By now, many players are getting familiar with the 2024 rules revision of Dungeons & Dragons 5e. But when it comes to new material for this latest ruleset, Wizards of the Coast is just getting started. This year has brought us a ton of new content, but it’s clear that there are new projects underway for 2026 already. It’s been a while since we’ve had a peek behind the curtain, but a brand-new unearthed arcana has finally arrived to shed light on what’s to come in D&D 5e.
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The last few Unearthed Arcana have largely been revisions to previously revealed playtest material. This includes a fresh look at Arcane Subclasses and Psions, which are likely headed our way soon. Many fans think the Psions and Apocalyptic subclasses could mean a Dark Suns return, but Wizards hasn’t yet confirmed anything of the sort. We do, however, have another set of revised subclasses to playtest. On October 30th, D&D Beyond added playtest material for revised versions of popular subclasses from D&D history.
New Unearthed Arcana Playtest Features Revised Subclasses for Barbarians, Fighters, Monks, and Paladins
The latest D&D Unearthed Arcana is available to download now from D&D Beyond for free. The playtest PDF will be available in the archives going forward, but the feedback survey will only be available for a limited time. To provide feedback on these newly revised subclasses, check back on November 6th when the survey opens. For now, let’s take a look at what you’ll find in these new D&D playtest materials.
The Subclasses Update Unearthed Arcana PDF features revised versions of 5 different subclasses, with the biggest focus on updating the Barbarian. The subclasses included in the playtest are:
- Barbarian – Path of the Spiritual Guardian (formerly Path of the Ancestral Guardian)
- Barbarian – Path of the Storm Herald
- Fighter – Cavalier
- Monk – Warrior of Intoxication (formerly Way of the Drunken Master)
- Paladin – Oathbreaker
Each of these subclasses from D&D rules of the past has gotten adjustments to fit with the rebalanced 2024 Player’s Handbook. Of all of them, the two Barbarian subclasses have the biggest rework, with several tweaks to bring them up to snuff for 2024. But each of these subclasses gets some changes, with the Warrior of Intoxication monk creating magical brews and the Oathbreaker becoming an additional subclass that doesn’t necessarily replace your old one.
These changes are likely the first step to reintroducing these subclasses in future source material. We’ve still got a few new books for 2025, but soon, we’ll be looking ahead to as-yet-unannounced projects for 2026 and beyond. If you want to have a hand in shaping these subclasses as they appear in future source materials, be sure to check them out and complete the survey when it opens on November 6th.
When and if these revised subclasses do arrive in officially published materials, they will likely look a bit different from this early preview. But that doesn’t mean you can’t convince your DM to let you keep using that broken playtest build for homebrew purposes.
What do you think of these new subclass revisions for D&D? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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