The Future of D&D 5, Part 1: Mastering the Battlefield

The newest Unearthed Arcana is absolutely massive, with 50 pages, 5 classes, and a large change to how weapons work. There's a lot to look at, so I'll break this analysis up into a few different posts to make it more readable. Now, let's dive into what this new playtest says about the future of D&D!

Barbarian

Starting off with the Barbarian and immediately we see the changes made to the class. At first level, Rage, the iconic feature, has become easier to maintain. Rage can now be extended through a Bonus Action, and making a saving throw has been added to the effects that will automatically keep Rage going. Gone are the days of Barbarian PCs having to punch themselves in the face repeatedly to keep Rage up. Rage has been extended to a maximum duration of 10 minutes instead of 1, with the reason behind this change coming up soon.

Making Rage easier to maintain means we won’t have as many weird situations where a player has to hurt themselves in order to keep their bonuses up. Since Rage is the big part of the class, this makes sense to keep Rage active more easily. Adding Saving Throws feels like something that should have been fixed earlier, so I am glad to have it added officially. The 10 minute duration, however, feels odd. I guess it makes sense given the expanded use for it, but to me it is a reminder of how weird tracking time can be outside of combat or resting. NOTE: After rereading, I realize that rage is maintained by forcing an enemy to make saving throws. I think takes away the fear of grappling or shoving causing a barbarian to lose their Rage, but it feels less powerful to me than I originally understood.

Another new feature we get here is Weapon Mastery, which I'll discuss in more detail later on. This feature gives a Barbarian the ability to add extra abilities to their attacks. In addition to dealing damage, an attack may knock an enemy prone, force them to attack at disadvantage, or grant bonuses when attacking them. This feature makes sense for fully martial or martial-centric classes, and I like it.

At level 2, the Barbarian gets a new feature called Primal Knowledge. This feature adds some out-of-combat utility to Rage. While Rage is active, a Barbarian can make certain ability checks with Strength instead of their chosen skill. These skills include Acrobatics, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, and Survival, representing the power inherent to Rage, granting them additional powers.

When I first read this feature, I couldn't stop laughing. The mental image of a raging barbarian quietly sneaking in the shadows feels hilarious to me. In all seriousness, however, I feel like this does a good job of providing some utility to a class that primarily focuses on damage. Narratively, the skills picked seem a bit silly. At a glance, it also appears that this feature could become overpowered if a player wanted to abuse it, but I want to see it in action before making that decision. If it ends up being overpowered, limiting the number of skills to a certain amount per Rage would be a good start.

The next change comes at level 7 with the changed Feral Instinct class feature. Danger Sense, the 2nd level feature that provided advantage on Dexterity saving throws, has been merged into this ability in this play test. Additionally, the wording makes that Dexterity saving throw a bit more broad. So now you get advantage on Initiative and Dexterity saving throws all at once. 7th level is when a character gains powers that set them apart from the rest of the world, so this ability feels right for where it is.

Indomitable Might has been moved to 9th level instead of 18th. This ability lets a Barbarian swap their roll results with their Strength value. While at 9th level, you can only swap for a 9, but I prefer to see this ability show up earlier in the class so that players have time to use it.

After Indomitable Might, the next change is Brutal Critical, which is now at 11th level instead of 15th level. The additional damage has been adjusted, now equal to your Barbarian level instead of rolling an extra die on a critical hit. Some might not like that because rolling more dice is one joy of doing well in D&D, but I think this streamlines combat a bit more.

At the 13th level, we see Persistent Rage, moved here from its original spot at the 15th level. The wording stays the same, though it adds more wording to specify actions like putting on Heavy Armor or becoming incapacitated end Rage. Again, I enjoy seeing fun features moved earlier since it means more people will have time to try them.

Relentless Rage, moved down to the 15th level from its current spot at the 11th level, has had a significant change. Previously, dropping to 0 while raging would bring back a Barbarian at 1 HP. The new version of the feature brings you back with hit points equal to double your Barbarian level. The purpose of this, as mentioned, was to avoid the ping-pong nature that Relentless Rage would cause. Everything else stays the same, and we end up with a much more solid way for players to last on the field against formidable enemies.

