Wizards of the Coast says that it’s working on another edition ofDungeons & Dragons, meaning change is on the horizon for fans of the acclaimed tabletop RPG. However, this promised 6th edition may not change the game as drastically as previous editions, since 6e is meant to be compatible with the currently thriving 5e. In other words,Dungeons & Dragonsfans likely won’t have to learn many new rules in the near future. While that makes things easier for 5e fans, it does raise questions about how much new content Wizards of the Coast will be able to introduce, especially in the area of new classes.
Every previous edition ofDungeons & Dragonsfeatures 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-establishedD&D 5eclasses, 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 withinD&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 theD&Dclass list.
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Dungeons & Dragons Still Has New Class Opportunities
The current list of classes available inDungeons & Dragons5e 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 toD&Din 6e. Much like how Paladins are a martial take on a Cleric,D&Dcould use martial takes on Bards and Sorcerers that provide clever new balances of might and magic.
A large wave of new classes inD&D6e wouldn’t just diversify the class list, but they’d open doors to new subclasses as well.D&D5e 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. IfD&Dadds more classes in 6e, then Wizards of the Coast has lots of new bases to build subclasses on. Every class that joinsD&Dbrings 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 eachD&D5e 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&D5e’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 newD&Dclasses might attempt 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&D6e should definitely add a new class or two; there are a few significant mechanical niches that subclasses would likely struggle to cover, andthe success of the Artificerproves 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 beforeD&D6e rolls around, but fans should be prepared for a big shift in gameplay areas like the class roster nonetheless.
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