Dragonlance DRAGONLANCE LIVES! Unearthed Arcana Explores Heroes of Krynn!

The latest Unearthed Arcana has arrived and the 6-page document contains rules for kender, lunar magic, Knights of Solamnia, and Mages of High Sorcery.

In today’s Unearthed Arcana, we explore character options from the Dragonlance setting. This playtest document presents the kender race, the Lunar Magic sorcerer subclass, the Knight of Solamnia and Mage of High Sorcery backgrounds, and a collection of new feats, all for use in Dungeons & Dragons.

Kender have a (surprisingly magical) ability to pull things out of a bag, and a supernatural taunt feature. This magical ability appears to replace the older 'kleptomania' description -- "Unknown to most mortals, a magical phenomenon surrounds a kender. Spurred by their curiosity and love for trinkets, curios, and keepsakes, a kender’s pouches or pockets will be magically filled with these objects. No one knows where these objects come from, not even the kender. This has led many kender to be mislabeled as thieves when they fish these items out of their pockets."

Lunar Magic is a sorcerer subclass which draws power from the moon(s); there are notes for using it in Eberron.

Also included are feats such as Adepts of the Black, White, and Red Robes, and Knights of the Sword, Rose, and Crown.

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[JEB]

Part of it is because classes get their archetype abilities at sometimes vastly different levels. For instance, a bard gets them at 3rd, 6th, and 14th levels. A sorcerer gets them at 1st, 6th, 14th, and 18th. A warlock, at 1st, 6th, 10th, and 14th. A wizard, at 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th. So it's difficult to make any archetype that would fit two or more arcane classes--they all get abilities at 6th and 14th level, but only some of them get them at 10th, and and only one gets an 18th-level ability. So how do you make any archetypes that would allow both wizards and sorcerers? Or bards and any other class?

Right, that's the issue in the default rules, but it seems like they addressed that in the Strixhaven UA by providing a menu of subclass features that could be acquired after a certain minimum level, rather than a fixed chain of feature A leading to feature B to feature C. Is there a reason why that doesn't fix the problem? I assume the power levels would be somewhat lower than features for dedicated subclasses, but that seems like a fair tradeoff.

For 6th edition (or whenever they completely revamp class structure while keeping archetypes) they could decide that each class gets one archetype ability per tier of play (6th and 10th level are both tier two), and thus multiclass archetypes could be much more easily fit in. And I hope so, because it's definitely a good idea.

Agreed here, yes. They should have been at the same levels in 5E...

 

[Hussar]

Part of it is because classes get their archetype abilities at sometimes vastly different levels. For instance, a bard gets them at 3rd, 6th, and 14th levels. A sorcerer gets them at 1st, 6th, 14th, and 18th. A warlock, at 1st, 6th, 10th, and 14th. A wizard, at 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th. So it's difficult to make any archetype that would fit two or more arcane classes--they all get abilities at 6th and 14th level, but only some of them get them at 10th, and and only one gets an 18th-level ability. So how do you make any archetypes that would allow both wizards and sorcerers? Or bards and any other class?

For 6th edition (or whenever they completely revamp class structure while keeping archetypes) they could decide that each class gets one archetype ability per tier of play (6th and 10th level are both tier two), and thus multiclass archetypes could be much more easily fit in. And I hope so, because it's definitely a good idea.

Heh. It’s almost like standardizing class abilities is a good idea. Wonder wher I heard that before…

 

[Micah Sweet]

Heh. It’s almost like standardizing class abilities is a good idea. Wonder wher I heard that before…

Nice try! You'll not be tricking me into liking 4th edition!

 

[Faolyn]

Right, that's the issue in the default rules, but it seems like they addressed that in the Strixhaven UA by providing a menu of subclass features that could be acquired after a certain minimum level, rather than a fixed chain of feature A leading to feature B to feature C. Is there a reason why that doesn't fix the problem? I assume the power levels would be somewhat lower than features for dedicated subclasses, but that seems like a fair tradeoff.

