Dungeons and Dragons released a new Player’s Handbook in late 2024, with the goal of introducing new players to the popular tabletop roleplaying game and adding ways for existing fans to enjoy the game. The updated version of the Dungeons and Dragons handbook features 12 classes and 48 subclasses, with each class having exactly four subclasses. This is quite different from previous editions of the game, where the number of subclasses varied, and may make the release of future books and other supplementary materials complicated if publisher Wizards of the Coast wishes to keep the subclass numbers balanced.
Related
Dungeons and Dragons’ Character Origins are a Double-Edged Sword
Dungeons and Dragons’ Background and Species got a revamp in the form of Character Origins in the 2024 revision, which comes with some pros and cons.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook Includes Old And New Subclasses
Included in the handbook’s newest edition are twelve classes, with the Artificer class notably missing. That class is undergoing playtests, suggesting an updated version will be released in the future. Each class in the 2024 PHB has exactly four subclasses. Some, such as the Arcane Trickster rogue, College of Lore bard, or Oath of Devotion paladin, are classic favorites which have been around for a long time. Others are newly added, including:
- Path of the World Tree (Barbarian)
- College of Dance (Bard)
- Circle of the Sea (Druid)
Other subclasses included in previous editions of Dungeons and Dragons are missing from the new handbook, particularly in the case of classes that had a large number. These include Clerics, which previously had many Domains to choose from, and Wizards, who could specialize in many different schools of magic.
Some of the missing subclasses are rather surprising, due to their popularity. These include the Swashbuckler Rogue, the Storm Sorcerer, the Tempest Domain Cleric, and many schools of focus for the Wizard. Fans have been particularly disappointed by a few cut subclasses due to their appearance in other Dungeons and Dragons-adjacent materials, such as the popular RPG Baldur’s Gate 3. However, it is important to note that the subclasses absent in the new Player’s Handbook are not strictly removed from the game; their original fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons versions can work with the updated rules.
Even Subclass Numbers May Complicate Future Releases
More updated Dungeons and Dragons books and other supplementary materials will be released following the Player’s Handbook. As occurred in the previous editions of the tabletop role-playing game, new subclasses for existing classes will likely be introduced. These could include previous existing ones skipped over in the 2024 Player’s Handbook as well as brand-new additions to the game. It is also likely that the thirteenth class, Artificer, will appear in these materials, as it previously appeared in a supplementary book during the release of fifth edition content.
The updated PHB does leave fans to wonder if Wizards of the Coast will continue to insist on an equal number of subclasses once supplementary materials are released. This was not the case in previous editions – Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything gave each class at least one new subclass, but did not keep the numbers even. Setting-specific books, such as Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica and Mythic Odysseys of Theros, skewed the numbers further by adding small numbers of subclasses relevant to the particular setting they described.
It remains to be seen whether the “all classes must have an equal number of subclasses” will remain in place when future Dungeons and Dragons materials are published or re-released. If it is the case, however, it could make releasing new books more complicated. Classes such as Wizard and Cleric would likely be affected the most, but this path could see multiple previously existing subclasses ignored or many new ones created out of necessity to maintain even numbers. More will be known when future Dungeons and Dragons books see publication.
- Franchise
-
Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
-
1974
- Designer
-
E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson