Dungeons and Dragons just put out a new Unearthed Arcana playtest document testing out changes to several popular subclasses, including the Path of the Spiritual Guardian and Storm Herald Barbarian, Cavalier Fighter, Warrior of Intoxication Monk, and Oathbreaker Paladin. These subclasses, most of which originally appeared in Xanathar’s Guide, have been updated to match the 2024 core rules update for Dungeons and Dragons.
Few books in Dungeons and Dragons history have been as widely-beloved as Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Heralded by many as the “missing half” of the Player’s Handbook, this 2017 masterpiece included tons of new content for players and dungeon masters alike, including a whopping 31 subclasses.
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D&D Unearthed Arcana Updates Xanathar’s Guide Subclasses
Now, several of those subclasses are getting a facelift for the modern era of 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Wizards of the Coast recently released a new Unearthed Arcana featuring revisions to five subclasses, four of which were first seen in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything:
- Barbarian – Path of the Spiritual Guardian (formerly Ancestral Guardians)
- Barbarian – Path of the Storm Herald
- Fighter – Cavalier
- Monk – Warrior of Intoxication (formerly Way of the Drunken Master)
- Paladin – Oathbreaker (from Dungeon Master’s Guide 2014)
The Path of the Spiritual Guardian and Storm Herald Barbarian subclasses in Dungeons and Dragons both received some pretty nice buffs to their original abilities. The Spiritual Guardian’s Spiritual Protectors now provide options for dealing additional damage, Spirit Shield now scales with level, and a new capstone called Vengeful Spirits can grant them extra attacks. Meanwhile, the Storm Herald’s Storm Aura now scales with Barbarian Rage Damage, and features reworks to Raging Storm’s environmental effects.
The Cavalier Fighter, one of the strongest Fighter subclasses in D&D, can now use its Unwavering Mark with impunity, and gets a speed boost on the first round of combat with Ferocious Charger, while the Warrior of Intoxication Monk, previously known as the Way of the Drunken Master, gains the ability to make special beverages with Mystic Brew to double down on the alcohol-themed subclass. Meanwhile, the Oathbreaker Paladin – the only one of these subclasses not from Xanathar’s Guide originally – received a massive rework, and can now summon undead, combo with Divine Smite, and enhance their Aura of Protection with dread powers.
It is currently unclear what Dungeons and Dragons book these options will appear in. The subclasses from D&D's Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun and Eberron: Forge of the Artificer books coming this year have already been revealed, meaning these iconic options will likely show up in an unannounced product next year. Regardless, the survey for these subclasses opens November 6, so fans hoping to help shape them for their final iterations should be sure to fill it out once it is available.
- Franchise
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
- 1974
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
- E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson