Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Spirits Bard and Undeath Warlock

We have a new UA release with two subclasses. The College of Spirits Bard is a fortune teller or spirit medium type character with a big random effect table. Meanwhile the Undeath Pact Warlock is a a do-over of the Undying Pact Warlock.

 

[ZeshinX]

For the love of Zozo, The College of Spirits is a medium or fortune teller, not a shaman!

I'm guessing her name is also Rose?

 

[Parmandur]

On a final note, how swift is the turn around for UA to published books? I thought the planar options book was set for November, but it's getting awfully close to be still giving us UA for a book that I thought would be going to the printers by now.

In 2019, the last Eberron playtest survey was on 5/28, in 2018 the last Ravnica UA survey went out on 8/20, and in 2017 the last XGtE playtest material was in May.

Crawford said when the Ravnica Rave survey went out that they were cutting it close for sending to the printer in early September for release in November. If these options are big hits, it could make it under the wire for the November book...

 

[Parmandur]

As to these options...

They do not spark joy. I wouldn't want to play them, and feel deep apathy for them.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I say add a Violin to the spellcasting focus as well.

For bards, instruments are already spellcasting foci.
Edit: Saw that this was already corrected.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

I'm guessing her name is also Rose?

Maybe Cleo?

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I like the new warlock a lot and would be happy to play one...or have one in my group.

Still trying to wrap my head around the bard. The mechanics are definitely interesting but I can't quite visualize what this guy looks like.

 

[NaturalZero]

I feel like I'm missing something, but I keep reading this...

"Your patron’s powers have a profound effect on your body and magic. You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe. In addition, when you hit a creature with an attack and roll damage against the creature, you can replace the damage type with necrotic damage. While you are using your Form of Dread, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the necrotic damage the target takes. "

Does this really let you double your die damage if you're spamming eldritch blast? No "once per turn" requirement, just transmuting everything to necrotic and tacking on an extra die every time you hit?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

For the love of Zozo, The College of Spirits is a medium or fortune teller, not a shaman!

The mechanics work just fine for both.

 

[abirdcall]

I like the theme of the Spirits Bard a lot.

I would prefer the tales to be out of combat uses of inspiration. Let it be a 10 minute story resulting in a small party buff based on the roll.

The 6th level feature is very weak. Limit it to 3rd level spells or lower and let them cast it 1/day for free.

 

[Undrave]

I feel like I'm missing something, but I keep reading this...

"Your patron’s powers have a profound effect on your body and magic. You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe. In addition, when you hit a creature with an attack and roll damage against the creature, you can replace the damage type with necrotic damage. While you are using your Form of Dread, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the necrotic damage the target takes. "

Does this really let you double your die damage if you're spamming eldritch blast? No "once per turn" requirement, just transmuting everything to necrotic and tacking on an extra die every time you hit?

Yes, while in the Form of Dread. At 6th level that's 3 minutes per day.

IKf you think that's too strong, how about if the extra die was a flat bonus? like d6?