Dungeons & Dragons Releases Updated Unearthed Arcana for Arcane Subclasses

Dungeons & Dragons has released an updated set of Unearthed Arcana, incorporating feedback about the Arcane Subclasses released for playtesting earlier this year. Included in the new subclass is the Arcane Archer Fighter, Tattooed Warrior Monk, and the Conjurer, Transmuter, Necromancer, and Enchanter Wizard classes.

The Arcane Archer has several new features, including Magical Ammunition that can be used outside of combat and a new Arcane Burst that pushes creatures away when the Indomitable feature is used. The Tattooed Warrior Monk has also been redesigned, with magical abilities that are no longer spellcasting, along with Beast Tattoos that provide cantrips in addition to enhancing other core Monk features.

Meanwhile, the Conjurer Wizard now emphasizes summoning spells with creatures that are much more durable, the Enchanter has moved back to a subclass similar to the 2014 design, the Necromancer now has ways to summon multiple Undead creatures, and the Transmuter now has shape-shifting ability. With the Transmuter ability, the Durability option of the Transmuter's Stone is now included as a default, as that option was seen as the strongest and other options were considered far inferior.

Three other subclasses from the original playtest - two Warlock subclasses and a Cleric Domain - were not included in the new playtest.

 

[mellored]

Trying to get a sense of some of the level 6 abilities in the playtest.

• 5 spells total for both Transmuter and Enchanter, but many strong level-1 spells for the Enchanter if they can access the Cleric or Bard lists.
• Neither of these come close to what the Necromancer and Conjuror get at 6.

Empowered Transmutation. The Transmuter ability at level 6 lets you cast spells as if they were 1-level higher. if they do not do damage. The description calls out Fly and Magic Weapon, but I thougth it worth pulling out the full list. The ability works on the following PHB spells:

1: Longstrider
2: Enhance Ability, Magic Weapon
3: Fly
4: (none)
5: Animate Objects
* (are there others?)

2: Blind/Deafness, Dragons Breath (+d6), Spider Climb
3: Gaseous Form
6: Disintegrate (+3d6)

Don't see any other Enchanter ones.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Thanks!

Damage ones aren't included, but I am grateful for the others.

2: Blind/Deafness, Spider Climb
3: Gaseous Form

 

[Mistwell]

Trying to get a sense of some of the level 6 abilities in the playtest.

• 5 spells total for both Transmuter and Enchanter, but many strong level-1 spells for the Enchanter if they can access the Cleric or Bard lists.
• Neither of these come close to what the Necromancer and Conjuror get at 6.

Empowered Transmutation. The Transmuter ability at level 6 lets you cast spells as if they were 1-level higher. if they do not do damage. The description calls out Fly and Magic Weapon, but I thougth it worth pulling out the full list. The ability works on the following PHB spells:

1: Longstrider
2: Enhance Ability, Magic Weapon, Blind/Deafness, Spider Climb
3: Fly, Gaseous Form
4: (none)
5: Animate Objects
* (are there others?)

It's a pretty meagre list: a total of (edit) 8 (eight) wizard spells.
Other spell lists:
1: Create/Destroy Water (C/D)
3: (Elemental Weapon (D/P/R)
Neither of these is worth working to include.

Jump

 

[Kobold Stew]

Jump

Wow! I don't think I noticed that before. I didn't even look it up, I thought I knew the spell. Thanks.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Ugh thar Monk subclass...it's bad. It's even worse than the last version. Which is hard to do. Somehow they made it both weaker AND more boring.

Well they wasted the tattoos people would actually want on the actual magical tattoos, so they’re struggling to hit the mark without splitting that arrow.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If I were doing the tattoo monk

1. Do what the elemental monk should be. You pick a [stance but not] and it either makes you have dr and deal more damage unarmed, set things on fire when you hit and gain resist cold, freeze/slow on a hit and gain resist fire, gain an AC and speed bonus and thrown weapon bennie, (maybe the return and you can replace unarmed strikes with thrown weapon attacks).

2. Telekinesis and force damage stuff. Offensive Abjuration.

3. Conjuration of weapons and shadow constructs

4. Duplicate the magical tattoo magic items

 

[Valetudo]

I think in theory the tattoo monk should make a combo off of 2 activated tattoos. Amd that combo should change as the monk advances and add tattoos to the mix. Maybe ending in a capstone that adds a third and makes whole new combos.

 

[Valetudo]

Maybe an ability to write tattoo s 1 use scrolls on their body.

 

[Mistwell]

My main reaction to this UA, EXCEPT for the monk, is that each of these subclasses do fit with the theme of the subclass better than they did before. Of the Wizard subclasses, the Transmuter is the most interesting.

 

[Mistwell]

Trying to get a sense of some of the level 6 abilities in the playtest.

• 5 spells total for both Transmuter and Enchanter, but many strong level-1 spells for the Enchanter if they can access the Cleric or Bard lists.
• Neither of these come close to what the Necromancer and Conjuror get at 6.

Empowered Transmutation. The Transmuter ability at level 6 lets you cast spells as if they were 1-level higher. if they do not do damage. The description calls out Fly and Magic Weapon, but I thougth it worth pulling out the full list. The ability works on the following PHB spells:

1: Longstrider, Jump
2: Enhance Ability, Magic Weapon, Blind/Deafness, Spider Climb
3: Fly, Gaseous Form
4: (none)
5: Animate Objects

It's a (edit) solid list: a total of (edit) 9 (nine) wizard spells.
Other spell lists:
1: Create/Destroy Water (C/D)
3: (Elemental Weapon (D/P/R)
Neither of these is worth working to include.

Elemental Bane, Flame Arrows (depends on definition of damage but I think it works), Tiny Servant