One D&D Expert Classes: Classes and Subclasses

Back in August, Wizards of the Coast announced their plans for One D&D, the Dungeons & Dragons system to end them all. They say One D&D is intended to be the final, penultimate system for Dungeons & Dragons, which will create all future content. It will rework the fundamental rules of D&D with new versions of the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual slated for release in 2024. The first Unearthed Arcana document featured the rules used for determining a player character’s origins and WotC says they anticipate releasing another document every 1-2 months. We just got our first look at their next batch of rules.

The second Unearthed Arcana to feature the playtest material for One D&D, titled Expert Classes, was released on September 29th, 2022. This document focuses on the rules for building a character using one of the three Expert classes, the Bard, Ranger, and Rogue.

What’s In It?

This new UA gives us the first look at how WotC is trying to rework its classes and the options you need for a character whether they are 1st-level or 20th-level. This set of rules focuses on four main areas: The Expert classes, feats, spell lists, and a rules glossary. In this review, I’ll go through the rules in each of these sections and highlight how they differ from the 5th edition rules. You’ll see many things that remain the same, but you will also see plenty that has changed throughout each section. In this article, I will focus on the classes and subclasses they present. For my review of the rest of the content be sure to check out One D&D Expert Classes: Feats and One D&D Expert Classes: Rules Changes.

What Makes Up a Class?

The following sections listed here are the different parts that now make up a class.

Primary Ability

A class’s primary ability is now stated in the class details and they suggest that when creating a character you make this ability one of your highest scores (duh), and consider increasing this ability score whenever you take the Ability Score Improvement feat. Primary ability scores are also used to determine your eligibility for multiclassing.

Class Group

Each class is now separated into a class group to categorize classes that use similar features or themes:

• Experts – Bards, Rangers, and Rogues use the Expertise feature and borrow abilities from other classes.
• Mages – Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards are adept at using Arcane magic and focus on utility and destruction.
• Priests – Clerics, Druids, and Paladins use Divine or Primal magic to focus on healing, utility, and defense.
• Warriors – Barbarians, Fighters, and Monks are masters of combat and can deal out as well as take many hits.

They do address the fact they consider the Artificer class an Expert class, but because it was not featured in the original Player’s Handbook they don’t plan on addressing it in the playtest content.

Creating a Member of the Class

Class descriptions include a section that details how to determine your hit points, which proficiencies and armor training you gain, the starting equipment provided, and how to multiclass with it.

Class Features

Special features are granted to each class at specific levels just like the versions we are already familiar with.

Subclass

Just as they already do, a subclass represents an area of specialization within a class and also provides special features at certain levels. One subclass will accompany each of the three classes mentioned in this Unearthed Arcana.

The Big Three

In addition to the things that make up a class, these rules present three fundamental changes that are being made to how all classes work that they want to highlight:

• All three classes have new features, as well as revised versions of old features.
• When a class offers a decision, a suggested choice is usually presented, especially at lower levels. This makes it easier to create characters quickly.
• Each class’s old 20th-level feature has moved to 18th level, opening up 20th level for Epic Boons.

These changes are reflected throughout all of the new playtest material.

Bard Class

Bards still function in primarily the same way. They are still musically and lyrically focused spellcasters that are jacks of all trades, but some of their main abilities now operate a bit differently. Here I’ll go through what makes up this new version of the Bard class and focus on outlining what is different about it.

Class Group: Expert

Primary Ability: Charisma

Creating a Bard

This section is the one that details your hit points, proficiencies, armor training, and equipment. When compared to the Bard class in the Player’s Handbook, this version’s hit dice, hit points, as well as saving throw and tool proficiencies, and multiclassing requirements are all the same. Below are the details of this section that have changed.

Skills: Deception, Performance, Persuasion (or any three skills of your choice)

• In the PHB, you would get to pick out three skills of your choice. You still get to do that here but as mentioned above in the three big changes they wanted to highlight, they are providing suggested choices for things that they say they are doing to help character creation become quicker and easier for players.

