Unearthed Arcana WotC Removes Latest Unearthed Arcana

WotC has removed this week's Unearthed Arcana from its website. Not only has the article's web page itself been removed, the actual PDF has been replaced with last month's "Subclasses, Part 1" PDF (although it's URL still reads... /UA2020-Subclasses02.pdf).

The article included three new subclasses, the bardic College of Creation, the cleric's Love Domain, and the sorcerer's Clockwork Soul.

[NOTE - NSFW language follows].

I don't know if it's linked, but WotC came under criticism on Twitter for its treatment of the Love Domain. The main argument isn't that mind-control magic has no place in the game, but rather that coercive powers should not be described as "love", and that the domain might be poorly named.

People like game designer Emmy Allen commented: "It seems WotC have tried to create a 'Love' domain for clerics in 5e. By some sheer coincidence they seem to have accidentally created a 'roofie' domain instead. Nothing says 'love' like overriding your target's free will to bring them under your power."


That domain was introduced as follows: "Love exists in many forms—compassion, infatuation, friendly affection, and passionate love as a few facets. Whatever form these feelings take, the gods of love deepen the bonds between individuals."

The powers were Eboldening Bond, Impulsive Infatuation ("Overwhelm a creature with a flash of short-lived by intense admiration for you, driving them to rash action in your defense”), Protective Bond, and Enduring Unity.

Whether the criticism was a factor in the article's withdrawal, I don't know. It might be that it just wasn't ready for prime-time yet. It seems the domain itself would be better named a "control" or "charm" domain than a "love" domain, which seems to be the main thrust of the criticism on Twitter.

WotC's Jeremy Crawford commented: "The official version of the Unearthed Arcana article “Subclasses, Part 2” is still ahead of us, later this week or sometime next week. Our team will hold off on answering questions until you’ve seen the real deal!"

 

[Tony Vargas]

"True Love" has been genre so long it's kinda a cliché.
D&D's never really tackled it in a genre-appropriate way.
(Though it's obviously tackled variations on the 'love potion' an 'evil enchantress' tropes plenty.)

Maybe it needs some sort of eros/agape divide?

 

[Guest 6801328]

Might as well get rid of all the Charm spells now or any mind altering ability. Illusions. Fear.

Why?

I think it's possible you are entirely misunderstanding the criticism.

 

[Salthorae]

I just don't agree with them that charm effects dont fit the domain.

I don't think it's even the charm effects per se as much as it was the name of the ability, something to do with "Infatuation" that charms someone and makes them attack your enemies.

I don't probably have an issue with it, but that would seem to be more of an Enchantment or Charm domain than "love". I'd think that a "love" domain wouldn't really have combat useful abilities, but that's just me probably.

 

[Horwath]

I have to caution you against the insulting. Really. Don't do that.

You might want to consider that there's a difference between taking away agency in the name of fear, and doing so in the name of love.

Of course there is a difference. One is fear and the other is love.

But on a basic level, they are the same. Emotions. Probably the two strongest.

Degree is only what do you do with a person when you take away their agency with either fear or love.

Do you use love for small favors like discounts or reducing your punishment for a crime or getting access to a place that normally you would be barred from(I.E. palace vault) or do you do something that @lowkey13 aimed at with Pill Cosby reference?

Same with fear, that can also be manipulated through Intimidation skill; will you use it to scare of the guard of his diligent duty, or will you use it to get a confession out of a bad guy to do some greater good.
Or will you be a Mob style and threaten a man with lives of his wife and children if he does not do your bidding. That would be praying on both fear and love at the same time.

And while we are on taking away agency, chopping someones head off is the ultimate expression of taking away someones agency over their life.


As for my remark about hypocrisy, I just stated that in a game where you can chop someone in half with a sword, burn them alive with fireball, melt their skin and flesh with acid breath, make them your puppets with dominate, torture prisoners for information(even if it is for a greater good), robbing everything, summoning and consorting with demons, etc... claiming that causing love emotion in someone is finally a bridge too far is a little hypocritical.

And I never said that it was a good thing, messing with people like that is bad, and if you mean to exploit them via those feelings is very bad. But it is not worst what this game gives you to do.

 

[Demetrios1453]

"True Love" has been genre so long it's kinda a cliché.
D&D's never really tackled it in a genre-appropriate way.
(Though it's obviously tackled variations on the 'love potion' an 'evil enchantress' tropes plenty.)

Maybe it needs some sort of eros/agape divide?

Good point on the eros/agape divide; English only has the one (commonly-used) word for love where Greek had five (if I'm remembering my college Classical Greek classes right). The over-arching use of the word can definitely cause some confusion and conflicting understanding, such as in this case. That's why I'm leaning toward the suggestions of using something less verbally imprecise like "charm" or "passsion" for the domain name.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

So IMO it's a subject that should probably be broached with great care.

It's the satanic panic of this century. Assassins, half-orcs, and demons are ok again, but we should be careful before placing a love potion in a treasure hoard...

 

[Undrave]

It's the satanic panic of this century. Assassins, half-orcs, and demons are ok again, but we should be careful before placing a love potion in a treasure hoard...

Don't make light the traumatic experience of assault victims. That's pretty thoughtless.

 

[cbwjm]

I don't think it's even the charm effects per se as much as it was the name of the ability, something to do with "Infatuation" that charms someone and makes them attack your enemies.

I don't probably have an issue with it, but that would seem to be more of an Enchantment or Charm domain than "love". I'd think that a "love" domain wouldn't really have combat useful abilities, but that's just me probably.

I could see it having more de-escalation abilities. For instance, Mike Mearl's Beauty domain (this was his homebrew, he wasn't worried about balance) had as the channel divinity ability: Beauty's Truce which caused everyone in a radius that failed a saving throw to be charmed by every other person also affected. They'd see each other as allies and would defend each other from outside threats. If there were no threats, they just chill out and talk amongst themselves for the duration of the ability.

Not sure how useful that would be in combat, could be quite potent, but I thought it was a nice thematic ability.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

I could see it having more de-escalation abilities. For instance, Mike Mearl's Beauty domain (this was his homebrew, he wasn't worried about balance) had as the channel divinity ability: Beauty's Truce which caused everyone in a radius that failed a saving throw to be charmed by every other person also affected. They'd see each other as allies and would defend each other from outside threats. If there were no threats, they just chill out and talk amongst themselves for the duration of the ability.

Not sure how useful that would be in combat, could be quite potent, but I thought it was a nice thematic ability.

That's definitely a cool ability, basically a buffed Calm Emotions, although I feel it would work more for a Peace domain rather than a Love or Beauty domain.

 

[cbwjm]

That's definitely a cool ability, basically a buffed Calm Emotions, although I feel it would work more for a Peace domain rather than a Love or Beauty domain.

It really like the ability. I've found that some of the stuff that Mike has come up with for his home campaign, without having to worry about balancing it for official release, is really quite cool.