Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Four New Subclasses

There's a new Unearthed Arcana from Ben Petrisor, Dan Dillon, Bill Benham, Jeremy Crawford, F. Wesley Schneider. This one has four new subclasses Path of the Beast (Barbarian), Way of Mercy (Monk), Oath of the Watchers (Paladin), Noble Genie (Warlock).

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[Parmandur]

I'm afraid your mathematical knowledge is lacking. If you multiply a linear function you get a linear function. If function F is linear then 3F is also linear.

A level 20 monk has 10 times the ki of a level 2 monk. This ratio does not change for long or short rests. 20/2 = 60/6.

Using spell points, a 20th level caster has 22.2 (to 1 dp) times as many spell points as a 2nd level caster. To put it another way, if ki scaled in the same way spell points a 20th level monk should have 44 ki points. This is all done on ratios, so long rest/short rest changes nothing.

Me degree are in English, so me reading comprehension be real good but math are hard.

Nevertheless, a Level 2 Monk will have 6 Ki points a day, while a Paladin/Ranger/Artificer will have 4 Spell Points. At Level 20, the Monk will have 60 Ki, with the potential for mucb more if they sneak in a bonus short rest, whereas the Paladin/Ranger/Artificer will have 64 Spell Points with no chance to get more. They stay within a few points of each other at all steps up the 20 Level ladder. The Monk is a short rest recharging half-caster, just as the Warlock is a short rest full caster, when you break it all down.

Additionally, Ki points can be demonstrated to ha e an identical value to DMG Spell Points through various Monk powers, though it is particularly obvious in the case of the Way of the Four Elements (which people get frustrated with for having the same Spell capability of other half-casters, to which the designers can only rationally respond by shrugging and suggesting a different Subclass). As such, half a Level 1 Spell Slot for half a Cure Wounds, albeit one that scales up with Monk Level, is exceedingly fair.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Me degree are in English, so me reading comprehension be real good but math are hard.

My degree is in in Astrophysics, and I teach Maths, so you can trust me when I say I know what I'm talking about.

What you are observing with half casters is a phenomena which is key to calculus - if you look at a small enough part of a curve it starts to approximate to a straight line. But monks are not half casters - they are far more dependant on ki than a ranger is on spell points.

 

[Thurmas]

Barbarian: I like it. I really like the feel of a lycan or vampire. My only real complaint is the first ability at 3. I'd like to see you get both the bite and claws when you transform, and not get the tail. This does limit the general beast option more, but improves the lycan or vampire aspect. 2 Bite attacks, 2 (3) claw attacks, 1 bite, 1 (2) claw attacks. From a damage standpoint I don't think that sounds unreasonable and really reinforces the bestial nature of attacking with tooth and nail. The tail, while useful, goes in a different direction.

Monk: Looks good overall. Not really something I would play personally, but an interesting concept. The Noxious Aura reads a bit too much as bad body odor to me.

Paladin: Spells, awesome. Worthwhile additions that mean you just won't be using them all to smite. Channel Divinity gives some good options that make it worth using. The aura is very thematic. I like the Vigilant Rebuke, although I'm not really sure that it fits the Watcher theme as much. The Capstone seems like one of the weaker capstones, but being a bonus action helps to balance it. It makes me wish the other capstones were bonus actions, even if their power decreased.

Warlock: A good concept, but the powers are all over the place. I just don't understand how the tethered creature correlates to a Genie. Genie's Entertainment is the only one that seems to fit. Collector's Call, while useful, has a clunky mechanic. It encourages multiclassing for expertise and punishes using items like Rod of the Pact Keeper that increase your spell DC.

 

[Parmandur]

My degree is in in Astrophysics, and I teach Maths, so you can trust me when I say I know what I'm talking about.

What you are observing with half casters is a phenomena which is key to calculus - if you look at a small enough part of a curve it starts to approximate to a straight line. But monks are not half casters - they are far more dependant on ki than a ranger is on spell points.

I'm not sure why you would say that: the Ranger and Paladin have plenty of Spell slot dependency, while the Monk's bread and butter is not Ki dependent at all: a naked Monk with no weapons at higher levels can have 20 AC and make three d10 magic weapon attacks and move a billion feet with no Ki usage.

 

[Tony Vargas]

My degree is in in Astrophysics, and I teach Maths, so...

So, can you explain when/why it stopped being Math or Mathematics and became 'Maths?'
(which my spellchecker righteously underlines in red)



(Edit: British usage? ... funny I missed that, all these years, and here I'd always thought I'd watched too much Dr Who in the 80s...)

 

[DEFCON 1]

So, can you explain when/why it stopped being Math or Mathematics and became 'Maths?'
(which my spellchecker righteously underlines in red)

Probably when Paul was in Britain or elsewhere in Europe. That's how they use it.

 

[BookBarbarian]

You use math when engineering with aluminum and maths when engineering with aluminium.

 

[Parmandur]

So, can you explain when/why it stopped being Math or Mathematics and became 'Maths?'
(which my spellchecker righteously underlines in red)

A brief etymological investigation suggests the Brits, which Paul is, started shortening "mathematics" to "maths" by about 1911.

 

[Weiley31]

Path of The Beast is probably the first Barbarian Subclass I'm gonna play as.

And this is from somebody who wouldn't usually choose Barbarian.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Path of The Beast is probably the first Barbarian Subclass I'm gonna play as.

And this is from somebody who wouldn't usually choose Barbarian.

It’s just bloody cool as hell.