I've spent some time diving deep into the full ledger of Unearthed Arcana playtest subclasses that Wizards of the Coast are teasing for the 2025 D&D Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. These include eight subclasses for players to explore, five of which are brand new, while three are returning subclasses that have seen some major overhauls.
And man, are these designs really pulsing with energy both terrifying and disgusting.
Subject to playtester feedback (opening February 4), there could be some exciting things coming in the next series of upcoming D&D books for 2025. With this latest playtest content comes psionically bonded Dragon Knight Fighters who grow and bond with their dragon hatchling companion; silver-tongued Moon College Bards weaving fae tales to sap enemy saving throws; and Rogues riding the sanguine waves of Bloodlust to teleport and terrify their enemies.
First off, we'll take a look at some of the returning subclasses to see the proposed changes and new additions to well-loved favorites from the 2014 Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Then we'll get into the all new subclasses that could take D&D in some seriously unexplored directions with phantasmal Rangers and Paladins aligned with powerful elemental Genies
Revamped Subclasses
Cleric Subclass - Knowledge Domain
Changes have been made to the Knowledge Domain Cleric since the 2014 Player's Handbook, which now emphasises the otherworldliness that comes from mastering knowledge of the divine. "Clerics who tap into this domain study esoteric lore, collect old tomes, delve into the secret places of the earth, and examine the process of the mind itself."
Blessings of Knowledge, which comes at level three, grants the Cleric proficiency in Artisan Tools, as well as Expertise in two of the following: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. This is a fantastic way to give the Cleric access to the new crafting rules coming with the 2024 Player's Handbook.
Knowledge Domain Clerics now have a far larger spell list than the rest of the Cleric Subclasses, too. And there's been a bit of a revamp when it comes to their Prepared Spells, which now includes far more combat spells, and spells that damage.
At level three, the Mind Magic ability allows you to use a Knowledge Domain spell without expending a spell slot or needing any Material components. Then once you hit level six, you can use Unfettered Mind to straight up start a telepathic group chat with your pals.
It really kicks off at level 17 with Divine Foreknowledge, which grants advantage on D20 Tests for an hour as you "magically expand your mind to the possibilities of the future" with a Bonus Action.
Fighter Subclass - Purple Dragon Knight
Here be dragons – dragon companions to be exact. The Purple Dragon Knight has had a full makeover since it first appeared in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, with the main addition being the fact the Knight "psionically bonds with an amethyst dragon hatchling" as opposed to partnering with a matured amethyst dragon later down the line.
Your dragon will learn and grow along with your character from level three, fighting alongside you and even continuing to fight if you become Incapacitated. Most importantly, your dragon companion can be Resurrected if they die, with the use of your Second Wind ability or an hour-long ritual during a rest.
Of course, once your dragon is big enough at level seven you are able to ride on its back with the Dragon Rider ability, which also allows you to heal your dragon with your Second Wind. Its Gravity Breath is also improved at this level, causing 2d6 Force damage to anything failing a saving throw within a 30-foot cone.
Higher level improvements include level 10's Rallying Surge, which lets up to three allies take a reaction to Advance – making a free attack – or Retreat without provoking Opportunity Attacks. There's also Amethyst Pinnacle at Level 15, which sees your dragon growing bigger, and less awkward in its movement allowing you to properly fly together. This is alongside the ability to forgo one of your own attacks to give your dragon a Rend attack, or two of your attacks to let it use Gravity Breath.
Wizard Subclass - Bladesinger
Since Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Bladesinger has seen some quality of life improvements, such as allowing them far earlier (level three) to add their Intelligence as opposed to Dexterity modifiers for their attack and damage rolls.
Also at level three, their Training in War and Song ability now grants a choice of Proficiency with any Martial weapon that isn't two-handed or heavy, on top of which they can use any weapon they have proficiency in as a spellcasting focus.
At level six you gain an extra attack that could also be a Wizard Cantrip, and at level 10 your Song of Defense shields you when your Bladesong is active, allowing you to React with a spell and reduce incoming damage. At level 14, Bladesingers can add a weapon attack as a Bonus Action to the end of a single action spellcast.
New Subclasses
Bard Subclass - College of the Moon
The College of the Moon leans into the lore of The Moonshae Isles of Faerun, where there's a lot of Fae and Druidic influence. It's going to see Bards drawing "from the isles’ Fey magic and the primal power of the moonwells."
At level 3, College of the Moon Bards can gain a Druidic cantrip of their choice to use as a Bard Spell. You'll also gain access to their Moonshae Folktales – powerful stories that a Bard can imbue themselves with to aid their allies. It gives you some clever new ways to utilize that Bardic Inspiration for healing, hiding, or being altogether tricksy.
- Tale of Life: "A tale of vitality and thriving earth."
Buff up one of your healing spells with a Bardic Inspiration die once per turn. - Tale of Gloam: "A tale of mystery and secrets."
When giving Bardic Inspiration to an ally on a Bonus Action, you can also disengage or hide in that same action. - Tale of Mirth: "a tale of merriment and fey guile."