Not so much. In the UA, you gain your abilities at a particular level or higher--whenever you would normally gain your archetype abilities. But the first one is a bard/warlock/wizard archetype (Lorehold). It gives abilities at 1+ (two at this level), 6+, 10+ and 14+. So a warlock gains the first ability at level 1 and the bard gains it at level 3, and they both get the second ability at level 6. Easy-peasy. But then when the bard reaches 14th level, they have to choose if they want the 10th-level ability or the 14th-level ability. Is that fair or fun? I don't know, but there were probably a lot of people who thought it was neither. And what's the lore-reason for a bard, who is supposed to be a master of lore, gain Lorehold abilities later, and gain fewer total, than a warlock or wizard? Plus, how would this affect multiclassing, and what happens when the idea is expanded and multiclass archetypes are revealed for all classes, not just arcane casters?

So as I said, it's a good concept, but the current class structure isn't really built for it. And while I am not rooting for standardizing class abilities, standardizing when they get their abilities, or at least doing it as a 1/tier thing for all classes (plus an extra when you first take the archetype), would go a long way to making it more equitable.

 

[darjr]

Dragonlance is on sale at DMsGuild. Coincidence?

Planescape Sale - Planescape Sale -

www.dmsguild.com

 

[deganawida]

Dragonlance is on sale at DMsGuild. Coincidence?

Planescape Sale - Planescape Sale -

www.dmsguild.com

Darn it!!!! I should have waited! I bought TotL and Player's Guide to the DragonLance campaign last week. Glad I held off on The Fifth Age last night; hopefully it's included.

 

[Stormonu]

Too many character concepts need the subclass at level 1 for character creation.

I wouldn’t say so. I’d say the better option is to start at 2nd or 3rd level for those concepts.

I personally don’t play campaigns starting at 1st level any more, usually starting at 2nd and sometimes 3rd. I definately see 1st level as being for first-time players and 2nd as being a level to start at before you decide what path you want your character to go down. 3rd level being for those characters who you know what they’re going to become.

 

[Stormonu]

Dragonlance is on sale at DMsGuild. Coincidence?
View attachment 154873

Planescape Sale - Planescape Sale -

www.dmsguild.com

Oh, was looking at those and a lot of them you can get as a POD physical copy!

 

[Bacon Bits]

I wouldn’t say so. I’d say the better option is to start at 2nd or 3rd level for those concepts.

Hard disagree. Bard and Artificer in particular are pretty awkward because you can very easily begin play without the ability to use signature weapons or armors. Other classes can begin play without signature skills. Especially at the start of 5th edition there were a number of subclasses which featured skill proficiencies for particularly relevant abilities, granted proficiency in those skills as a part of the class, and then not making a substitute skill a part of the ability.

In other words, they go out of their way encourage, say, a character whose concept will in part revolve around Persuasion to not begin play with knowing the first thing about Persuasion at all. It's an absurd design.

Rune Knight (Fighter), College of Valor (Bard), College of Swords (Bard), College of Lore (Bard), and Armorer (Artificer) strike me as particularly silly. Artificer is particularly annoying because every subclass gains proficiency with a subclass-specific set of tools at level 3 that fits the theme. So, according to the game, an Alchemist is an Artificer that just learned how to use alchemist's tools.

I personally don’t play campaigns starting at 1st level any more, usually starting at 2nd and sometimes 3rd. I definately see 1st level as being for first-time players and 2nd as being a level to start at before you decide what path you want your character to go down. 3rd level being for those characters who you know what they’re going to become.

"It doesn't ever affect me anyways," isn't exactly a convincing follow-up.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Hard disagree. Bard and Artificer in particular are pretty awkward because you can very easily begin play without the ability to use signature weapons or armors. Other classes can begin play without signature skills. Especially at the start of 5th edition there were a number of subclasses which featured skill proficiencies for particularly relevant abilities, granted proficiency in those skills as a part of the class, and then not making a substitute skill a part of the ability.

In other words, they go out of their way encourage, say, a character whose concept will in part revolve around Persuasion to not begin play with knowing the first thing about Persuasion at all. It's an absurd design.

Rune Knight (Fighter), College of Valor (Bard), College of Swords (Bard), College of Lore (Bard), and Armorer (Artificer) strike me as particularly silly. Artificer is particularly annoying because every subclass gains proficiency with a subclass-specific set of tools at level 3 that fits the theme. So, according to the game, an Alchemist is an Artificer that just learned how to use alchemist's tools.



"It doesn't ever affect me anyways," isn't exactly a convincing follow-up.

I always used to offer expertise if a class feature gave you a skill you already had.