D&D 5E Let's pitch fun new class ideas [+]

[Stormonu]

Another off-the-wall class...

The Companions
You're not running one PC, but two or three. They have a shared sort of hit point pool and get abilities related to two or more of the companions acting in unison. Each individual in the Companion by itself is weaker than a single PC, but together they should equal out to any other party member. Things like Extra Attack isn't the same individual making two attacks, but two of the companions making one attack each.

This would allow for certain emulations of "the Duo" or "Triad" without having to delve into Sidekick rules. You could do characters like Batman & Robin, The Corsican Twins, Cheech & Chong, Abbot & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, The Three Amigos, etc. Maybe even a better Beastmaster than the Ranger's Beast companion.

 

[TwoSix]

Another off-the-wall class...

The Companions
You're not running one PC, but two or three. They have a shared sort of hit point pool and get abilities related to two or more of the companions acting in unison. Each individual in the Companion by itself is weaker than a single PC, but together they should equal out to any other party member. Things like Extra Attack isn't the same individual making two attacks, but two of the companions making one attack each.

This would allow for certain emulations of "the Duo" or "Triad" without having to delve into Sidekick rules. You could do characters like Batman & Robin, The Corsican Twins, Cheech & Chong, Abbot & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, The Three Amigos, etc. Maybe even a better Beastmaster than the Ranger's Beast companion.

I love the idea, but it's definitely easier to implement with "ranger and beast" or "caster and summon" than it is with two roughly analogous humanoids.

 

[Argyle King]

Strength and Charisma based "monk" (or possibly bard) that is based upon 1980s pro-wrestling.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Mining Final Fantasy for new classes is always fun:

• Dragoon - heavy armored class based on mobility.
• Archer
• Dark Knight
• Geomancer - spellcaster with spell lists based on the terrain they are in.

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[Shardstone]

Augur: the urban cousin of the druid, more focused into constructs as monster allies.

Harupex: the biopunk cousing of the necromancer, about altering living tissues, something like the biohacker and the evolutionist of Starfinder, or the lifeshapers from Dark Sun

Totemist Shaman: a mixture of Totemist (magic of incarnum) and binder (3.5 Tome of Magic). You can summon a totemist beast and using points of essence to unlock more monster traits.

Nagual: like the shifter class from Pathfinder, a spellcaster focused into shapesifter.

Martial adepts: the update of 3.5 Tome of Battle.

Knight: Fighter with heavy armor and.. a "legacy gift", like a special bless or a magic item exclusive for certain bloodlines or chavalry orders. This legacy gift only can be attuned with the knights (or certain knight subclass). Some gifts are more focused for social interactions and palace intrigues.

Archivist: divine spellcaster without armor, more buffer-breaker and "anti-summoner", with some touch of runepriest, using magic runes like crafted single-use magic item, and other little touch of psalm, like the truename magic, but not at-will but it needs reload like martial maneuvers (a Concentration check for example).

I have written three haruspex clases in the past! Never seen someone else mention the idea!

 

[RoughCoronet0]

A Monster class, where you take on the traits of a certain types or category of creature.

In a similar vein, a Symbiote class where you meld with a parasitic creature that changes your physiology and grants you strange powers.

 

[TwoSix]

Geomancer - spellcaster with spell lists based on the terrain they are in.

Not exactly the same, but I've always houseruled Land Druids to get their bonus spells from whatever terrain they're in when they take a long rest.

 

[Stormonu]

A Monster class, where you take on the traits of a certain types or category of creature.

In a similar vein, a Symbiote class where you meld with a parasitic creature that changes your physiology and grants you strange powers.

Kind of like the psionic symbiotes of Dark Sun or maybe a system like Incarnum?

 

[Willie the Duck]

I would like something along the lines of a Warshaper class -- not just turn into beasts but get bear claws with bird wings and (maybe) dragon breath on top of both. I know the 2025 playtest sorta did this with druid and there being pushback. However, if that was the deliberate theme, I think there would be buy-in.

It's so 'what you encounter'-dependent that I don't know how well it would work, but a kind of Spell/Ability-thief/Blue-mage class has potential.

Alongside luck-based characters, a Fate-based one would be interesting. One who is fated, but also perhaps can steel fates and/or curse others.

I love the idea, but it's definitely easier to implement with "ranger and beast" or "caster and summon" than it is with two roughly analogous humanoids.

On that note, someone should just float the general Summoner/Caller/Pokemon Trainer class. That's one that pops up in every thread like this.

 

[TwoSix]

I would like something along the lines of a Warshaper class -- not just turn into beasts but get bear claws with bird wings and (maybe) dragon breath on top of both. I know the 2025 playtest sorta did this with druid and there being pushback. However, if that was the deliberate theme, I think there would be buy-in.

I'd love to see a "Changeling on steroids" class. Don't turn into specific creatures, just keep adding on more and more abilities onto the assumed forms.