Dungeons & Dragons has been playing around with a lot of new subclasses recently, and the newest Unearthed Arcana playtest includes four off-the-wall additions. In January, D&D debuted a number of Unearthed Arcana subclasses focusing on the Forgotten Realms, and May brought eight horror options into the mix.
The latest Unearthed Arcana features four "Apocalyptic" subclasses, which can be viewed in a PDF available on D&D Beyond. These include the Circle of Preservation Druid, Gladiator Fighter, Defiled Sorcery Sorcerer, and Sorcerer-King Patron Warlock. These subclasses all fit a campaign setting with a struggling, post-apocalyptic world, although they could still be used in other contexts.
The Circle of Preservation Druid focuses on conserving and restoring nature, making it a natural fit for worlds ruined by apocalyptic events. A Druid of this subclass can preserve small areas of land to offer buffs and eventually cast restoration spells without slots or components.
The Gladiator Fighter might be the subclass most likely to fit into the average campaign, and it's basically what it says on the tin. Gladiators can use Brutality options as special weapon mastery properties to give them extra prowess in melee combat.
Defiled Sorcery is a darker take...
