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.”

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[Ashrym]

Giving it more thought and ranger is too front loaded with those changes. 1 level is too easy of a splash for monks, druids, and clerics.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Some of the things here could be fine tuned here and there, but this document is a fantastic start.

Love the changes to the Ranger so far. I'm sure they'll need to add a few more Deft Explorer options before official publication so it's not simply a matter of choosing which of the three things you get at which level in which order.

Also love the new Battle Master maneuvers (particularly the ones that let you use Superiority Dice for other pillars), and I simply appreciate seeing new Fighting Styles, too. Blessed Warrrior and Druidic Warrior for Paladin and Ranger, respectively, both quite nice.

Also, Paladin with Spirit Guardians now ... I did a spit take when I first saw that, but honestly, I've warmed up to the idea? Now Paladins only have to wait until Lv. 9 instead of 17 to do anything worthwhile against hordes, so really, it's just smoothing the power curve there. Plus many campaigns don't go too far past Lv. 9, so, again, smoothing the power curve. Only thing is that it pretty much makes Oath of the Crown pointless, as it didn't have much to offer besides Spirit Guardians as an Oath spell.

Speaking of Paladins and smoother power curves, I would've liked an aura expansion to 20 feet around Lv. 13 or so, making a nice intermediate between the starting 10 feet and the 30 feet at Lv. 18.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I don’t understand the negative perception on the Warlock pet getting a bonus action attack at level 9.

It already can attack on its turn. This is an extra. On top of the warlocks action, and the pets action.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

, and Monk Weapons makes the Kensei pointless.

How!?

Did everyone but me forget the rest of what the Kensei gets, or the fact that expanded monk weapons isn’t that powerful, or that this new option doesn’t give you longbows?

 

[tglassy]

I don’t understand the negative perception on the Warlock pet getting a bonus action attack at level 9.

It already can attack on its turn. This is an extra. On top of the warlocks action, and the pets action.

No, it cannot Attack on it’s turn. It can attack as a reaction when the Warlock uses the attack action and gives one of its attacks to allow it to. This invocation makes it a bonus action instead.

 

[tglassy]

Spell Versatility and Divine Souls seems like a possible issue, how does it interact with the divine magic feature?

The Divine Soul Feature states that anytime yo are allowed to pick a new or replace an old Sorcerer Spell with this feature, you can instead pick a Cleric Spell. Spell Versatility enhances the Spell Casting ability, it doesn’t replace it. It simply gives more times that you can replace old spells, so a Divine Soul would be able to switch out Cleric And Sorcerer spells every long rest.

Which is why I’m going to finally create my Aasimar Divine Soul that I’ve been thinking about.

 

[Parmandur]

How!?

Did everyone but me forget the rest of what the Kensei gets, or the fact that expanded monk weapons isn’t that powerful, or that this new option doesn’t give you longbows?

All of the above.

 

[cbwjm]

For the wizard, I would have totally allowed them to add cantrips to their spellbook and select them each day along with the rest of their spells. It's a house rule I'd already be using if anyone had chosen wizard. I was also thinking of allowing other prepared casters similar versatility but this UA has beat me to it.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Paladin

Fighting Style Options
I've gone over most of them for the fighter, here is the unique one:

Blessed Warrior
Two Cleric Cantrips that you can cast with Cha sounds cool, until you look at the Cleric cantrip list. Maybe there is something that could be done with Word of Radiance.

Sacred Flame to patch up the Paladin's typical weakness in ranged combat, and Guidance because it's, well, Guidance. What more do you need?

 

[Xenonnonex]

Wizards should give us a goddamn book full of variant rules. Call it the Book of Unearthed Arcana.