Top 10 Things I Want to See In 5E D&D

May 1, 2017

Well, it has been awhile since I did a top ten, and I always loved doing them, so let’s have some fun! I recently started playing in a Fifth Edition D&D game and that has inspired me to think on all the things I want to see in this amazing edition. Maybe we can get a vote on what people like and I will try to bring it to reality. Who knows, the sky is the limit with writers on the loose. These will be pulled from pop culture or roleplaying games, especially earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons. Without further delay, here is my list in no particular order.

#1. Iaijutsu Master

Rurouni Kenshin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Back in Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons, there was a prestige class in Oriental Adventures that just wowed me. I cannot express how awesome it was to have an attack option before initiative was rolled. The blend of skill and culture that went with this class drew you into the nobility of the samurai class more than anything else I found. It reminded me of the manga Rurouni Kenshin, in that it was about speed and finesse over armored guys banging away at their armor.

Now, how to bring this into D&D Fifth Edition is a simple. I don’t think a new class is necessary. Though a samurai class would be nifty, I think the route we should take is one of an archetype for the fighter. It would not take much, an ability to add the intelligence modifier to armor class and initiative would be a good start. Then from there take a mechanic similar to the battle master to add techniques the Iaijutsu Master can learn. Some ability to attack before initiative in exchange for giving up your action surge would be a nice ability that would stay thematic. What do you think? Comment below!

#2. Chronomaster

My favorite power sets from Mutants & Masterminds and from various other sources is the ability to play with time. Wouldn’t this be fun in Fifth Edition D&D? Perhaps as a sorcerer bloodline or wizard school? I think the possibilities would be endless, but it’s main issue is power balance. Screwing with time is a little overpowered if left to its own designs.

How I would do this in Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons is I would make it a Sorcerer option. A mechanic to freeze a person in time, perhaps a Tracer (Overwatch) reset ability, too. Maybe have a fuel economic where you have to steal time to give time and thus you have to manage what you do as it balances out. I think it would be fair to have a backlash mechanic where the player suffers the balance if he holds a charge too long. Haste, slow, and time stop are the obvious choices for spell-like abilities. Maybe an entropic bolt cantrip that fuels the whole show? Hmm … I like this. What are your thoughts?

#3. Sword Sage

Another older Dungeons & Dragons piece that needs an update bad. These guys were one of the last bits in 3.5 that was something new and interesting. A precursor to Fourth Edition, this was an amazing class in how it blended swords and sorcery in amazing new ways. You could, through skill and talent, do spell-like abilities that rocked the battlefield, stances that changed the way you played, and even emulate other classes in ways you could never dream of doing before. The schools of study were amazing in how one sword sage would be totally different from another. I think the stances mechanics would be especially interesting, even if reduced to a series of feats.

How to achieve this is kinda complicated since it would have to be different than the battle master, monk, and ranger. This would have to be built from the ground up. Perhaps bringing the nine swords into three arch types with each one having three of the styles? I think this might be a lot of fun but a lot of work. I think you guys are worth it, don’t you?

#4. Monster Classes

I love World of Darkness, this much is known. Fourth Edition Dungeons & Dragons had a vampire class, and there was a D20 system conversion of WoD, but something for Fifth Edition would be mind blowing. Could you imagine playing a werewolf or vampire? Perhaps as you level you unlock more of the legendary abilities? Clans and tribes handled through archetypes? I think that would be a lot of fun, especially since there is the Curse of Strahd already. The process is pretty straight forward, but would need to be play tested all to bloody hell.

#5. Slayers

A certain litigious company, a workshop of games if you will, has an amazingly diverse world that spans two different timelines. In their fantasy-based world they have a Dwarven people who give it all up to redeem their honor. Throwing themselves at evil over and over again until they drop, these guys are something amazing in their style and attitude.

Now, this would likely end up being a barbarian, fighter, or ranger archetype. Maybe just a fighting style and background? I honestly cannot figure out off the top of my head what is the best route, but the similarity to the berzerker makes this a tad hard to do it the easy way. Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition is definitely capable of pulling it off, though.

#6. Spirit Shaman

Okay, this has to be one of my favorite classes to come out of Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition. These guys were a ball of tricks that made them like the sorcerer version of a druid. Besides having that weird casting, they had this spirit companion that could assist in casting. The absolute best was when my group’s spirit shaman told me, “I revive … myself!” Seriously, I did a spit take with my Guinness and had to double take on that one.

How to do this would be a druidic circle with the spirit companion enhancing the casting abilities of the druid as he levels up. I think a cool ability to make would be to temporarily bond with the spirit companion and become more like whatever it is. So many possibilities, and each one is as entertaining as the last.

#7. Alchemist

I know, blasphemy, but I like this Pathfinder class. I love it, in fact, especially the surgeon-type archetype. The way the artificer archetype rolled out for Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons left a bad taste in my mouth in many ways. I need something real, something with the science intact. I want the crazy inventor who experiments in ways that are both eldritch and methodical. I don’t know about you, but the game needs more cowbell, I mean explosions. Anyway, the only way to do this right is its own class built from the ground up within Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition.

#8. Gunslinger

Gasp! It is back! Pathfinder made it right, and Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons screwed it up with the knock-off Artificer class. I am sure you all can agree that thing was a travesty. The baseline was good, but the archetypes sucked. Anyway, I love the gunslinger and it has so many styles that it needs to be its own class. I am thinking with options like Mysterious Stranger (close combat, quick draw shooter), Sharpshooter (ranged specialty), and Swashbuckler (melee and guns). I think this could work, don’t you?

#9. Summoner

This was another class from Pathfinder, but one that was amazingly unique. I could see this as a wizard school or its own class. Either way, Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons needs this class. I think it would be best served by having its own class with three styles. I am thinking one summons lots of little critters from the natural world or perhaps demons and such, one would summon a living symbiotic armor, and one brings in the eidelon of Pathfinder fame. Mmmm, I love the eidelon! You cannot tell me that thing is not completely awesome. I loved the very idea of a customizable being from beyond. Not to mention the allure of having the Venom symbiote or Hellspawn suit from the comics would be entirely too fun.

#10. Vanara

This is a race that has popped up in alot of Dungeons & Dragons editions, Oriental Adventures, and even Pathfinder. This intelligent, jocular, and sagacious race of humanoid monkeys are a treat for any group that has one roleplayed well. The fact that they have a climb speed, a rare thing in Fifth, and that they have bonuses to Dexterity and Wisdom would make them a rather entertaining monk or ranger. The tail would likely allow them a few rol play situations, but more than likely it would also allow for stowing of items or some such thing. Plus … Rafiki, you know he was the best part of the Lion King.

Well, those are my ten things. What are yours? With lists like this there is no right or wrong answer, but there is room for discussion. I would love to hear all that you would like to see in Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons. I am sure we can all think of more things that would be awesome to bring in. My schedule allowing, I would like to return to the security discussion I started last week.

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Stay Nerdy,

Nubz

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