Weapons: Simple Weapons

• WotC plans on changing how some weapons are classified as in the PHB this would remove a bard’s ability to use hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, and shortswords.

Armor Training: Light Armor

• Armor Training is the new term for what they call Armor Proficiency in 5th edition. The full details of this will be mentioned below in the section about the rules glossary.

Starting Equipment

As a 1st-level character, you start with the following list of equipment, or you can forgo it and spend 100 GP on any equipment you wish.

Dagger, entertainer’s pack, leather armor, one musical instrument of your choice, shortsword, and 18 GP.

• The main difference with starting equipment in these rules is that you no longer get to make any choices for your starting equipment unless you choose to buy all of your gear. We also see two other new items in this list of equipment. The first of which is you will now apparently get gold from both your class and background. The second is confirmation that they plan on reclassifying some equipment as you are given a shortsword in your starting gear while only being proficient with simple weapons.

Bard Class Features

1st Level: Bardic Inspiration

You can supernaturally inspire others through words, music, or dance. This inspiration is represented by your Bardic Inspiration die, which is a d6.
Using Bardic Inspiration. You can use your Bardic Inspiration die in the following ways:

Boost a d20 Test. When another creature within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear fails a d20 Test, you can use your Reaction to give the creature a Bardic Inspiration die. The creature rolls that die and adds the number rolled to the d20, potentially turning the failure into a success.
Heal. Immediately after another creature within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear takes damage, you can use your Reaction to roll your Bardic Inspiration die and restore a number of Hit Points to the creature equal to the number rolled.

Number of Uses. A Bardic Inspiration die is expended when it’s rolled. You can confer a Bardic Inspiration die a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all
expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

• Your Bardic Inspiration die starts as a d6 and increases at the same rate as the original.
• The new wording on boosting a d20 test removes a bard’s ability to hand off a Bardic Inspiration die to an ally and let them decide when to use it by making it a reaction that has to be used at the moment the bard wants to activate it. This does however free up their bonus action for things like spells or other abilities, though that isn’t more beneficial than having inspiration that lasts for ten minutes.
• The healing ability of Bardic Inspiration gives all bards the ability to heal others whether they prefer to have those spells prepared or not, which is a new option.
• The number of uses is now equal to your proficiency bonus instead of your charisma modifier, which I’m just not a fan of how they are making all class abilities attached to your proficiency bonus in this way.

1st Level: Spellcasting

Charisma is still the spellcasting ability for bards and they can still use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus. Below are the rest of the spellcasting details in full as they are making pretty big changes to how spells are prepared and how many spell slots you get.

Prepared Spells. You have the following spells prepared: Color Spray, Disguise Self, Prestidigitation, and Vicious Mockery. Alternatively, you can prepare two 0-level Spells and two 1st-level Spells of your choice. Any Spell you prepare for this class must be an Arcane Spell, and it must be from one of the following Schools of Magic: Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, or Transmutation.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can practice your bardic arts and replace any spell you have prepared for this class with another Arcane Spell of the same level, abiding by the school restriction above.
At higher levels in this class, you can prepare more spells, as shown on the Bard table. The numbers there determine the number of different Spells you can prepare for each level. For example, as a 3rd-level Bard, you can prepare two different 0-level Spells, four different 1st-level Spells, and two different 2nd-level Spells.
Consult the “Prepared Bard Spells” section for recommendations on which spells to prepare at higher levels. A spell marked with a dagger (†) in that section is always prepared and can’t be replaced when you prepare Spells.
Spell Slots. The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have at each level to cast your
bard spells of 1st level and higher; the number of different spells you can prepare for each level equals the number of spell slots you have at that level. For example, as a 5th-level Bard, you have four 1st-level spell slots, three 2nd-level spell slots, and two 3rd-level spell slots.

