With the solo release of Dragons' newest book, Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse a little over a month away, players who didn't purchase the previous books are looking forward to new races and subclasses. With it, a whole new plethora of options will open up to those who may have played the Unearthed Arcana version previously.
Unearthed Arcana allows for playtesting from players before they are approved or set aside for books. From the Monk's Way of the Astral Self to the Ranger's Fey Wanderer, Reddit has gathered to share some of their favorite D&D subclasses that have come from UA.
Monastic Tradition - Way of the Astral Self
From its original introduction to its release in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Way of the Astral Self Monk subclass has been a potent combatant, harnessing their inner spirit into physical form.
Redditor ThePiratePup echoes the sentiment of some fans, saying they are "a big fan of Astral self monk throughout all stages of its development". While the playtest version was more powerful than the official, the Astral Self Monk is perfect for players who want to prioritize Wisdom and make their Stunning Strike harder to resist.
Druid Circle - Circle of Wildfire
Like the Circle of Stars Druid, the playtest Circle of Wildfire went through changes that had some fans unsure if they would enjoy it.
However, in the words of Redditor 's most powerful spells. In exchange, however, it leaned further into the theme of destruction nurturing life, gaining more healing abilities alongside its fire spells.
Martial/Ranger Archetype - Monster Hunter/Monster Slayer
Originally released as the Monster Hunter Fighter, Xanathar's Guide to Everything introduced the Monster Slayer Ranger. Hunters of supernatural threats like vampires and dragons, the Monster Slayer adds tools to hunt their quarry to the Ranger's arsenal. Redditor BlackFang08 says the "Monster Slayer does have amazing ideas for a base Ranger."
Even though both versions are flavored very much like a Witcher, the Monster Slayer and Monster Hunter saw significant changes to the skill set to better fit the class it was released for.
Bard College - College of Spirits
Practitioners of occult magic Bards of the College of Spirits channel the stories of the dead. Released officially in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, the Bard College saw little mechanical change from playtest to publication, but much of the presented flavor was clarified and improved upon.
With abilities to help and harm, Redditor any D&D player should play a Spirits Bard at least once.
Ranger Archetype - Fey Wanderer
Drawing on the magic of the Feywild, the Fey Wanderer gives players a Ranger that can function just as well in a high stakes social encounter as it can in the wilderness. Redditor terminus_core points out how the Fey Wanderer expands on the Ranger's role, a niche that is otherwise unoccupied in the other published subclasses.
The subclass underwent slight changes between playtest and the official Tasha's Cauldron of Everything release. However, it still holds to the original theme, using Fey's tendency towards charm, fright, and psychic magic throughout its abilities.
Druid Circle - Circle of Stars
The Circle of Stars Druid harnesses the power of the stars, gaining both radiant and oracular abilities. The subclass didn't receive very many changes from playtest to the official release. It lose a nova burst teleportation but gained a greater fluidity and versatility.
Even though Redditor Polyamaura felt the changes were a power reduction, Polyamaura still enjoys the subclass, saying "the release nerfs really cooled me off towards it, but I still think that Wildfire and Stars are some of my favorite subclasses as far as concept execution goes for Druids."
Primal Path - Path of the Wild Soul/Path of Wild Magic
Path of Wild Magic Barbarians takes a page from the Sorcerer, rolling on a table for a random effect each time they rage. While it can be unpredictable, Redditor Straight_Attention_5 likes the "variety of effects you get whenever you Rage."
With abilities that include a pseudo detect magic, to bolster allies, and ways to cycle through the Wild Surge table, the potential for surprise and uncertainty makes it a fun subclass that stands out even against the s most overpowered subclasses.
Artificer Specialist/Arcane Tradition - Archivist/Order of Scribes
Originally released as a bookish subclass for the Artificer, the Archivist began as a crafter of scrolls and creator of arcane intelligence. Some Redditors like Dizzy_Employee7459 preferred the subclass as part of the Artificer, calling it "an amazing Artificer sub."
As a Wizard subclass, the Order of Scribes kept much of the Archivist's descriptive flair and adapted some of the iconic abilities to fit the s strongest casters. The subclass also drew from the former playtest Lore Mastery Wizard, granting limited ability to change the damage types of your spells.
Martial Archetype - Psi Knight
Published in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything alongside the Soul Knife Rogue and the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer, the Psi Knight Fighter completes the trio of subclasses that, along with two feats, finally introduced psionics to D&D 5e.
Many fans have expressed displeasure about the introduction, but Redditor Middle_Mushroom_9876 is a fan of the Psi Knight Fighter, saying "I thought it was really fun and pulled towards a more group protection angle." While most of the abilities were conceptually unchanged, the official mechanics changed significantly when the Psionic Die was changed.
