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.

 

[mamba]

I mean, I don’t think they want to “kill” their own product. I imagine the goal will be not to fully reproduce the content of either of those books, so there’s reason to want all three.

eh, those are 2014 books, maybe they do not port some stuff over to 2024, but that stuff then gets left behind

 

[Rushbolt]

It looks like the Necromancer will be leaning back in to the squad of undead theme instead of being a wizard specializing in necrotic magic. This may be the most discussed subclass in any session zero because of the possible balance and turn stagnation issues for Necromancers with many different minions that need to separate rolls-especially if you have ghouls paralyzing. Heaven help you if it's organized play and the Necro just goes all out army because there is no session zero. That might be a very boring 4 hour session for the other 5-6 players.

 

[Kobold Stew]

It looks like the Necromancer will be leaning back in to the squad of undead theme instead of being a wizard specializing in necrotic magic. This may be the most discussed subclass in any session zero because of the possible balance and turn stagnation issues for Necromancers with many different minions that need to separate rolls-especially if you have ghouls paralyzing. Heaven help you if it's organized play and the Necro just goes all out army because there is no session zero. That might be a very boring 4 hour session for the other 5-6 players.

That was, vocally, what people wanted to see: Diablo-themed necromancers.

 

[Muso]

I liked the format of Player's Handbook, Player's Handbook 2, and Player's Handbook 3 from 4th edition. I'd love to see this sort of format come to 5e.

I totally disagree. I want all the class options in as few books as possible. Possibly one.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I mean, I don’t think they want to “kill” their own product. I imagine the goal will be not to fully reproduce the content of either of those books, so there’s reason to want all three.

They have said that content from the 2014 edition (e.g. Tasha's) remains current rules until it is replaced by an updated version. Ergo they need to update/replace everything* so the rules don't continue to be a mishmash of new and old.


*Including Battlerager.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I like the new arcane archer, necromancer, transmuter and conjurer. But the tattooed worrier is a horrible weaksauce trap option.

 

[Parmandur]

Sure. But it's there.

Also, there is some president for moving tattoos.

This Subclass is 100% a Maui/Moana thing.

 

[mamba]

I totally disagree. I want all the class options in as few books as possible. Possibly one.

then you should agree, because that is what gives you that, not 6 subclasses in a FR book, and ‘of Everything’ books that spend at least half their pages on other stuff

 

[Remathilis]

Also the Psion, and conceivesbly the Dark Dun themed Dubclasses could be for an Everything product as well. The pattern looks a lot like the 2019 UAs that ended up being fir Tasha's.

Whatever they ste up to, they are testing a lot of Class material, and at a solid clip.

The psion and apocalypse classes are for Dark Sun. Full stop. The psion might get a reprint ala Tasha and the Artificer, but it's absolutely for DS.
M

 

[Juomari Veren]

I feel like this version of the Tattoo Monk is even worse.

I recommend they have a spreadsheet with the sub-class feature text of the PHB subclasses and fill in the new feature text and compare across the line. There's some SCAG level stuff in here.

I think it's better but still not good. Monks don't want to spend more than 2 ki points for a single feature and they definitely want something cooler than a spell for it if they do. The Beholder tattoo is laughably bad, 4d12 force damage is pathetic and they need to at least increase the baseline of damage, though ideally they'd be able to shoot one of the other nine eyes (or make an antimagic cone, that would actually be really freaking sweet).

I think (and some other people in the thread agree) that the most important missing feature is the ability to go back and take old tattoos instead of having to only go forward, I can see concerns with the new tattoos that give damage resistances but at the very least the first two sets of tattoos seem like they'd be cool to double up on instead. Speaking of, I can't think of a feature more useless than the Search/Study tattoos, the Hide one at least has some broader applications but nobody is taking Monk to be the perception or int-based skillmonkey (skillmonk? )