• They start with their list of suggested spells for a 1st-level character but then we get an immediate look at how things have changed as they tell you how many spells of each level you can have prepared. Also, instead of having a class-specific list of spells, bards must now prepare spells from the Arcane spell list and are limited to specific schools of magic.
• In the second paragraph, they state that you can swap out any one spell you have prepared for a spell of the same level after you finish a long rest, which they used to only be able to do whenever they gained a level in this class.
• Following that, they explain that the new spellcasting tables in each class now display how many spells you can have prepared at each level instead of you knowing several spells and deciding how many for each level you want to prepare.
• Finally they finish it up by explaining that the new spellcasting tables in each class also still determine how many spell slots you have available. The number of spells you can prepare for a level = how many spell slots you have for that level.
• There is also one thing that is missing. Unless they are going to change how Ritual Casting works, the ability for bards to cast spells as rituals isn’t mentioned anywhere in their details.

2nd Level: Expertise

Expertise functions as normal, but they suggest that Performance and Persuasion skills are iconic choices for a bard.

• Expertise has moved up from 3rd level to replace the Jack of All Trades ability. Don’t worry, they still get it, just not as quickly as they used to.

2nd Level: Songs of Restoration

When you reach certain levels as a bard, you add a specific spell to your Songs of Restoration repertoire, as shown on the Songs of Restoration Repertoire table. You always have that spell prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare.

2nd Level: Healing Word
4th Level: Lesser Restoration
6th Level: Mass Healing Word
8th Level: Freedom of Movement
10th Level: Greater Restoration

• This ability replaces Song of Rest removing the ability for a small bit of healing during a short rest and replacing it with a list of restorative spells you know at all times.

3rd Level: Bard Subclass

Bards still get to choose their subclass at 3rd level but as mentioned above their Expertise feature moved to 2nd level. The College of Lore subclass will be detailed after this class.

4th Level: Feat

You still gain an Ability Score Improvement or another feat at the same levels a bard normally would.

5th Level: Jack of All Trades

Jack of All Trades works the same way, but bards now gain this feature at 5th level instead of 2nd level.

• Missing from the Bard class’s 5th-level features is Font of Inspiration which has been moved back to 7th level. I do enjoy that WotC is spreading out some of the bard’s earlier abilities as they become strong quickly.

6th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass just as you normally would at this level.

• The Countercharm feature has been removed from their 6th-level abilities and doesn’t reappear anywhere else. It is a very powerful ability as it appears in the PHB as there is no limit to how many times you can use it. They could have added a limit of some kind to it, or even changed it to just affect the bard themselves, but instead, it has been removed.

7th Level: Font of Bardic Inspiration

You now regain all your expended uses of Bardic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.
In addition, if a creature rolls your Bardic Inspiration die and gets a 1 (after any rerolls you
might have), that use of your Bardic Inspiration isn’t expended.

• As usual, this feature allows your Bardic Inspiration dice to replenish after finishing a short or long rest, it has just been pushed back a couple of levels.
• It does, however, add the bonus that a Bardic Inspiration die isn’t expended when a creature rolls a 1. Not sure if this will be reworded because as of now even the bard won’t expend a use of their inspiration when they use their die to heal someone.

9th Level: Expertise

The bard’s second dose of Expertise moves here from 10th level.

10th Level: Subclass Feature

At the level you gain a subclass feature that is an extra one that the Bard class didn’t have before.

• The Magical Secrets feature has been moved back from here to 11th level.

11th Level: Magical Secrets

You have collected magical knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose a Spell List: Arcane, Divine, or Primal. Whenever you prepare spells for this class, up to two of the spells you prepare can be from the chosen list and any School of Magic. The prepared spells otherwise follow the rules of your bard Spellcasting feature.

• Much like the original Magical Secrets feature this one allows you to prepare two spells from any class and any school of magic and we get to see an example of the new wording using the new Spell List categories.

14th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass just as you normally would at this level.

• The second level of the Magical Secrets feature moved to 15th level.

