D&D 5E D&D Beyond: Lurker in the Deep

[Paul Farquhar]

I disagree with it being mechanically boring, considering you get to summon tentacles and the maw of your patron, that's pretty rad. It could be more Short Rest based like the rest of the Warlock though, and should have new evocations.

As for being unnecessary I also disagree. The GOO Warlock is more akin to the 4e Star Pact Warlock than this oceanic themed one.

The thing is, as referenced in the video, the "tentacles" where originally generic limbs, and it still shows, in that they don't do anything particularly tentacle-ish. Change the cold/lightning damage to bludgeoning+grapple targets and it would be much more thematic, and a little more useful. But it's still a power that is only occasionally available, does meh damage, and competes for bonus actions with better things like Hex.

The Maw power is fine, but you don't actually get that until level 10, around the time most campaigns are winding up, so I can't see most players getting much use out of it.

As already pointed out, the expanded spells are garbage, and need to be replaced with spells from Xanathar's and Elemental Evil.

Also compare to the Raven Queen warlock, which didn't make the cut. It's problem? To specific. Whilst attempts to sell this as suitable for water elementals, it really doesn't work for anything other than krakens.

This subclass isn't beyond redemption, but it needs to go back to the drawing board and be thoroughly reworked.

 

[Undrave]

The thing is, as referenced in the video, the "tentacles" where originally generic limbs, and it still shows, in that they don't do anything particularly tentacle-ish. Change the cold/lightning damage to bludgeoning+grapple targets and it would be much more thematic, and a little more useful. But it's still a power that is only occasionally available, does meh damage, and competes for bonus actions with better things like Hex.

The Maw power is fine, but you don't actually get that until level 10, around the time most campaigns are winding up, so I can't see most players getting much use out of it.

As already pointed out, the expanded spells are garbage, and need to be replaced with spells from Xanathar's and Elemental Evil.

Also compare to the Raven Queen warlock, which didn't make the cut. It's problem? To specific. Whilst attempts to sell this as suitable for water elementals, it really doesn't work for anything other than krakens.

This subclass isn't beyond redemption, but it needs to go back to the drawing board and be thoroughly reworked.

Seems like a lot of minor tweaks more than anything.

 

[gyor]

I mean, I only came into this fandom 3 years ago and don't have access to or the time to read all the sources from the previous 4 editions, so I kind of need that name table because I'm not happy naming my characters "Peaceblade Farideh" or "Dwarfy McDwarferson". I'd imagine the same goes for other newbies.


See above as to why.

You literally look up sites filled with names and even programs that are name generators for free.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

You literally look up sites filled with names and even programs that are name generators for free.

Go take www.fantasynamegenerators.com for a few spins see and if you get anything but total gibberish.

 

[Undrave]

They are all literal interruptions. I am not afraid of dumping a rule I think is trash even if it means more work. Everyone gets a turn sounds fair doesn’t it. Counter spell isn’t problematic I consider it good which is why I wanted to keep it.

Go take www.fantasynamegenerators.com for a few spins see and if you get anything but total gibberish.

Or you can look at real names from History or other cultures. For my Svirfneblin Monk I went for Polish names.

 

[gyor]

Go take www.fantasynamegenerators.com for a few spins see and if you get anything but total gibberish.

Yatven Slimwhisper
Inetron Runewalker
Bemaald Soulcloud
Herazhen Nightbringer
Rallor Duskswitch
Amordris Freesense
Mirdanis Flareheart
Alsuthenis Brightfaith
Sylthol Runelight
Tyniarren Warmburst

I actually like a lot of these, I mean I might actually use some of these in stories I write or NPCs or PCs.

Mirdanis Flareheart I see was a human Paladin of Devotion to Torm, Sylthol Runelight I see as a female Dwarf Wizard, Alsuthenis Brightfaith as a Cleric of Lanthadar, Rallor Duskwitch a Shadar Kai Undying Warlock, Inetron Runewalker a Goliath Horizon Walker Ranger, Bemaald Cloudsoul a Lizardfolk Circle of the Sheppard Druid, Yatven Slimwalker Arcane Trickster. Amordris Freesense an Aasimar Divine Soul Sorcerer of Shares (Chaos affinity), who eventually gets leopard print bat wings.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

But themed "splats" are one of the products they have said they will not do: hence radically diverse books like Xanathar's. Themed books limit their audience, they would much prefer that everyone wants to buy 60% of a book than 60% of people buy a whole book. A Xanathar's style book is definitely possible, but an aimed splat is not a good ROI.

To be fair, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is kind of a themed splatbook, though it obviously is mostly the remade adventure.

Part of me thinks these subclasses aren't actually coming in a book for awhile, Crawford said one of the other designers just threw these together and he wanted to see if people liked them.

 

[Parmandur]

To be fair, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is kind of a themed splatbook, though it obviously is mostly the remade adventure.

Not a splat book, though it is themed: Adventure generation material is not character options, which is what "*-book" indicates ( "Complete *" series, "Heroes of *" series, stuff like that).

Part of me thinks these subclasses aren't actually coming in a book for awhile, Crawford said one of the other designers just threw these together and he wanted to see if people liked them.

I think they are obviously having fun, but for a product.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

To be fair, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is kind of a themed splatbook, though it obviously is mostly the remade adventure.

Part of me thinks these subclasses aren't actually coming in a book for awhile, Crawford said one of the other designers just threw these together and he wanted to see if people liked them.

And MToF is a themed monster manual. But it is a loose theme, not a tight theme. Whilst many of the creatures in it are connected to epic planer conflicts, there are some that are completely unconnected.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Not a splat book, though it is themed: Adventure generation material is not character options, which is what "*-book" indicates ( "Complete *" series, "Heroes of *" series, stuff like that).

GoS isn't a splatbook but it still has a lot more additional rules in it than the typical Adventure book. And it may be the case that Wizard's is testing putting more rules along with Adventure Books, to push the "rules buyers" into buying Adventure books too. They're really pushing how The Descent has rules for warmachines and contracts.

I think they are obviously having fun, but for a product.

Still trying to figure out what product these could be for... I doubt it's another Xanathar's, for the reasons you and others have brought up. It also seems like too much for an Adventure book. Is it possible Wizard's is moving to a new Setting Book every year, and that this is for something like Zendikar/Dominaria/Theros/Greyhawk?

I also really like that "Rabiah Scale" article you posted, it's got Dominaria, Ravnica, Zendikar, Innistrad and Theros as in their top "most likely to make a new magic set for."

If the same scale works for "new D&D setting," I'd rank them least to most likely Innistrad, Dominaria, Theros and Zendikar.

Innistrad is unlikely to me as it's mostly "more Ravenloft." It's cool but it wouldn't be that unique.

Dominaria is popular but I put it as less than Theros and Zendikar because those two settings are coincidentally getting new Card sets next year.

Not sure if Theros or Zendikar are more likely for a setting book... neither has a Planeshift, and I believe Zendikar is the more fleshed out but I'm not very knowledgeable on it.