Cross-class subclasses to fit concepts

[Shadow]

One thing that our group has been doing a lot of is taking a subclass from one class and dropping it into a different class to fill a concept needed.
Examples (names are not necessarily indicative of previous classes, but rather concepts):
Parts of arcane trickster, illusionist and enchanter onto bard as a college choice = beguiler
Battle master into ranger = warden
Battle master into paladin = marshal
Eldritch knight into wizard = spellblade
Light domain for a concept on these boards involving a fire & light themed bard

I've found that most concepts can be filled with nothing more than using an already existing subclass in a different class than it was designed for with very minor alterations. Sometimes an ability needs to be changed or ignored (like anything requiring action surge or possibly channel divinity), but for the most part it works very well. Is anyone else doing this type of thing or are people simply homebrewing completely new subclasses?

[Gwendol]

I would think it works well, and suggested it in another thread a week ago (someone asked about doubling sub-classes).

[Nagalipton]

Huh...now there's a thought. Good idea. I once ran a game with a guy who insisted on being a necromancer themed bard. I could see that actually working without too much effort here.

[Shadow]

Huh...now there's a thought. Good idea. I once ran a game with a guy who insisted on being a necromancer themed bard. I could see that actually working without too much effort here.

Precisely.
Fitting pretty much any concept is fairly straightforward by creating a new subclass for it, which is easy in 5e. Even easier is to use what already exists and simply modify things slightly as needed.
Like the Warlord that everyone is so upset doesn't "truly" exist in 5e?
Take that Battle Master into Paladin that I mentioned before. Choose different spells and maneuvers.
Bam! Warlord.

[Totema]

Rogue 3 (assassin) + Monk X (way of the shadow) = Ninja! Oh, I misunderstood what this thread was for. :smalleek: Actually those wouldn't work at all in this kind of context, what with the use of ki points and all...

[Chadamantium]

Can't you just do ninja with regular ol' way of the shadow monk?

[Gwendol]

You can add sneak attack as a replacement for a monk class feature, for example, and later on the assassin death attack. The idea is to pick up desired abilities from another class, and exchange them for a less fitting one.

[Pechvarry]

I don't think this would work well, universally. The biggest example is Paladin, whose subclass also dictates their capstone. Dropping this onto another class gives said class 2 capstones, and dropping a different subclass onto Paladin could (though probably not) make for a lackluster finish. And obviously, getting bonus spells known from your chosen domain or oath doesn't help your barbarian much. So essentially, I'm not saying this is a bad idea. Just that the DM will need to check out every combination the players consider and apply veto power rigorously.