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

 

[Salthorae]

View attachment 115503

It enhances spellcasting by allowing spell swaps through "this feature". It's a feature called "spell versatility" and clearly listed as a 1st-level feature. It's clearly referring to itself in the RAW text. A person might argue intent but the text is clear.

The other thing I would point out is that the spell selected has to match the level replaced. As a 1st level feature that's going to lock it into cantrips or 1st-level spells as well.

You are completely ignoring how the "enhance X feature" portion of this UA works to read it like this. When a feature in these UA options "enhances" a class feature, you literally add that text to the Class Feature Text.

So for a Bard you take this

Spellcasting
You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the bard spell list.

Cantrips
You know two cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn additional bard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Bard table.

Spell Slots
The Bard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your bard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell cure wounds and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast cure wounds using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Bard table shows when you learn more bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the table. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the bard spells you know and replace it with another spell from the bard spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Ritual Casting
You can cast any bard spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus
You can use a musical instrument (see the Tools section) as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

And add the text of Spell Versatility into it as another subsection.

Once you do that, the Spell Versatility allows you to swap out any spell learned through Spellcasting on a long rest.

It doesn't become it's own class feature, it is a subsection enhancement of an existing feature. Spellcasting in this case.

 

[Maxperson]

The other thing I would point out is that the spell selected has to match the level replaced. As a 1st level feature that's going to lock it into cantrips or 1st-level spells as well.

Not necessarily. You don't get locked in until you pick a spell, and you don't have to pick that initial spell when you get the feature. You can wait until you go up in level and during some future long rest, pick the initial spell of a spell level higher than 1.

 

[Ashrym]

You are completely ignoring how the "enhance X feature" portion of this UA works to read it like this. When a feature in these UA options "enhances" a class feature, you literally add that text to the Class Feature Text.

So for a Bard you take this

And add the text of Spell Versatility into it as another subsection.

Once you do that, the Spell Versatility allows you to swap out any spell learned through Spellcasting on a long rest.

I'm not. I'm reading the text as written. "This" is determinative with only one meaning here.

 

[Salthorae]

I'm not. I'm reading the text as written. "This" is determinative with only one meaning here.

You're reading it as a standalone feature. it's not. It enhances spellcasting. Spell Versatility becomes a subsection heading under Spellcasting.

If you read it as a standalone feature then it does literally nothing because you never learned any spells from Spell Versatility (which you interpret as the concord of "this Spellcasting"). So you can't swap anything out because you never learned any spells from Spell Versatility.

The feature only makes sense in the context of the Spellcasting Class feature for which you learn spells every or almost every level you advance in the class. And can therefore swap out under the Spell Versatility feature.

ugh, I don't even like the feature as written, but your way of reading it would be pointless.

 

[Maxperson]

You are completely ignoring how the "enhance X feature" portion of this UA works to read it like this. When a feature in these UA options "enhances" a class feature, you literally add that text to the Class Feature Text.

No. This is what it says.

"Here you’ll find features that replace or enhance the normal features of your character’s class."

Find features that enhance normal features. That very clearly indicates that these are separate class features that alter(enhance) the normal class features in the PHB. They do not become a part of the PHB feature, or they would not be features themselves. If they became a part of the PHB feature, they would be a replacement of that feature with the new wording and ability.

You are the one misreading things here.

 

[Salthorae]

No. This is what it says.

"Here you’ll find features that replace or enhance the normal features of your character’s class."

Find features that enhance normal features. That very clearly indicates that these are separate class features that alter(enhance) the normal class features in the PHB. They do not become a part of the PHB feature, or they would not be features themselves. If they became a part of the PHB feature, they would be a replacement of that feature with the new wording and ability.

You are the one misreading things here.

The replacements completely replace a feature with something different and new. See Favored Foe which completely replaces Favored Enemy of the Ranger.

The enhancements take existing features and add things to them. See Magic Inspiration just above for the Bard which enhances Bardic Inspiration dice for Bards. It adds to Bardic Inspiration, it's not a completely separate class feature of the Bard.

In the same way Spell Versatility adds to Spellcasting. It is not it's own feature.

 

[Maxperson]

The replacements completely replace a feature with something different and new. See Favored Foe which completely replaces Favored Enemy of the Ranger.

It can, but it can also replace it with something similar, which is what your reading does. It replaces spellcasting with spellcasting + ability to change spells freely with a long rest. The section clearly says that the features enhance OTHER features, meaning that the enhancements remain separate features.

The enhancements take existing features and add things to them.

Yes, but they do so as separate features, per the text I quoted above.

 

[Salthorae]

No. This is what it says.

"Here you’ll find features that replace or enhance the normal features of your character’s class."

Find features that enhance normal features. That very clearly indicates that these are separate class features that alter(enhance) the normal class features in the PHB. They do not become a part of the PHB feature, or they would not be features themselves. If they became a part of the PHB feature, they would be a replacement of that feature with the new wording and ability.

You are the one misreading things here.

Even more relavant to this discussion.

Bard Spells in this UA says "enhances Spellcasting" and it ADDS new spells to their spell list. It doesn't create an entirely new class feature that puts new spells on the Bard Spell list. Because it enhances Spellcasting.

Spell Versatility enhances spellcasting in the same way. It adds to the existing Spellcasting Class Feature.

If a feature is enhanced, you continue to enjoy its benefits but now with new capabilities

So the feature is enhanced, it's still there, but THAT FEATURE has new capabilities. Not a New Feature that Interacts with it, but the existing thing has more that it can now do.

 

[Ashrym]

You're reading it as a standalone feature. it's not. It enhances spellcasting. Spell Versatility becomes a subsection heading under Spellcasting.

If you read it as a standalone feature then it does literally nothing because you never learned any spells from Spell Versatility (which you interpret as the concord of "this Spellcasting"). So you can't swap anything out because you never learned any spells from Spell Versatility.

The feature only makes sense in the context of the Spellcasting Class feature for which you learn spells every or almost every level you advance in the class. And can therefore swap out under the Spell Versatility feature.

ugh, I don't even like the feature as written, but your way of reading it would be pointless.

It is a standalone feature that enhances other features. Enhancing other features doesn't make it not a feature.

When I say a person can argue intent it leaves room for what's intended. When someone is arguing that "this feature" isn't referring to this feature I have to disagree.

I also find it more plausible that WotC's intent was a small benefit for versatility and not the ability to rewrite one's entire spell list during downtime.

I pointed out the wording. My recommendation is play it how you want and give back feedback on the survey expressing concern over the wording if you feel my interpretation is not correct.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I'm just saying, the "identity" argument doesn't fly, because there are plenty of character concepts that can fit being able to switch out a single spell every day. And it doesn't step on the Wizard's motifs any more than the Cleric, Druid, or Paladin do.

I see where you're coming from here. The issue I have though, is that the sorcerer, bard, and warlock have a mechanical ability to acquire access to any spell on their list with a day's rest, whereas the wizard has nothing like that at all. It seems to me that, of all classes, wizards should be most adept at accessing spells. With this feature, they fall behind quite a bit. In other words, even if there are perfectly reasonable concepts of bards, warlocks, or sorcerers that aren't limited to specific spells, there are even more of those with wizards. If wizards were also getting this feature with their spell list, and your argument was that the others should get it also, then I wouldn't see as big of an issue.

Part of wizard identity is being better at knowing magic spells than other arcane casters.

...and I guess that actually encapsulates my concern right there.