Rage Resurgence is the final new feature for the core class. At the 17th level, Barbarians will now gain one use of their Rage every time they roll initiative. According to the playtest document, this replaces the original capstone feature that gave unlimited rages. Since Rage now has additional utility, it makes sense; otherwise, you would buff Barbarians permanently, which feels unbalanced and makes sense to me.

Overall Thoughts on the Barbarian Changes

I find myself a bit split on the new Primal Knowledge ability. On one hand, adding utility to the pure martial classes is nice. Something that 5E has struggled with for its entire duration is giving enough space for non-spell casters to have options outside of combat. Not only is utility, but it uses an existing core feature of the class. At the same point, it feels like it could be extremely powerful, and potentially step on the toes of some of the other classes, like Rogue. But I am not super concerned about that, since I think tying it to Rage limits that problem a bit. Overall, I like what this change is attempting to do.

Path of the Berserker

The updated Barbarian subclass, Path of the Berserker, has seen numerous changes that significantly impact its playstyle. Although it remains an iconic class, it has become less popular as more options emerged. The recent changes, however, could potentially revitalize the subclass.

The first notable change is in the Frenzy ability. Previously, using this ability would cause a point of exhaustion. Now, instead of granting a bonus action extra attack, it provides additional damage on the first attack of each turn. This damage is calculated as several d6s equal to your rage damage bonus (e.g., a bonus of +2 results in 2d6).

This change to Frenzy is quite appealing, as it reduces the chance of missing an attack and streamlines combat. Removing exhaustion is a more contentious change. On one hand, the current exhaustion rules are punishing, discouraging players from using this ability too often. On the other hand, the thematic element of exhaustion resulting from a full-on frenzy is appealing. A potential solution could be to embrace the changes to exhaustion that were suggested earlier, changing the penalties to a stacking -1 modifier.

At 6th level, Mindless Rage has been altered. Initially, it would suspend Charmed and Frightened conditions on the Barbarian, which would return after the rage ended. With the new changes, entering a rage now ends these conditions entirely. This change simplifies the rule and feels more thematic, as the Barbarian uses their primal fury to overcome mental conditions.

Retaliation, now at 10th level instead of 14th, remains mostly unchanged. It allows a reaction against a creature that damages the Barbarian and is within 5 ft. Although this is a straightforward ability, it would be interesting to see reach weapons factored in as well.

Intimidating Presence has been moved to 14th level. Now, the effect works on all creatures within a certain range, which doubles when in a rage. This change makes the ability seem more powerful and fitting for a high-level Barbarian.

Overall thoughts on Berserker

Overall, the Berserker has seen many improvements, removing negatives and enhancing its damage output. The subclass now feels more tanky with the ability to end Charmed and Frightened effects entirely. These changes bring the Berserker more in line with the goals of the new playtest and the current state of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.

Fighter

Moving on to the Fighter, it's worth mentioning that this is my favorite class in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. I've always enjoyed the concept of a purely melee character in a world filled with magic and wonder. However, I don't fully agree with the 5e Fighter's design. In the early D&D 5E playtests, the idea was to make Battle Master Maneuvers a core element of the Fighter class, with Fighters having a pool of superiority dice to spend on various effects, both in and out of combat. I had hoped we would get a return to this, and in a way we did with Weapon Mastery. It was not what I had hoped for, but I understand why.

Before diving into the changes, the Fighter now gains proficiency in the Persuasion skill. This is meant to represent the fantasy leader who can use charisma to lead others into battle. While not a major concern, it's a nice addition.

At first level, Second Wind has been modified. Instead of one use per rest, it now starts with two uses per long rest. The number of uses increases to a maximum of four at higher levels. This change enhances the Fighter's survivability and reduces their reliance on short rests for healing.

