So, the latest test packet is enormous. Not only do we have seven classes (the priests, experts, and the Monk) but we also have several subclasses for each class (showing us, thusly, which four each class is getting - my predictions have turned out mixed). Among these are two brand-new subclasses.
Let me go class by class:
Bard:
Bardic Inspiration is closer to its 2014 version again, now requiring a bonus action to bestow it and having no healing component, though you now get to see if you failed the d20 test before you choose to expend it.
Spellcasting has also changed profoundly - you choose any of the three spell lists and get unfettered access to it (no school restrictions). Magical Secrets grants you another spell list, giving Bards massive access to spells.
Vicious Mockery is now Bard-exclusive and has its damage die upgraded to a d6.
Subclasses are Lore, Valor, Glamour, and the new Dance, which is a melee-combat subclass with unarmored defense (Dex+Cha,) and enhanced unarmed strikes, and a lot of features that help safely move around the battlefield for both you and your allies.
Cleric:
Divine Order (the new name for Holy Order) has been condensed to two options, one the heavy-armor and martial weapons choice and the other being the spellcasting and bonus to Religion checks. Divine Intervention is now always reliable, but explicitly only allows the casting of Divine spells, though the improved version lets you cast Wish (with no "stress" from off-label uses) which sort of gives you the free-form version of the old one.
Cleric subclasses will be Life, Light, Trickery, and War.
Druid:
The big thing is that Channel Nature is gone, and we're back to using "alternative uses of Wild Shape," which I think is clunky but is probably to ensure compatibility with older subclasses.
Wild Shape once again uses Beast stat blocks from the Monster Manual - which I'll be honest, I find very disappointing. You keep your own HP, though Moon Druids will get a bonus of Temp HP equal to the beast's HP or three times their Druid level.
The game-changer here Moon Druids is that you can keep your own AC when you Wild Shape, and there's a baseline feature that, like Divine Order, is Primal Order, which is similar to Divine Order though it gives you Medium, rather than Heavy (given that you start out with only Light) armor training if you pick "Warden" along with Martial Weapon proficiency, and if you pick Magician, you get a bonus cantrip and can add Wisdom to Nature checks. So, if you go Warden, you can relatively easily get an 18 AC while in your Bear form - but only as a Moon druid.
The subclasses included are Circle of the Moon, Circle of the Land, Circle of Stars (this unchanged from Tasha's, so it's not included) and the new Circle of the Sea, which... I'll analyze later.
Monk:
The most surprising thing here is how little has changed - Monks still get their Monk level's worth of Discipline Points (the new name for Ki points,) though they eventually get a way to take a short rest once a day in a single minute. Martial Arts dice scale up better - you now start with a d6 and go up to a d12. These only apply to unarmed strikes, though.
Stunning Strike has been nerfed, only allowing its use once per turn.
At high levels, Monks can gain resistance to all damage other than Force by spending three discipline points, but this doesn't come online until 18.
Deflect Missiles, though, has gotten a big buff, in that at higher levels you can now deflect spell attacks, which should be particularly good given the newer design of spellcasting NPCs.
Monks get Weapon Masteries, though only for actual weapons.
Subclasses for the Monk are now "Warrior of" rather than "Way of," but we get Hand (Open Hand), Four Elements, and Shadow, and Mercy (unchanged from Tasha's and thus not included). Four Elements looks, to me, much better than its old version, and much simpler, though as with a lot of Monks, there's a lot of competition for your limited Discipline Points.
Paladin:
Paladins lose cantrips, but they now automatically have all of the Smite spells prepared, and these are now Paladin-exclusive. Divine Smite is also a spell now, though functions as it always did (except the whole "only once per turn" thing that results from making it a 1st level spell). Find Steed is also now Paladin-exclusive, but still automatically prepared as a class feature.
Paladin subclasses are Devotion, Ancients, Vengeance, and Glory.
Ranger:
Rangers, like Paladins, lose cantrips, but no longer have any school restriction on their spellcasting via the Primal list.
Hunter's Mark is now Ranger-exclusive, and works more like the redesigned Hex - only dealing damage once per turn but doing more damage as it's upcast. You get it automatically prepared, but it once again requires concentration. Conjure Barrage and Conjure Volley are now automatically learned and Ranger-exclusive, and Barrage has been buffed to 5d8 from 3d8.
Expertise has been nerfed a little in favor of terrain-specific bonuses, though you can swap these on a long rest.
Ranger subclasses include the Hunter, Beast Master (very similar to its Tasha's revision,) the Gloomstalker, and the Fey Wanderer (the latter unchanged from Tasha's).
Rogue:
Sneak Attack no longer has to be part of the Attack Action and is also not limited to your turn, so Arcane Tricksters rejoice.
Rogues also have a new feature called Cunning Strikes, which allows you to sacrifice a number of d6s from your Sneak Attack to get other effects (most cost 1d6, though you get more expensive ones at higher levels).
Rogue Subclasses are the Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Thief, and Swashbuckler (as predicted). The Assassin's 9th-level feature is still kind of BS, but they at least get something better at 13. The Swashbuckler in particular seems built around Cunning Strikes.
Anyway, that's the general overview. We'll get into the nitty-gritty when I have the time to do so.
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