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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[Garthanos]

I'm pretty sure the limit on maneuvers is not due to balance.

I suspect it's more to do with cognitive load and decision time. It's to avoid a situation where the Fighter player gets to level 3 and starts pouring over the book trying to decide whether any of the maneuvers apply to the current situation.

If you know your players won't do that then I wouldn't see an issue in letting them choose the ones they want (it would probably improve things by allowing the more situational ones to see more use).

I recently created an educated fighter feat in 4e and afterwards I thought wow... not sure I would even want this? because of that very thing you speak of.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

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.

“This Spellcasting feature” very clearly, explicitly, and unavoidably, refers to the Spellcasting feature it is enhancing.

And again, you’ve never learned a spell from Spell Versatility, so by your reading it is literally impossible to ever use the feature in question.

 

[Yaarel]

"
Spell Versatility
1st-level bard feature (enhances Spellcasting)

Whenever you finish a long rest, you can replace one spell you learned from this Spellcasting feature with another spell from the bard spell list. The new spell must be the same level as the spell you replace.

"

Spell Versatility expands a specific Bard feature called ‘Spellcasting’ (with a capital letter S-).

The Spellcasting feature is described in the Bard class description in the Players Handbook (page 101), in the section under the heading ‘Spellcasting’.



"you can replace one spell you learned from this Spellcasting feature"

‘This Spellcasting feature’ refers to the Bard Spellcasting feature. It doesnt refer to itself, Spell Versatility (with capital letters), nor things like Magical Secrets, which is also a separate feature.

In other words, you can replace any Bard spell that you know − that you ‘learned’ by means of the Bard Spellcasting feature.

In other words, you can swap out any Bard spell.

You dont necessarily replace ‘the’ spell that was previously swapped in. Rather you can replace any ‘one’ Bard spell that you know.



"with another spell from the bard spell list"

You can replace any Bard spell that you know with any other Bard spell that you dont know.

 

[Yaarel]

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.

The Wizard and Sorcerer are equally competent in spellcasting. Their difference resembles the difference between extrovert and introvert. The Wizard knows many spells broadly. The Sorcerer knows a few spells deeply.

As I mentioned earlier, I would be happier if all spells for every class divided by theme. So the Sorcerer swapped with a thematically related spell. For now, being on the Sorcerer spell list counts as if thematically related.

I am satisfied with the UA article, Spell Versatility.

Still I would love an official division of spells by theme, even replacing schools and domains.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So let me rephrase. I want a Barbarian that is equally (or even nearly equally) enabled to brawl, punch, and grapple as well as any Fighter without paying a feat tax. Edit: And I don't think said Barbarian is more niche than said Fighter in the slightest.

You mean Punchy Barb is no more niche than Punchy Fighter, given the redefinition above? Hmmm. I agree, there's not a lot in it, as archetype-wise there is no clear distinction between those classes.

So if all you're saying is this Fighting Style should probably be available to all classes who can pick a Fighting Style, I agree. I took your original request to be a bit more than that, but fair enough. Honestly aside from Holy Warrior or whatever probably all Fighting Styles should be. They're not really a Class Identity thing. And the Paladin one is just a lesser version of the Magic Initiate Feat.

 

[tglassy]

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.

Even with Spell Versatility, Wizards are better at Arcane Magic than other classes, as they:

A) Have a larger spell list to pick from
B) Learn more spells naturally than any other Arcane class (6 at first and 2 every level after)
C) Prepare more Arcane spells than the Charisma Arcane Classes (lvl+Int, at least 4 at lvl up and up to 6.)

And they have the potential to know their entire spell list as well, which is double the size of anyone else’s. So they can learn their whole list, just like Spell Versatility lets other classes do, they just have to spend gold and find them, which I think is reasonable sense Wizards have such a large and useful spell list and can learn 2-3 times as many spells naturally as the other Arcane Classes anyway. Even with Spell Versatility, they have more magic than any other Arcane caster.

 

[Maxperson]

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.

Yes. That feature has new capabilities granted by the new feature. Nothing in there says or implies that the new feature which the UA says exists, suddenly no longer exists and the old feature absorbs it.

Per the UA, the old feature is modified by the new feature which continues to exist separately.

 

[Maxperson]

“This Spellcasting feature” very clearly, explicitly, and unavoidably, refers to the Spellcasting feature it is enhancing.

"This spellcasting feature" refers to the new spellcasting feature which modifies the old spellcasting feature. Otherwise it was simply say, "The spellcasting feature." By using the word "this," they are telling you in no uncertain terms that the new feature is separate from the old one. You only need to specify "this" or "that" if there is more than one spellcasting feature.

And again, you’ve never learned a spell from Spell Versatility, so by your reading it is literally impossible to ever use the feature in question.

It's sloppy wording, but there's nothing about 5e having sloppy wording on things. Clearly the first time you use it, you simply pick any spell and thereafter you keep changing the spell selected by the new spellcasting ability.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I am very confident you are misreading the feature, Maxperson, at least in terms of RAI. I imagine the final form will be more clear. Your interpretation is seriously counter-intuitive in a way 5E actively avoids.

 

[Pauln6]

Why not give the casters one extra spell known slot in which they can plop a new spell after a long rest. If they learn the same spell this way for 7 days in a row they can swap it for another spell of the same level on their known list. You get a limited level of versatility but you can only swap spells permanently on your downtime.