15th Level: Further Magical Secrets

Your understanding of magic has grown even broader. Choose a Spell List: Arcane, Divine, or Primal—that you didn’t choose for your Magical Secrets feature. Whenever you prepare your bard spells, two of the spells you prepare can be from the chosen list and any School of Magic. The prepared Spells otherwise follow the rules of your bard Spellcasting feature.

• This level of Magical Secrets allows you to the ability to prepare two more spells from a different list when you prepare your spells, but this time they must be from a different spell list than you picked from the previous level of this feature, instead of from any class list.

18th Level: Superior Bardic Inspiration

When you roll Initiative, you regain two expended uses of your Bardic Inspiration.

• As stated in the Big Three section, this used to be the 20th-level ability for the bard in the PHB and has been moved up to 18th level.
• The original version of this feature only replenished one of your Bardic Inspiration dice and only if you had no dice to expend when you roll initiative.

20th Level: Epic Boon

You gain the Epic Boon of Luck Feat or another Epic Boon Feat of your choice.

• Classes no longer have unique 20th-level features and instead allow characters to choose an Epic Boon when they reach this level instead. The full details of Epic Boons will be mentioned below in the section about Feats.

Bard Subclass

College of Lore

3rd Level: Bonus Proficiencies

You gain three skill proficiencies: Arcana, History, and Nature. If you already have one of these proficiencies, choose a skill proficiency you lack, and gain that proficiency.

• Again, it’s kind of strange they decided to make it so wordy instead of just saying you can choose three skills like the original does.

3rd Level: Cutting Words

You learn how to use your wit to supernaturally distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the
confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of
yourself succeeds on an ability check or an attack roll, you can use your Reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll, potentially turning it into a failure.

• Instead of spending a die when you see a creature make a roll, and before you know if it’s successful, you can only use the new Cutting Words when an attack roll or ability check succeeds.
• This version also removes the ability to use this feature when a creature makes a damage roll.

6th Level: Cunning Inspiration

Through your studies and your cunning, you’ve learned to inspire others exceptionally well.
When any creature rolls your Bardic Inspiration die, that creature can roll the die twice and use the higher of the two rolls.

• This feature replaces the Additional Magical Secrets from the original College of Lore making it slightly less versatile without the additional spells that don’t count against how many you know. That being said, this is still a pretty useful feature.

10th Level: Improved Cutting Words

Whenever you use your Cutting Words feature on a creature, you can deal psychic damage to that creature equal to the number rolled on the Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier.

• With the new setup for the Bard class they now get an additional subclass feature at 10th level.
• They may not be able to use the Cutting Words feature to reduce damage from an attack, but now bards can dish out psychic damage anytime they use Cutting Words on someone which is pretty cool.

14th Level: Peerless Skill

When you make an ability check and fail, you can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, roll the Bardic Inspiration die, and add the number rolled to the ability check, potentially turning it into a success. If the check still fails, the Bardic Inspiration isn’t expended.

• This functions the same way as the original, except you trigger on a failed check instead of adding it to a roll before you know if it’s successful.

Ranger Class

Class Group: Expert

Primary Ability: Dexterity, Wisdom

Creating a Ranger

When compared to the Ranger class in the Player’s Handbook, this version’s hit dice, hit points, armor, weapons, tools, saving throw, and skill proficiencies, as well as multiclassing requirements, are all the same. Below are the details of this section that have changed.

Starting Equipment

As a 1st-level character, you start with the following equipment, or you can forgo it and spend 150 GP on equipment of your choice.

Arrows (20), explorer’s pack, longbow, quiver, scimitar, shortsword, studded leather armor, 8 GP

• Just as mentioned before, there are no choices for starting equipment unless you do your own shopping as well as the addition of gold to the list of starting gear if you don’t.

Ranger Class Features

1st Level: Expertise

The Ranger class now gets access to the Expertise feature and they get it at 1st level to boot. This is a pretty good upgrade for this class. They suggest Stealth and Survival are iconic choices for a ranger.

