Dungeons and Dragons' latest edition has pulled a lot from the previous one, but there is still a wealth of untapped potential.

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition features thirteen unique and iconic main classes, each of them drawing on the game's history and a broader tradition of fantasy tropes and character archetypes. Each class has a host of subclasses to help make individual characters unique and stand out from other members of their class. These subclasses are where 5th Edition has chosen to spend most of its creative energy when it comes to designing new character archetypes, rather than building whole new classes. Twelve of the current thirteen classes were in the game from launch, with the artificer being the only main class added to the game so far. Previous editions of D&D, however, took a different approach.

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4th Edition, for instance, added new classes left and right. Every new Player's Handbook came with a bunch of brand new classes with their own features and powers. Many of these have made their way into 5th Edition in one way or another. The 4th Edition shaman bears a striking resemblance to the 5th Edition Circle of the Shepherd druid, for instance. But there are a ton of class and build options from 4th Edition that would be great to see in 5th, either as subclasses for existing classes or as brand new options all their own.

Clerics in 5th Edition have become the general catch-all for divine-powered warriors and spellcasters, but 4th Edition's invokers had a lot stronger of an identity. Rather than being run-of-the-mill priests, invokers were members of secret, ancient covenants that drew their powers directly from the gods. Mechanically, they were a lot more focused on spellcasting than the 4e cleric, and a 5th Edition adaptation of the invoker could be a cleric subclass with an expanded spell list and improved damage on cantrips.

4th Edition's subclass system wasn't quite like it is in 5th Edition. Characters would choose their build or class feature at level one, and their customization would come in which powers and feats they took as they leveled.

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One of the options for a level one barbarian was the Thaneborn Triumph feature, which encouraged a barbarian build with a high Charisma, and had several powers that offered attack bonuses to allies. 5th Edition has done some pretty cool things with the barbarian subclasses, but none have quite explored the design space of a raging and powerful leader.

Every edition of D&D has tried to take a stab at psionics, and 4th Edition was no exception, there were four psionic classes in 4th Edition, but perhaps the most unique was the battlemind. These powerful warriors could actually alter their bodies through sheer force of will to better protect their allies. Many of their powers were polymorphs, like Aspect of Living Stone or Aspect of Enlightening Flame. 5th Edition has the Psi Warrior fighter subclass, but this feels limited in scope in comparison to what was essentially an X-Men character in D&D form.

Fighters have always been a fairly broad class in D&D, and 4th Edition was no different. 4e fighters picked an option at level one based on what kind of fighting style they wanted, like two-handed, one-handed, or dual wielding. An option introduced later, however, was the Brawler Style. These fighters specialized using a one-handed weapon and keeping the other hand free in order to grab their opponents. This is technically a possible build in 5th Edition, but seeing a fighter subclass that really dedicated itself to this type of fighting would be an extremely welcome addition.

As 4th Edition's lifespan went on, several classes were revised and given completely reworked options in a line called D&D Essentials. Among these was the Protector style of druid, presented in the Heroes of the Feywild supplement. These druids forsook their Wild Shape option in exchange for a powerful magical companion.

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They could choose from the Primal Guardian or Primal Predator options to summon powerful magical creatures to fight at their side. A druid subclass that somewhat mimics the ranger's Beast Master could be a fun twist on this under-utilized class.

As long as there have been swords and sorcery, there have been characters that combined them. The swordmage class in 4th Edition was created to be a perfect middle ground between fighter and wizard, as they were magical enough to feel like mages but durable enough to stand comfortably at the front lines. 5th Edition has several options meant to evoke the swordmage, like the Eldritch Knight or the Bladesinger, but none strike the perfect balance of the swordmage.

The flavor behind the warlock makes it an exceptionally fertile ground for new subclasses. One of the most interesting from 4th Edition was the Vestige Pact warlock. Rather than making a deal with a single, powerful entity, the Vestige warlock draws power from dozens of long-dead creatures.

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This gives them an extremely versatile set of skills in addition to being a ripe source of roleplaying and worldbuilding opportunities. There have been plenty of interesting warlock subclasses added to 5th Edition, and the Vestige Pact would be right at home.

If invokers were 4th Edition's caster divine class, avengers were its warrior class. Avengers wielded large weapons and the power of their god to strike down foes with extreme skill. Their signature power allowed them to select a target and roll two dice when attacking, keeping either result. This was essentially an early appearance of 5th Edition's advantage mechanic, so it would be extremely easy to add the avenger in as a melee-focused cleric subclass, or even a divine monk subclass.

The warden is to the druid as the paladin is to the cleric, in many ways. These warriors of nature were dedicated to protecting their allies with all their strength. Their signature ability involved transforming into different Guardian Forms, like the Form of Summer Fire or the Form of the Displacer Beast. 5th Edition's Oath of the Ancients paladin does an ok job of replicating this class, but the primal powers of the warden feel much more quintessential than a paladin can provide.

One of the most-often cited examples of a great feature from 4th Edition is the warlord. This martial class functioned as a leader, able to replace the cleric or bard on the team just fine. They were non-magical warriors who could heal others simply by their commanding presence. Their powers were focused on tactics, allowing allies to move out of turn and make extra attacks, allowing for an extremely fun and useful archetype. 5th Edition has a couple of ways to replicate this, but none feel quite so good as the warlord.

NEXT: D&D: 10 Features In 5th Edition That Originated In 4th Edition

Declan is a writer and editor for Comic Book Resources and an independent game designer. They've been playing video and tabletop games since childhood and continue that love today.

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