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.

 

[Haldrik]

Sever thoughts on this:

1) This isn't stereotyping the British. If anything, it stereotypes the Spiritualists of the late 19th/early 20th century that were fairly common in the Anglosphere amongst the well-to-do. And considering the amount of fraud that they perpetrated, I'm with Harry Houdini on this matter and I'm okay with stereotyping fraudsters that intentionally bilked gullible, vulnerable people who have lost loved ones just to make some filthy lucre. ¯\(ツ)/¯

2) Stereotyping a people that have been oppressed and persecuted (the Romani) is far greater sin than stereotyping a people that have a history of being the oppressor (the British). It's that whole unequal power dynamic thing. That's not to say that stereotyping the British, which this isn't doing anyway, is cool. (Except when the British stereotype themselves (and their Victorian forebears), then it's usually called comedy.)

Heh.

To philosophize that it is ok to be racist against an entire race because that race is nothing except oppressors ...

How could that possibly be Good?

The philosophy is begging to do Evil.

 

[Haldrik]

Besides, slavery and imperialism is older than the Bible. Many − most − human cultures have inflicted some form of slavery and imperialism.

The United Kingdom in modern times was THE FIRST NATION EVER in the history of the human species TO OUTLAW SLAVERY! And then they eventually gave up their empire and founded democracies around the planet.

Rather than blame Brits for slavery, we should all be buying them a beer!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Or just to have the warlock firmly indentured to the lich.

"You have killed a sentient being, simply because I commanded it done. You are a murderer. Know, then, I now control your destiny. You are mine, now and for all time. Failure to heed my every command, or even my slightest whim, and you will be exposed, for I will see it done. That power you wield? It comes from me. If I can grant such power to one as low as you, how much do you think I hold for myself? Once exposed to the authorities, doubtless you will be put to death once the details of your act are known, as they will be, in exacting and visceral detail. Then I will take your rotting corpse, raise it, and still you will serve me! Freedom is now lost to you; as vestigial as the dying breath of he you killed. Relish in the power I grant you, but know your place beneath it."

That’s when my character laughs and kills the Lich, generally. Either immediately, or after years of careful planning.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Thunk! Hchhhh...

Is that the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped I hear?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Besides, slavery and imperialism is older than the Bible. Many − most − human cultures have inflicted some form of slavery and imperialism.

The United Kingdom in modern times was THE FIRST NATION EVER in the history of the human species TO OUTLAW SLAVERY! And then they eventually gave up their empire and founded democracies around the planet.

Rather than blame Brits for slavery, we should all be buying them a beer!

Speaking as a Brit, I can say that the British only gave up the Empire because they no longer had the power to hang onto it, and there are still a great many here who want the Empire back.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Fun to note that this week's UA options were spearheaded by Ben Petrisor, who also did that Barbarian and Monk combo last year.

That explains a lot...

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Besides, slavery and imperialism is older than the Bible. Many − most − human cultures have inflicted some form of slavery and imperialism.

The United Kingdom in modern times was THE FIRST NATION EVER in the history of the human species TO OUTLAW SLAVERY! And then they eventually gave up their empire and founded democracies around the planet.

Rather than blame Brits for slavery, we should all be buying them a beer!

Dude. Please don’t derail a thread with imperialist apologetics. Just...come on. Don’t do it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

distinguishes between the Undead and Undying Patrons story-wise by pointing out that the Undying Patron can be any immortal being and is not exclusively undead themed

Sophistry. The first power listed for The Undying warlock is called "Among the Dead". It should either be presented as a fix for The Undying, or find a new idea.

 

[Undrave]

Thunk! Hchhhh...

Is that the sound of the bottom of the barrel being scraped I hear?

Why? They don't seem THAT extravagant quite yet.

 

[Haldrik]

Dude. Please don’t derail a thread with imperialist apologetics. Just...come on. Don’t do it.

I will be happy to drop the defensiveness, if others drop the racist hatespeech against white Americans.

Dont be hateful. Just...come on. Dont do it.

And yes, self-hating racists can still be racists, just like self-hating gays can still be homophobics. Etcetera.

Yes to debate speech. No to hate speech.

No hatespeech against anyone. There is zero justification of any kind of hatespeech.

Every ideology will eventually happen as soon as power makes it possible to implement. So a hateful ideology is ALWAYS evil, regardless if the haters are currently in power or not. History exemplifies this again and again.

The goal of any ideology is to figure out something fair for everyone.

Anyway, that is all I plan to say about that side discussion.



What is relevant to this thread is, the playtest seems to want discern how to borrow from a reallife ethnicity, while also being respectful and fair, and fun.