1st Level: Favored Enemy

You are adept at focusing your ire on a single foe. You always have the Hunter’s Mark spell
prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare. Moreover, you don’t have to concentrate on the spell once you cast it; it lasts for its full duration, until you end it as a bonus action, or until you are incapacitated.

• This version of Favored Enemy is much more useful than the original as you are not limited to a specific creature type and you never have to worry about losing concentration on your spell.
• This class no longer gains the Natural Explorer feature at 1st level or any other level.

1st Level: Spellcasting

Wisdom is still the spellcasting ability for rangers. Below are the rest of the spellcasting details so I can outline the specific differences for this class.

Spell Preparation. You have the following spells prepared: Cure Wounds, Guidance,
Hunter’s Mark, and Thorn Whip. Alternatively, you can prepare two 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. Any spell you prepare for this class must be a Primal spell, and it can be from any School of Magic except Evocation.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can commune with nature and replace any spell you have prepared for this class with another Primal spell of the same level that isn’t an Evocation.
At higher levels in this class, you can prepare more spells, as shown on the Ranger table. The numbers there determine the number of different spells you can prepare for each level.
For example, as a 3rd-level Ranger, you can prepare two different 0-level spells and three
different 1st-level Spells.
Spell Slots. The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have at each level to cast your Ranger spells of 1st level and higher; the number of different spells you can prepare for each level equals the number of spell slots you have at that level. For example, as a 5th-level Ranger, you have four 1st-level spell slots and two 2nd-level spell slots.
Spellcasting Focus. You can use a druidic focus as a spellcasting focus for the spells you
prepare for this Class.

• The number of spells you can prepare and the number of spell slots you have is determined in the same manner as with the new Bard class except that rangers must choose from the Primal spell list and can choose from any School of Magic but Evocation.
• They can also swap out one spell they know for another one of the same level after completing a long rest. Perhaps this and limitations on the school of magic are becoming standard with all spellcasters.
• Rangers now have the option of being able to use a spellcasting focus to cast their spells for this class.
• It is also worth noting that the Ranger class now gets their Spellcasting feature at 1st level instead of having to wait until 2nd level.

2nd Level: Fighting Style

You have honed your martial prowess. You gain one of the following Fighting Style Feats of your choice: Archery, Defense, or Two-Weapon Fighting.
Whenever you gain a feat at later levels, Fighting Style Feats are among your options, even though you aren’t a member of the Warrior Group.

• The first major thing we see here is that fighting styles are now considered feats and yes anyone with a class in the Warrior group can learn a new fighting style whenever they gain a level that grants a feat.
• Rangers do lose the option of using the Dueling fighting style, but now that they are all feats, they can learn it at a later level if they wish.
• Other than those differences, all of the fighting styles work as they currently do.

3rd Level: Ranger Subclass

Rangers still get to choose their subclass at 3rd level and the Hunter subclass will be detailed after this class.

4th Level: Feat

You still gain an Ability Score Improvement or another feat at the same levels a Ranger normally would.

5th Level: Extra Attack

You get an extra attack when you take that attack action as you normally would.

6th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass.

• Originally this is where a ranger’s Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer features would get additional benefits, but now their second subclass feature has moved up to this spot from 7th level.

7th Level: Roving

Your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren’t wearing heavy armor.
You also have a climb speed and a swim speed equal to your speed.

• This feature was first introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything as an optional 6th-level feature, but this version increases the bonus to your speed from 5 feet to 10 feet.

8th Level: Feat

You gain an ASI or feat as normal.

• This class no longer gets the Land’s Stride feature at this level or any other level.

9th Level: Expertise

The ranger’s second dose of Expertise comes in here where there are currently no features gained.

10th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass.

• Originally, this is where a rangers Natural Explorer feature would get additional benefits, but now their third subclass feature has moved up to this spot from 11th level.
• This class no longer gets the Hide in Plain Sight feature at this level or any other level.