The wording of Action Surge, which remains at 2nd level, has been adjusted. Now, instead of providing an extra action, it allows for a specific list of Fighter abilities: Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Dodge. This change narrows the use of Action Surge and reduces its potency for non-martial Fighters. Since casting a spell is its own type of action now, we won’t see Action Surge being used to cast multiple cantrips in one turn (or multiple spells, stepping on Sorcerer’s toes). 

Weapon Mastery, also seen in the Barbarian class, is introduced along with 7th level Weapon Expert and 13th level Weapon Adept features to add further utility to this new mechanic. These allow Fighters to gain extra abilities for weapon attacks and switch effects during a long rest. 

While I appreciate the added versatility, I still wish the core class had Battle Master Maneuvers. The original play test version of The Fighter had Battle Master Maneuvers built into the corner of the class. I think weapon mastery is a return to that ability. It feels like it is giving martial characters more with weapon attacks. Instead of just doing damage we now have all these little extra ribbon abilities that can go on them. That being said, I would be lying if I said I was not a little disappointed that we're not seeing Maneuvers in the class's core, but I understand. While it would make a much more useful character, I think Wizards of the Coast wanted to keep the fighter class somewhat simple to allow newer players to jump into things. I feel like the weapon Mastery is their version of a compromise between the two options. I can live with that, though I wish that somehow fighter could get some sort of utility outside of combat that doesn't come from them just collecting feats. Perhaps Fighters could have their own class-specific Weapon Masteries that give them just a little more. These could be used with the 7th and 13th level features, allowing the fighter to have unique abilities they can swap onto their weapons.

At 17th level, the new Unconquerable feature allows Fighters to spend a use of Second Wind to re-roll saving throws after using the Indomitable feature. The wording could be improved for simplicity, but the feature is a nice bonus.

The capstone ability, Three Extra Attacks, has been moved to 18th level to make way for Epic Boons. Although I have no issue with this change, I believe D&D should focus on increasing damage rather than the number of attacks per turn, as it can slow down combat.

Overall Thoughts

The updated Fighter offers more combat options and flexibility, with the new Weapon Mastery ability adding an extra layer of depth. The class is now less reliant on short rests, which helps balance resting across different classes. However, I wish there were more core features providing flexibility to Fighters. It's important to remember, though, that the Fighter class is designed to be accessible to newer players, so simplicity remains a priority.

Champion Subclass

Since we are looking at fighter, that means the Champion subclass is not far behind. Champion Fighter has always been something I see in relation to players who are newer or do not want to worry about massive amounts of rules and features to remember. It could be one of the core identities for the fighter.

At 3rd level we see the new Adaptable Victor ability. This ability allows for a fighter to gain proficiency in a fighter skill they currently do not have proficiency in and lasts until the end of their next long rest. So at the beginning of every day, Champions get an additional proficiency that they can choose. Immediately this gives the class flexibility, which is something I feel goes hand in hand with fighter.

Next we see that Additional Fighting Style has been dropped to 6th level from 10th level. I am all for this, because I think again it leans into the flexible style that is so core to this class. Additionally, I think this will help newer players. They will not feel as if they have to spend most of the game with just one fighting style, giving them the option to try out more than one.

At 6th level, the Fighter gains a new ability called Heroic Warrior. This allows a Fighter to grant themselves Heroic Advantage, the new form of Inspiration, once per combat if they start without it. As a result, a Champion Fighter can re-roll one die roll per combat, or potentially two. This feature aligns with the concept of a Fighter as a scrappy brawler whose skills can help them out in a pinch. However, I have mixed feelings about it being linked to Heroic Advantage.

That said, I appreciate the introduction of per-combat abilities in OneD&D. While 4E wasn't an overwhelming success, one of its strengths was balancing powers around combat, with many abilities available a certain number of times per combat. This approach can help address the resource balancing issues seen in 5E. I not only like this ability but also hope to see more per-combat features in the future.

