One D&D Paladin and Druid

Here follow my notes about the videos Wizards of the Coast released in February 2023 to introduce the first playtest versions of the Paladin and Druid.

For more context and my Standard Disclaimer, check out the introduction to this series.

Paladin

  • Classic features, new things, tune-ups…
  • Divine Smite now works with unarmed strikes and ranged weapons.
  • Divine Smite can now be used no more than 1x/turn.
  • All Smite spells have been revised to be more immediate - hit, use a bonus action immediately to cast the spell. Easier to make a decision on the fly.
  • Can’t do Divine Smite on the same turn as casting a spell.
  • Additional Lay on Hands options at high levels — can now remove more conditions.
  • At 9th level, a new Channel Divinity option called Abjure Foes
  • Channel Divinity starts with 2 uses, recharges on a Short Rest, and scales with leveling.
  • Resource pools have been combined to reduce the amount of separate things you have to track.
  • There’s now a single Aura in the base class, with additional functions and customizations added on with levels and subclass features.
  • A ”more epic” Epic Boon at 20th level — with the first few revisions in this UA and others coming in future revisions. The ASI one is +2 ASI and can go over 20! Epic Boon feats also come with +1 ASI and can take an attribute over 20.
  • High CR monsters for the new Monster Manual are being beefed up to maintain balance.
  • Faithful Steed at level 5 - basically an updated Find Steed as an Action, which can scale if upcast, and which have special planar-influenced abilities.
  • Find Familiar has a similar update, with familiars getting different abilities based on whether they’re celestial, fiend, or fay. This is going to be infrastructure for the forthcoming Warlock class revision!

Oath of Devotion

  • Cast an oath spell 1x/day without using a spell slot to make it easier to use oath spells without competing so much with smites
  • Channel Divinity: Sacred Weapon (which is like the Holy Weapon spell) is now a Bonus Action to invoke rather than an Action
  • Aura of Devotion is now an enhancement of Aura of Protection from the base class
  • Subclass gets its capstone feature, Holy Nimbus, at level 14 and will scale with levels

Bonus spoiler: Necromancer Wizard will be in an upcoming UA, and “easier to be a necromancer”.

Druid

  • Wild Shape now available at 1st level!
  • It’s one part of a feature called Channel Nature — similar to Channel Divinity in Clerics and Paladins.
  • Channel Nature at 2nd level lets you summon a familiar. Later on can do healing with Channel Nature. Want to appeal to the “nature magician” players, not just shape shifters.
  • Weird fact: Druid is actually least-played 5E class, due in large part to complexity of Wild Shape. So…
  • Wild Shape forms and assumed stat blocks are provided in the class: Animal of the Land, Sky, or Sea. Similar to Beast Master from Tasha’s.
  • Wild Shape stat blocks scale with the character, and are impacted by your stats (like Wisdom).
  • Can choose the appearance of your Wild Shape (bear, panther, etc)
  • Various enhancements to Wild Shape as you level, like choosing to be Tiny, or being able to transform without additional uses of Wild Shape, getting multiattack, perform healing while transforming, etc.
  • “You can look like an owlbear now.” Take that, movie trailer nitpickers!

Circle of the Moon

  • Can pop into Wild Shape form as a bonus action.
  • While in Wild Shape form, can cast prepared Abjuration spells.
  • Dropped the ability to turn into elementals in the Monster Manual; want this subclass to be all about enhancing the Wild Shape…
  • Can now imbue your Wild Shape with elemental powers — like being a fire wolf, thunder owl, etc. and have resistance to and do damage of that type with the Bestial Strike.
  • As a capstone, Alter Self to change form at will.

Spell List Changes

Spell list comparisons

Druids gain:

  • Message
  • Spare the Dying
  • Ensnaring Strike
  • Hail of Thorns
  • Hunter’s Mark
  • Augury
  • Cordon of Arrows
  • Enlarge/Reduce
  • Gentle Repose
  • Conjure Barrage
  • Elemental Weapon
  • Lightning Arrow
  • Mass Healing Word
  • Nondetection
  • Revivify
  • Conjure Volley
  • Swift Quiver
  • Wall of Ice
  • Power Word Heal

Druids lose:

  • Charm Person
  • Hold Person
  • Blight
  • Confusion
  • Hallucinatory Terrain
  • Contagion
  • Geas
  • Planar Binding
  • Heroes’ Feast
  • Mirage Arcane
  • Plane Shift
  • Antipathy/Sympathy
  • Feeblemind
  • Foresight

These changes make sense to me, they’re more on-brand as nature casters.