11th Level: Tireless

Primal forces now help fuel you on your journeys, granting you the following benefits:

Temporary Hit Points. Whenever you finish a short rest or a long rest, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 plus your proficiency bonus.
Decrease Exhaustion. If you are exhausted when you finish a short rest, your level of
exhaustion decreases by 1.

• Like the Roving feature, this one was introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything as an optional 10th-level feature. It’s the same but the original version would use your Wisdom modifier as the bonus for your temporary hit points instead of your proficiency bonus.

13th Level: Nature’s Veil

You invoke spirits of nature to magically hide yourself from view. As a bonus action, you can expend a spell slot and become invisible until the end of your next turn.

• This feature was also introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything as a 10th-level feature meant to replace the Hide in Plain Sight feature. The current Ranger class normally gains no features at this level.

14th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass.

• Normally this is where the Favored Enemy feature would get an additional improvement, but now like most of the other subclass features in this class, it has moved up one level to here from 15th level.
• Rangers also now gain the Vanish feature at this level or any other level.

15th Level: Feral Senses

Your connection to the forces of nature grants you blindsight with a range of 30 feet.

• This used to be an 18th-level feature for this class and it still works pretty much the same way. This one is just worded much more concisely than the original feature.

18th Level: Foe Slayer

Your Hunter’s Mark now deals an extra 1d10 damage to its target, rather than an extra 1d6.

• Although this causes the same kind of damage benefit as the original Foe Slayer feature, this one does not allow you to bolster an attack roll that you make.
• This benefit also only occurs while your Hunter’s Mark spell is active instead of once on each of your turns. So you have to have the spell active to use is it, but you have the potential to deal more damage since it can affect both of your attacks instead of just one.

20th Level: Epic Boon

You gain the Epic Boon of Fortitude Feat or another Epic Boon Feat of your choice.

• Classes no longer have unique 20th-level features and instead allow characters to choose an Epic Boon when they reach this level instead. The full details of Epic Boons will be mentioned below in the section about Feats.

Ranger Subclass

Hunter

3rd Level: Hunter’s Prey

Your tenacity can wear down even the most resilient foes. When you hit a creature with a
weapon or an unarmed strike as part of the attack action on your turn, the weapon or unarmed strike deals an extra 1d8 damage to the target if it’s missing any of its hit points. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.

• This is only one-third of the original Hunter’s Prey feature but functions just the same way as that portion would except this version extends the bonus to unarmed strikes as well.
• This version loses the ability to use your Reaction to attack a Large or larger creature that just attacked you.
• It also loses the opportunity to make one extra attack on your turn against a different creature that is within 5 feet of a creature you previously hit.

6th Level: Hunter’s Lore

You can call on the forces of nature to reveal certain strengths and weaknesses of your prey. While a creature is marked by your Hunter’s Mark, you know whether that creature has any immunities, resistances, and vulnerabilities, and if the creature has any, you know what they are.

• This is completely different than the Defensive Tactics feature gained by the PHB rangers which offer you two options for escaping danger and advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

10th Level: Multiattack

You now always have Conjure Barrage prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare.
You can also cast the spell with 1st and 2nd-level Spell Slots. When you do so, the spell’s damage is reduced by 1d8 for each slot level below 3rd.

• This feature replaces the Volley ability of the original Multiattack feature and is a much better use of it as Conjure Barrage affects a much larger area and only spends one piece of ammunition instead of one for each target.
• This feature does however lack the ability to make the Whirlwind Attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you.

14th Level: Superior Hunter’s Defense

When you are hit by an attack roll, you can use your Reaction to halve the attack’s damage against yourself, and you can redirect the other half of the damage to one creature (other than the attacker) that you can see within 5 feet of yourself.

