New Unearthed Arcana Released, With 8 New Forgotten Realms-Themed Subclasses

Today, Wizards of the Coast has announced a new Unearthed Arcana playtest featuring eight new Dungeons & Dragons subclasses that will appear in the upcoming Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. The new subclasses include five classes tied to Forgotten Realms regions, as well as the return of the Knowledge Domain Cleric subclass from the 2014 Player's Handbook and the Bladesinger Wizard subclass and Purple Dragon Knight Fighter subclass from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

Each of the five remaining subclasses are themed to one of the five regions explored in the Forgotten Realms Adventure Guide also coming out in November. The College of the Moon Bard subclass is tied to the Moonshae Isles, the Winter Walker Ranger subclass is tied to Icewind Dale, and the Oath of the Noble Genies is tied to Calimshan. The Scion of The Three is tied to the Dead Three (of Baldur's Gate fame). Meanwhile, Spellfire Sorcery dates back to 2nd Edition and can both heal allies and harm foes.

The eight new subclasses can be found below:

• College Of The Moon (Bard)
• Knowledge Domain (Cleric)
• Purple Dragon Knight (Fighter)
• Oath Of The Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion Of The Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

The Forgotten Realm's Players Guide comes out on November 11th.

 

[Remathilis]

Sorta weird to make the Purple Dragon Knight be about having a literal dragon pet when it was never anything like that before, isn’t it?

To be fair, they were never much of anything except a knightly order. In 3e, they were subpar paladins, in 5e, subpar warlords. Giving them a dragon at least gives them some identity that couldn't be viewed as knockoff Knight of Solomnia

 

[Mistwell]

Knowledge Domain Cleric: This one is too generic and bland for me. I don't really understand how many of the abilities really tie back to the theme of Knowledge. I'd much prefer if they went more in the direction of Monte Cook's old Akashic class. Make this the class that is basically the magic detective. Let them touch things and magically pick up its history. Touch a corpse and pick up its story. Read the thoughts of creatures and get surface knowledge. Give them bonus action Augury, Divination, Detect Magic, Identify, Comprehend Languages, Tongues, and Legend Lore without needing a spell slot once per rest. Let them learn a skill as a bonus action for a minute proficiency bonus times a day. Lean more into the magically granted knowledge.

 

[michaeljpastor]

The eight new subclasses can be found below:

• College Of The Moon (Bard)
• Knowledge Domain (Cleric)
• Purple Dragon Knight (Fighter)
• Oath Of The Noble Genies (Paladin)
• Winter Walker (Ranger)
• Scion Of The Three (Rogue)
• Spellfire Sorcery (Sorcerer)
• Bladesinger (Wizard)

The Forgotten Realm's Players Guide comes out on November 11th.

Called it on Spellfire!

Little upset about the introduction of a Purple Dragon though. We already had one, going as far back as Chainmail - the Purple Worm. Your Deep Cut of the Day:

 

[Mistwell]

It was common for colonial regimes to keep some of the colonized people around to exploit them economically.

Everyone made more money in the transfer from TSR to WOTC, not less. TSR was about to go bankrupt and disappear, and WOTC rescued them from oblivion and revived all their lore.

But really, I am not going to engage with this analogy further. It's frankly obscene to reduce the concept of colonialism down to corporate transfers like this and insults the real damage and history of colonialism.

 

[Remathilis]

Hmm... Dance bard / Genie paladin...

10+Dex+Cha+Cha + 2 shield AC = 27 (max)
-extra smite slots.
-punches can smite and get +1d8 at paladin level 11.
-hand out bonuses to initiative, saves, movement, and attacks.

Dance bard AC doesn't work with shield, and the general rule is you don't combine methods of calculating AC. (Which is why a tortle monk had a natural AC of 17 OR 10 + Wis + Dex, not both).

 

[I'm A Banana]

I would point out that an order of knights that bonds to hatchling gem dragons couldn't exist in most other settings. Dragonlance doesn't have gem dragons (that I'm aware of). It's completely contrary to the narrative of dragons in Eberron. None of the M:tG settings published really have a place for an order of medieval knights.

If you wanted a fighter subclass that has a draconic companion, then Cormyr and the well-known "Purple Dragon Knight" appellation is actually a pretty compelling specific place to put them.

The only real objection is that this change is adding specific local flavor to replace existing local flavor, which I don't think (as previously expressed) is a very strong argument.

The blandness of the Knowledge domain and its lack of FR specificity (I mean, most settings have gods/forces of knowledge) is a much more compelling critique.

Except that's not the lore. Like, sure, you can add it, but you don't get anything FR-specific there if you're just overwriting the current setting with something you like better.

FWIW, this subclass is thematically very similar to the 3e dracolyte prestige class in that its main power is getting a lil' dragon buddy you can fight alongside. That class's story was that dragon wyrmlings would sometimes accompany the devotees of dragon deities (the 3e PrC was a cleric-focused class) to gain worldly experience, and the dracolyte would serve as an ally and protector of the wyrmling.

Almost makes me think hatchling dragon pet might work better as a paladin oath...

Heh, swap the genie oath for a dracolyte oath and the dragon fighter for a genie fighter....

But anyway, the point being that it's not exactly central to FR or thematic of FR's big unique traits (like a deep history or the effect adventurers can have on the setting, which is resonant in the actual PDK's story). It's new. If your goal is to give some local flavor, the PDK in this playtest doesn't do that.

 

[Weiley31]

Thirdly, I've got to say it. Its kind of weird that you are taking a baby out to fight for you.

Its a fact of life and one of the number one rules of Mother Nature: always weaponize the infants.

 

[Chaltab]

Called it on Spellfire!

Little upset about the introduction of a Purple Dragon though. We already had one, going as far back as Chainmail - the Purple Worm. Your Deep Cut of the Day:

D&D has had official purple dragons since at least 2E. They breathe plasma (or psychotropic gas in 4E).

Also the Purple Dragon Knights don't actually ride purple dragons, but amethyst ones.

 

[mellored]

Dance bard AC doesn't work with shield, and the general rule is you don't combine methods of calculating AC. (Which is why a tortle monk had a natural AC of 17 OR 10 + Wis + Dex, not both).

Fair about shields.

But genie is
When you aren’t wearing Medium or Heavy armor, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).

So that stacks.

Can add in bladesong too.
10 + Dex + Cha + Cha + Int.

15+2 Cha/15+1 Dex /15 Int
Paladin 8, 20 Cha/16 Dex/16
Bard 8, 20/20/16.
Bladesinger 4, 20/20/18
= 29 AC + Shield Spell = 34 AC.

 

[TwoSix]

Except that's not the lore. Like, sure, you can add it, but you don't get anything FR-specific there if you're just overwriting the current setting with something you like better.

It's FR-specific if it's created for FR. And the subclass doesn't make sense in most other settings.

New lore is just as valid as old lore.