared for a big shift in gameplay areas like the class roster nonetheless.
Dungeons & Dragons 5e is available now.
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