• Like with the Hunter’s Prey feature this one is only one-third of the original with a little extra. This version still allows you to use your Reaction to halve the damage of an attack that hits you, but this one allows you to move the other half of the damage to another creature within 5 feet of you that isn’t the attacker.
• This subclass used to gain Evasion with this feature that functioned just like a rogue’s Evasion would but it has lost that benefit here.
• They also lose the ability to use their Reaction to force a creature that just missed an attack roll against them to repeat that attack against another creature of their choice.

Rogue Class

Class Group: Expert

Primary Ability: Dexterity

Creating a Rogue

When compared to the Rogue class in the Player’s Handbook, this version’s hit dice, hit points, armor, tools, and saving throw proficiencies, as well as multiclassing requirements, are all the same. Below are the details of this section that have changed.

Skills: Acrobatics, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth (or choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth)

• In the version of the Rogue class they don’t have the option of selecting Performance as one of their skill proficiencies.

Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons that have the finesse property

• This removes a rogue’s ability to use hand crossbows and allows them to use scimitars and whips. The loss of the hand crossbow could upset some folks that like to dual-wield.

Starting Equipment: As a 1st-level character, you start with the following equipment, or you can forgo it and spend 110 GP on equipment of your choice.

Arrows (20), burglar’s pack, dagger (2), leather armor, quiver, shortbow, shortsword, thieves’ tools, 18 GP

• Just as mentioned before, there are no choices for starting equipment unless you do your own shopping as well as the addition of gold to the list of starting gear if you don’t.

Rogue Class Features

1st Level: Expertise

Expertise functions as normal except for the fact this version of the Rogue class doesn’t allow you to apply your Expertise to your thieves’ tool proficiency. They suggest that Sleight of Hand and Stealth skills are iconic choices for a rogue.

1st Level: Sneak Attack

Sneak Attack works just the same and the damage die increases at the same intervals.

1st Level: Thieves’ Cant

You picked up various languages in the communities where you plied your roguish talents. You know Thieves’ Cant and one other language of your choice, which you choose from the Standard Languages and Rare Languages tables.

• For some reason Thieves’ Cant itself wasn’t enough so now rogues get to learn an additional language of their choice as well.

2nd Level: Cunning Action

Cunning Action functions as normal.

3rd Level: Rogue Subclass

Rogues still get to choose their subclass at 3rd-level and the Thief subclass will be detailed after this class.

4th Level: Feat

You still gain an Ability Score Improvement or another feat at the same levels a Rogue normally would.

5th Level: Uncanny Dodge

Uncanny Dodge functions as normal.

6th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass.

• This used to be the level that this class gained their second tier of Expertise, but that has been pushed back to 7th-level while this feature moved up from 9th level.

7th Level: Expertise

At this level, the rogue gets their second round of Expertise earlier than the other two Expert classes.

• This used to be where rogues would gain the Evasion feature but it has now been pushed back to 9th-level.

9th Level: Evasion

Evasion functions as normal, this feature is just gained at this level instead of 7th-level.

10th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass.

• This is in addition to the ASI or feat that rogues normally gain at this level and has been moved up here from its original spot at 13th level.

11th Level: Reliable Talent

Reliable Talent functions as normal.

13th Level: Subtle Strikes

When you attack, you know how to exploit a target’s distraction. You have advantage on any attack roll that targets a creature that is within 5 feet of at least one of your allies who isn’t incapacitated.

• This is a new feature that makes rogues even deadlier when attacking enemies that are near an ally.

14th Level: Subclass Feature

You get a feature from your subclass.

• The fourth and final subclass feature for rogues has been moved here from its usual spot at 17th level.
• This replaces the Blindsense feature which doesn’t reappear anywhere else in this class.

15th Level: Slippery Mind

Your cunning mind is exceptionally difficult to control. You gain proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.

• The same feature is made even better by adding proficiency in Charisma saving throws.

17th Level: Elusive

Elusive functions as normal but now you get it at this level instead of 18th level.

18th Level: Stroke of Luck

You have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If you fail a d20 Test, you can turn the roll into a 20.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest or a long rest.