Expend a Bardic Inspiration die as a reaction in order to lower a creature's saving throw by that number, provided you can see them.
At level 6, Moonbeam becomes a permanently prepared spell that, when used as a Bonus Action, doesn't expend a spell slot. For each creature that fails a Constitution saving throw in its pale light, you can regenerate an ally of your choice.
And at level 14 your Bolstered Folktales add power to your Moonshae tales, swapping a 1d6 in place of your Bardic Inspiration die for Tale of Mirth and Life, and gain the ability to teleport during your Tale of Gloam Bonus Action.
Paladin Subclass - Oath of the Noble Genies
This is a very magic-focussed take on the Paladin, who's encouraged to steer away from the heavy armor archetypal playstyle. Through their Oath, they've dedicated themselves to the raw and beautiful destructive power of the earth dao; air djinn; fire efreet; and water marids of the Elemental Planes. Channeling their power through your level three Elemental Smite, immediately after casting Divine Smite you can also crush enemies grappling them with stone restraints, or take on a mist-like form to teleport out of danger, among other elementally flavoured delights.
Also at level three, you start to collect a bunch of always-prepared Genie spells that lean into your elemental affinity. That's alongside new skill proficiencies, and a Charisma bonus added to your AC via your newfound Genie's Splendor.
Level seven adds an Aura of Elemental Shielding which, per turn, can shift between granting acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder Resistance to anyone within it. Elemental Rebuke at level 15 lets you halve incoming damage with a Reaction and throw it back, in the form of one of the above damage types, at your attacker using your Charisma modifier.
Hitting level 20 nets the Paladin Bonus Action abilities to straight up fly, or use a Minor Wish to let those within your Aura of Protection succeed a D20 Test rather than failing it.
Ranger Subclass - Winter Walker
Rangers just got cooler somehow thanks to the Winter Walker's "frequent exposure to malignant entities that gives them their fearsome powers." These cursed beings gain frost resistance at level three, and the ability to cause extra cold damage through normal weapon strikes that somehow ignores any resistance to cold their target might have, and increases in power at level 11.
Along with gaining Temporary Hit points from casting Hunter's Mark, you gain new spells, such as Pass Without Trace and Remove Curse, as you move through the levels.
A level seven Winter Walkers' rugged exterior grants them a Fortifying Soul, to heal allies after a short rest and give them Advantage on saving throws against the Frightened condition. And with level 11 comes Chilling Retribution, that lets you become the scariest thing out there as a Reaction.
Further leaning into the Winter Walker's paranormal expression, you can adopt a ghostly form at level 15. Either your Ranger bursts with cold energy dealing damage as you take your ghostly form, which grants you Immunity to Cold damage; or you become Partially Incorporeal and gain the ability to move through and Force blast anything, or anyone, you end your turn inside. Ew.
Rogue Subclass - Scion of the Three
The Scion of the Three lets Rogues "Become a Gruesome Agent of Malice". It's a subclass that lets you "Really feed off that death and destruction around you" as you utilise the powers of the Dead Three, Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul.
At third level you're granted a Bloodthirst that gives you a bonus against Bloodied enemies, as well as the ability to teleport to make a melee attack as a reaction whenever you witness an enemy fall to zero Hit points. Basically getting high as balls on all the carnage unfolding around you. Even at level three, you gain a damage resistance (either Psychic, Poison or Necrotic) and a cantrip pairing from one of the Dead Three.
Striking fear into your enemies at level nine, you gain the ability to Frighten anyone who fails a Wisdom saving throw. And at level 13 you can use your Aura of Malevolence to use your Intelligence modifier to call your chosen of the Dead Three to blast enemies in range with their damage type, ignoring their Resistances.
Level 17 lets you gain Advantage against Frightened enemies, along with the Murderous Intent ability that lets you treat a Sneak Attack's damage roll showing one or two on the die as a three instead.
Sorcerer Subclass - Spellfire Sorcery
Spellfire Sorcerers are plugging right into the Weave and acting as a conduit to expend that raw unadulterated power both defensively and offensively. From level three, spending a Sorcery point allows you to unleash Bolstering Flames to give allies Temporary hit points, or Radiant Fire to bombard enemies with the Weave's intense power, either as part of the Magic action or as a Bonus Action. That ramps up at level 14, witn increased hit points or damage, too. Spellfire Sorcerers also get a bunch of spells as you move through the levels, such as Wall of Fire at level seven and Flame Strike at level nine.
From sixth level, you'll have Counterspell always prepared, with anyone failing its saving throw netting you 1d4 Sorcery points. Level 18 Spellfire Sorcerers can use their bonus action to gain Burning Life Force and reduce their damage, using their Charisma modifier to reroll Hit Dice. They can also hover, and fly around at a speed of 60 feet.
All this comes alongside some high-level Spell Avoiding tomfoolery that lets you negate damage entirely when affected by spells that would otherwise let you roll to take half damage.
For more, why not check out the best tableto RPGs, or learn about some of the D&D Monster Manual revamps.
