Unearthed Arcana College of the Moon (Bard)

[WanderingMystic]

This is another example of trying to fit the class to the FR sourcebook. It appears to be taking a similar approach to VGR, and matching each featured location to a type of fantasy. So the Moonshaes get Celtic Folk Tales, Cormyr get Chivalry, Calimshan gets Arabian Nights, Icewind Dale Wilderness Survival, and the Dalelands gets boringly generic fantasy.

You just described Forgotten Realms in a nutshell. Each of these areas were originally designed around specific types of fantasy

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You just described Forgotten Realms in a nutshell. Each of these areas were originally designed around specific types of fantasy

As envisioned by Ed Greenwood, indeed. But by the time you get to the 3rd edition FR book, the point of each region has become buried under a heap of dry statistics.

The new book, by focusing of five distinctive regions, clearly wants to get back to the idea of “why set your adventure in this location?” And that means strengthening the themes that have become atrophied.

I used the Moonshaes in my first 5e campaign, but I stripped it back to the original version, as I wanted a Celtic setting closely tied to the the Feywild (I know it wasn't called that when the Moonshaes was first created). I threw out all the nonsense with vampires and stuff that it had acquired.

 

[WanderingMystic]

As envisioned by Ed Greenwood, indeed. But by the time you get to the 3rd edition FR book, the point of each region has become buried under a heap of dry statistics.

The new book, by focusing of five distinctive regions, clearly wants to get back to the idea of “why set your adventure in this location?” And that means strengthening the themes that have become atrophied.

I used the Moonshaes in my first 5e campaign, but I stripped it back to the original version, as I wanted a Celtic setting closely tied to the the Feywild (I know it wasn't called that when the Moonshaes was first created). I threw out all the nonsense with vampires and stuff that it had acquired.

I never played FR in 3rd ed but played it alot in 2nd ed (I still want my Sha'ir back) so I wasn't aware that they made changes back in 3rd ed.

 

[mellored]

Wouldn't Folktales at level 3 be better if it was just the Mirth option? The whole description would be cleaner, and it removes the false sense of choice.

Better in a power sense, but I can't see the thematic connection.

But I can't figure out what "Mirth" has to do with helping enemies fail saving throws.
Or how you can tell a fairy tail as an action?

A better one would be something like


You can tell a folktale durring a short rest and gain one of the following benefits until your next short or long rest.
Life: you and all allies gain THP
Gloam: you and all allies gain advantage on their stealth checks
Mirth: you and all allies gain +5' move speed.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But I can't figure out what "Mirth" has to do with helping enemies fail saving throws.

Tasha's Hideous Laughter is one of the strongest early uses for the ability.

 

[mellored]

Tasha's Hideous Laughter is one of the strongest early uses for the ability.

But it works equally well on cause fear.

Folktale as an action still doesn’t make sense though.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But it works equally well on cause fear.

Folktale as an action still doesn’t make sense though.

Disabling the target completely is better than simply making them afraid. Anyway, I reckon that association is why Mirth works that way.