UA: Your favorite variant?

joela · Dec 31, 2006

Unearthed Arcana was my best purchase for 2006. I especially love the various spellcaster variants and optional magic rules.

If you have UA, what is (are) your favorite alternative rules from the supplement?

javcs · Dec 31, 2006

Bloodlines, reducing LAs, gestalt, flaws, and traits are my personal favorites that I use most often.
Also of interest are generic classes (quite good for PRCs), and the variant classes.

Bivotar · Dec 31, 2006

Martial Rogue (swap sneak attack for fighter bonus feats) and the Class Defense bonus.

We use these two regularly in are campaigns.

wolfpunk · Dec 31, 2006

Agree, the Martial Rogue, and also the Whirling Frenzy varient for the Barbarian, are my favorites.

Giltonio_Santos · Dec 31, 2006

Recharge magic and metamagic materials are my favorites. The first I used in a campaign that never went too far, and the special components I use as treasure sometimes.

Since a friend of mine saw Whirlwind Frenzy he has never played a barbarian with the standard rage again.

Cheers,

delericho · Dec 31, 2006

Weapon group proficiences is my favourite, followed by Class-based Defense bonuses.

Cyberzombie · Dec 31, 2006

I can't even choose one rule. If I could only use two books to play D&D, the PHB and UA would be it.

I use the first couple of chapters the most but I use pretty much all of it.

HeavenShallBurn · Dec 31, 2006

Love weapon groups, also class defense applied with an Armor as DR system. Where DR=(1/2AC+1/2material hardness), which is necessary to make armor continue working at higher levels as DR without the high damage output of high CR creatures swamping it every time.

Recharge magic is a good idea, but the differing recharge times for so many spells was a little tedious to look up and figure out. Currently my group uses a variant spellpoints system, but it's derived from the 2e Netheril system rather than the UA version.

kaomera · Dec 31, 2006

Martial rogue, the martial rogue, and also the martial rogue.

Greg K · Dec 31, 2006

My favorites:
Races
-environmental variants

class variants
-Barbarian: barbarian hunter
-Bard variants: all of them
-cleric variants: champion of good, cloistered cleric
-Monk: monk fighting styles
-rogue: martial rogue, wilderness rogue
-sorcerer: battle sorcerer
-specialist wizard: specialist wizard variant abilities

Miscellanious
-Favored Environment
-Action Points
-Weapon groups

Combat
-armor as Dr
-class based defense (for the idea, but the execution is lacking)
-injury system (for the idea, but the execution is lacking)
-massive damage threshold
-wound/vitality

-facing

Magic
-spontaneous divine casting
-spontaneous domain casting
-spell point with vitalizng