The final ability for the Champion is called Survivor, which becomes available at 14th level. This grants Champions two distinct abilities. First, they gain advantage on death saving throws and treat rolls of 18-20 as a 20 for succeeding on those saves. Second, at the start of each turn, a Champion regains 5 + their Constitution modifier hit points if they are below half health. Both of these abilities contribute to a Champion's longevity in combat. They create a more forgiving and durable character, which can be particularly beneficial for newer players.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, the Champion, while not overly exciting, does an excellent job of maintaining a simple character's viability. The changes are focused on increasing the Fighter's flexibility through Adaptable Victor and the earlier Additional Fighting Style. Furthermore, the Champion becomes a much more durable character with abilities like Survivor and Heroic Warrior. This subclass serves a valuable purpose, and any additional changes could potentially detract from that.

Weapon Updates and Weapon Mastery

Now I have been referencing Weapon Mastery earlier on in this post multiple times. While I touched on them briefly, I wanted to go into more detail on them. All weapons now have a Mastery property (listed in a table), which is only usable by a character with the Weapon Mastery feature (Fighter and Barbarian have them built in, and the new Weapon Master feat can grant it to a single weapon type, changeable on a long rest). These abilities automatically occur on a successful weapon attack and offer minor additions to attacks. 

Options include Cleave, which allows for a second attack on a creature within 5 feet, that only does the weapon’s damage, or Flex, which allows a Versatile weapon to use its larger damage die even if the user wields it with one hand. In theory, this grants martial characters more utility in combat. Attacks allow them to add additional effects based on the weapon. Fighters gain increasing flexibility with these Masteries, enabling them to swap between them or have two on a weapon.

This new feature adds a bit more flexibility for martial characters. Since these effects always trigger and not just on a specific roll, they are a free addition. With each trigger occurring on an attack, multiple attacks mean multiple opportunities to trigger the ability. I hope that in subsequent revisions, all characters that receive a Fighting Style gain access to a limited form of Weapon Mastery. The Warrior group should retain the full version of the ability as it currently is, but perhaps offer the ability to learn Mastery for one weapon type, usable a certain number of times per rest. This would provide more incentive for weapon-using classes. I would also like to see Warrior group classes have some class-specific Masteries that they can apply to any weapon, helping distinguish those who dabble in mastering a weapon from those who make it a core part of their identity.

Additionally, a few minor changes to weapons are worth noting. The short sword is now considered a Martial weapon, not a simple one. Tridents have an overall increase in damage, using 1d8 and 1d10 damage dice. The lance's Special Property (that gave disadvantage) has been removed and replaced with Heavy and Two-Handed, along with a reduction to 1d10 for damage. Note that the Two-Handed feature does not apply while mounted. The net has been removed from weapons and is now considered Adventuring Gear. Lastly, the War Pick is a versatile weapon like the Warhammer.

The most significant change I focused on was the alterations to the net. In theory, I have always liked the idea of using one in combat, but never saw it in action. The change means that martial characters will benefit from having a net on them, especially once they have multiple attacks in a single Attack action. I wish there were a way for it to have the Light property so that a character could draw and throw the net in a single turn.

Conclusion

In this new Unearthed Arcana, we've seen numerous changes for both Barbarian and Fighter classes. Barbarians gain a taste of skill proficiency with the alterations to Rage, which should be fascinating to see play out in combat. The Berserker subclass has eliminated the risk associated with Frenzied Rage and attempted to balance the additional damage provided. The Fighter class sees their abilities adjusted to focus on flexibility in fighting, reducing the benefits non-martial classes can gain from multiclassing. The Champion subclass further builds on this adaptability and allows for a durable character that has increased flexibility.

The introduction of Weapon Mastery also provides martial fighters with additional effects that they can use during combat, as long as they possess the necessary feature. This enhancement grants martial fighters more utility in battle. The current presentation is a good starting point, but it will likely take some time and iteration to perfect.

I am looking forward to continuing my review of this Unearthed Arcana, and delving into all the new options it provides for the various classes. As I examine these updates, I will be considering how they will change the gameplay, character creation, and roleplaying. It will be interesting to see how these dynamics play out.

What are your thoughts on Weapon Mastery? Do you like the Fighter changes? Let me know below!

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