Unearthed Arcana New UA: 43 D&D Class Feature Variants

The latest Unearthed Arcana is a big 13-page document! “Every character class in D&D has features, and every class gets one or more class feature variants in today’s Unearthed Arcana! These variants replace or enhance a class’s normal features, giving you new ways to enjoy your character’s class.”

News Archive | Dungeons and Dragons

Read the full archives of Dungeons & Dragons news, Sage Advice, Unearthed Arcana, and D&D Studio Blogs.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[OB1]

As for Cunning Action: Aim, I think it would be better to have it allow you to use your sneak attack damage on the next hit that turn. Giving the attack advantage on top of it is too much.

 

[Zaukrie]

Good start to make classes more variable......

 

[TwoSix]

This might be my favorite UA to date!

The Aim Cunning Action option for rogues is NUTS! If you thought Sharpshooter was OP before, wait until every Sharpshooter character starts taking a 2-level dip into rogue for at-will Advantage on their -5/+10 attacks.

Ehh, it's only 1 attack, and it uses a bonus action that could have been used with Crossbow Expert. I like the rogue ability because it adds another good option, but doesn't make the already best option better. Aim just lets a rogue (or rogue dip) get the primary benefit of dual-wielding (a second chance to proc Sneak Attack) on a ranged attack or a booming blade attack.

 

[Teemu]

This is can quite drastically change how bards and sorcerers in particular can make use of downtime; also warlocks and rangers to a lesser extent. Have a week of downtime? You can make use of many utility spells you wouldn’t have learned without spell versatility. Speak with animals to learn about your enemies while in the forest. Tiny hut for that week-long trek through the desert.

Plus, now bards, sorcerers, rangers, and warlocks can scribe scrolls much, much more freely.

Spell versatility could in fact make bards and sorcerers much more versatile with downtime than wizards, clerics, or druids. That’s honestly a massive shift in the game.

 

[Charlaquin]

perhaps. But that means you delay things like getting your extra attack and ASIs by two levels, and each time you use it, you can’t move. I’m envisioning this power like an artillery piece that puts down stabilizing pillars before firing lol

The thing is, with Sharpshooter, you don’t have to move. You ignore half and three quarters cover, and you don’t take disadvantage on shots in your long range, so as long as your target is within 600 feet (that’s 120 squares on the grid!!!) and not behind total cover, you can stay right where you are. Hell, throw in a third level of Rogue so you can pick up the Scout subclass and you can even get out of melee as a reaction so you literally never need to move on your own turn. Sure, it delays Extra Attack a few levels, but I’d say that and the 2d6 Sneak Attack dice are well worth it, assuming you got Sharpshooter with Variant Human’s first level feat.

 

[Yaarel]

The Barbarian options are horrible.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m a little disappointed they didn’t have any options to replace spellcasting.

 

[Yaarel]

I’m a little disappointed they didn’t have any options to replace spellcasting.

That might require a full subclass to spell out the equivalence.

 

[abirdcall]

It's only ONE spell per day so this will mostly be use for more niche spells. Like in my party where our main caster is a Warlock and we could REALLY use a Sending spell to contact our home base, but it's not worth keeping it on the Warlock for a long time.

I get that it is useful to do. I just don't think removing the cost of things is necessarily good.

If you want Sending then spend a spell known on it. That's the cost. The Wizard's whole thing is that they are much more flexible than that. (not to mention fully open classes like Cleric)

Limitations can help define characters.

 

[Charlaquin]

That might require a full subclass to spell out the equivalence.

I’d be fine with that.