1E Unearthed Arcana: Yea or Nay?

[Kelanen]

One of my favorite books. Maybe not the most balanced, but full of interesting material.

 

[jensun]

As DM I allowed use of everything and as a player I loved playing the Barbarian. I don't believe the classes were as unbalanced as people are saying.

For me the issue with the Barbarian wasnt the strength of the class, it was the virtual inability to play with the rest of the group due to the restriction on association with Clerics and Magic Users and the need to destroy magic items.

For a group based game about killing things and taking their (often magical) stuff it was terribly designed.

 

[Set]

So many things in that book that I loved, but gadzooks, was there some stinky broken cheese in there as well!

Drow as a PC race. It was indeed a herald of the Drizztpocalypse. If only they'd followed through on the Drow/Duergar/Svirfneblin trope and made a race of underdark Halflings or Humans with inexplicable magical powers for no darn reason!

Our Illusionist used Chromatic Orb during the Bloodstone modules to kill the Tarrasque. That's how broken it was.

Firewater. Precipitation. Ah, strange spells, how I miss thee! (Not as much as some of the 2e Tome of Magic spells like Metamorphose Liquids 'though...)

Charts of unpronounceable polearms that nobody ever used, how I miss mocking thee!

 

[Darkwolf71]

I know I liked it at the time. It's been a day or two since I read it though, so...

 

[Scarbonac]

I loved UA; still do. I have some quibbles with the Barbarian, Cavalier, Svirfneblin, Wild Elf, Duergar, wonky variant chargen and a few spells, but the rest I'm pretty much all about.

 

[Korgoth]

Nay!

I really like the polearm section, though.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I liked it back when we were playing 1E but I'd only use parts of it now. I voted against but would have picked an in between option if there had been one.

As a player I think my favourite thing from it was the Vocalize spell.

 

[Prism]

Totally unbalanced book - loved it at the time (yea). We made good use of thief acrobat, cavalier, weapon spec, high level druids, and plenty of the spells including some of the most powerful spells ever for D&D. Tempus fugit and chromatic orb were my favourites

 

[Treebore]

UA fit in well with all of 1E for me. A lot of stuff I liked and used, and a fair bit I ignored/threw out. So, yes.

Then again I got to play a 1E Bard up to 8/9/16, so found out what broken/powerful/god like meant in 1E. I loved it. So in comparison the Cavalier and Barbarian were nothing. Plus the Barbarians XP were very onerous. Plus we never forced Barbarians to hate spellcasters and magic. We thought that was stupid and contrary to team work right off the bat.

 

[thedungeondelver]

Overall: no. There are a few things I'd cherry-pick and include: some spells, the unarmed combat system, some magic items.

Wot 'e said. I "use" it, but I don't completely implement it.