Paladins gain:

  • CANTRIPS AT ALL
  • Guidance
  • Light
  • Resistance
  • Sacred Flame
  • Spare the Dying
  • Thaumaturgy
  • Bane
  • Guiding Bolt
  • Healing Word
  • Inflict Wounds
  • Sanctuary
  • Augury
  • Blindness/Deafness
  • Calm Emotions
  • Find Traps
  • Gentle Repose
  • Glimmering Smite?
  • Hold Person
  • Silence
  • Spiritual Weapon
  • Warding Bond?
  • Beacon of Hope
  • Clairvoyance
  • Feign Death
  • Glyph of Warding
  • Mass Healing Word
  • Speak with Dead
  • Spirit Guardians (oh NOOOO)
  • Tongues
  • Divination
  • Freedom of Movement
  • Guardian of Faith
  • Commune
  • Contagion
  • Flame Strike
  • Greater Restoration
  • Hallow
  • Legend Lore
  • Mass Cure Wounds
  • Planar Binding
  • Scrying

Paladins lose:

  • Elemental Weapon

Holy (haha) shit, that is a LOT more spell options for the pally. Damn. Really not looking forward to DMing and having two players drop Spirit Guardians simultaneously. I guess this is what happens when a class gets access to the Divine spell list without any restrictions. Seems unfair to Bards and Rangers! Also seems like a lot of Divine spells don’t fit right with Paladins.

Spells changed:

  • Spare the Dying - now: target gets 1 hp; was: target stable at 0 hp
  • Searing Smite - now: immediate effect, was: cast in advance
  • Thunderous Smite - now: immediate effect, was: cast in advance
  • Wrathful Smite - now: immediate effect, was: cast in advance
  • Find Familiar - now uses generic stat block, can come back without having to re-cast using Extradimensional Escape
  • Find Steed - now uses generic stat block, has fancy fey/fiend/celestial options
  • Glimmering Smite - now: immediate effect, gives advantage; was: cast in advance
  • Blinding Smite - now: immediate effect, was: cast in advance
  • Staggering Smite - now: immediate effect, was: cast in advance
  • Banishing Smite - now: immediate effect, was: cast in advance

Smite changes are good, in line with how Bardic Inspiration is now an insta-fix.

Find Familiar changes fine, nice for not having to re-cast.

Find Steed - wow, very cool if you can do this.

Rules Glossary

New:

  • Dying – eliminated “stable at 0 hp”, fine
  • Knocking a Creature Out – make unconscious at 1hp instead of dying at 0. Fine.
  • Short Rest – adds “dozing, standing watch”, removes “tending to wounds”. Clarifies requirements to start. Interruptions consistent with Long Rest changes.
  • Telepathy – fine, glad to see it boosted out of the weird spot in the MM
  • Unconscious – fine, good.

Revised:

  • D20 Test – no more auto-inspiration on 1s or 20s. A little disappointing, I wanted some mechanical way of getting this during gameplay that isn’t DM fiat or being a human.
    • “Inspiration” is now “Heroic Advantage” – good, gets away from Bardic Inspiration terminology.
  • Difficult Terrain – allies no longer Difficult Terrain (omg lol), furniture is now Difficult Terrain (size dependent)
  • Equipping Weapons – slightly vague… but I think it means we can:
    • attack with equipped weapon A
    • unequip weapon A after attack
    • equip weapon B before attack
    • attack with equipped weapon B
    • an additional attack would have to still use weapon B, or nothing (would have to unequip first)
    • Probably needs some examples to clarify, especially when a combatant has 3 or more attacks!
  • Fly Speed – cause to fall changed
  • Grappled (Movable and Escape sections), fine
  • Help – now works with tool profs, cool
  • Incapacitated – clarified, fine
  • Long Rest – special feature recharge, interruptions clarified (good)
  • Move (“Moving Around Other Creatures”, “Changes to Your Speeds”) – fine, WOW that allies aren’t difficult terrain any more!
  • Unarmed Strike – grapple & shove no longer delivered by attack roll

Removed:

  • Ability Check
  • Attack Roll
  • Climbing and Swimming (Move)
  • Dash
  • Hidden
  • Jump
  • Slowed
  • Special Speeds (Move)

Yeah, the removals are fine.

Class Changes

No terribly specific notes, but in general things are fine to pretty good.

Druid:

  • Wild Shape is a little meh, needs tuning to make it flavorful/more interesting, but still simpler than it is now. Maybe a curated list of stat blocks, or generic but more customizable stat blocks?

Paladin:

  • Maybe Find Steed should be a class feature instead of a spell?
  • Spell selection seems a little ridiculous