• This is much simply worded than the original version but is much more powerful as this lets you turn any failed d20 test into a natural 20 instead of just an ability check.
• Otherwise, it is used to let you turn a missed attack roll into a hit, not a critical hit.

20th Level: Epic Boon

You gain the Epic Boon of Undetectability Feat or another Epic Boon Feat of your choice.

• Classes no longer have unique 20th-level features and instead allow characters to choose an Epic Boon when they reach this level instead. The full details of Epic Boons will be mentioned below in the section about Feats.

Rogue Subclass

Thief

3rd Level: Fast Hands

You have additional options for the bonus action of your Cunning Action, with which you can do the following:

Search. Take the Search action.
Sleight of Hand. Make a Dexterity check (Sleight of Hand) to pick a lock or disarm a trap with thieves’ tools or pick a pocket.

• Pretty close to the same feature as before except they have gotten rid of the Use an Object action in favor of the Search action and added the ability to pick a pocket to the list of Sleight of Hand options.

3rd Level: Second-Story Work

You have trained to reach especially hard-to-reach places, granting you these benefits:
Climb Speed. You gain a climb speed equal to your speed.
Jump Distance. When you take the Jump action, you can make a Dexterity check, instead of a Strength check.

• This functions the same as the original feature but I wanted to showcase the new wording here that has to do with how they are now determining jump distance. The full details of these rules can be found below in the section on the Rules Glossary.

6th Level: Supreme Sneak

You have advantage on every Dexterity check (Stealth) you make, provided you aren’t wearing medium or heavy Armor.

• This is a super version of this ability as you don’t have to limit your movement speed to use it and most rogues don’t wear medium or especially heavy armor anyways.

10th Level: Use Magic Device

In your treasure hunting, you have learned how to maximize the use of magic items, granting you the following benefits:

Attunement. You can attune to up to four magic items at once.
Charges. Whenever you use a magic item property that expends charges, roll a d6. On a
roll of 6, you use the property without expending the charges.
Scrolls. You can use any Spell Scroll that bears a cantrip or a 1st-level Spell. You can also try to use any Spell Scroll that contains a higher-level Spell, but you must first succeed on an Intelligence Check (Arcana) with a DC equal to 10 + the Spell’s level. On a successful check, you cast the Spell from the scroll, and you use Intelligence as your Spellcasting Ability for this casting. On a failed check, the scroll disintegrates.

• This feature offers a lot of benefits that are more beneficial than the original version which just allowed you to ignore all class, race, and level requirements to use magic items.

14th Level: Thief’s Reflexes

You can now take a second bonus action on your turn, provided it is the bonus action from Cunning Action. You can use this feature on a number of turns equal to your proficiency bonus and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

• Instead of allowing you to take an extra bonus action on a few turns the current version allows you to take an extra turn during the first round of combat. An extra turn means you get an extra action as well as a bonus action but at these higher levels is only really beneficial if you get into more than 5 or more fights each day.

Summary

As you can see, if you’ve made it this far, there are a lot of changes happening throughout all aspects of the D&D rules. Some changes are huge while others are not so noticeable. It is noticeable that they are trying to make this feel distinctly different from the 5th edition rules. Some of these changes are understandable, but a lot of them feel unnecessarily forced. Hopefully, we’ll see some better updates as the next couple of months unfold.

• Classes are now made up of their Primary Ability, Class Group, Member of the Class, Class Features, and Subclass.
• The three highlights from the new classes are:
  • They have both new and revised features
  • When they offer a decision for you to make they will provide suggestions
  • Each class’s 20th-level feature has moved to 18th
• The Bard class receives a complete overhaul with big changes to their Bardic Inspiration, Spellcasting, and College of Lore subclass.
• The Ranger class gets access to Expertise and is updated with multiple features that were introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.
• The Rogue class is reworked a bit but for the most part, is still the same and just as powerful as it was.

If you’d like to read the full details of the Expert Classes Unearthed Arcana you find it with this link right here!