In the works

[Shemeska]

*pats Nightfall on the head*

Hey for what it's worth I'll support your drooling obsession with that particular Tanar'ri since you've been patient with my own drooling obsession with Yugoloths there on the WotC boards. *laugh*

 

[Li Shenron]

I am not so positive about the Unearthed Arcana preview.

"Traits" look like they are going to be a very nice addiction, especially because the penalty are to frequently-used rolls and sometimes even bigger than the bonus, which will probably prevent to exploit a trait. It would make sense to take a trait as it would make sense not to. Good.

The alternative to Rage is nothing bad but at the same time nothing to drool about. I am very positive about the fact that UA will contain alternatives to class features, since I consider it a very good idea to get more flexibility, but the alternative Rage is not so alternative! AC + Reflex bonus instead of Constitution (= HP + Fort) + Will bonus is not going to change very much, IMHO.

Finally, Monk fighting styles look very horrible to me.

To summarize: a very nice addition (traits), a not bad but innocuous one (Rage), and a negative one (Monk fighting styles). Clearly they are examples only and I bet they are keeping their best bits undercover.

 

[Nightfall]

*pats Nightfall on the head*

Hey for what it's worth I'll support your drooling obsession with that particular Tanar'ri since you've been patient with my own drooling obsession with Yugoloths there on the WotC boards. *laugh*

Nothing wrong with Loths man. They are good kind of fiend for what they are. But thanks for the support.


Btw Li,

Just have to wait and see won't we?

 

[Olive]

To summarize: a very nice addition (traits), a not bad but innocuous one (Rage), and a negative one (Monk fighting styles). Clearly they are examples only and I bet they are keeping their best bits undercover.

Interesting opinions. What was so bad about the fighting styles?

 

[Li Shenron]

Interesting opinions. What was so bad about the fighting styles?

Probably I overreacted

It's just that at first sight I was quite expecting some new stuff on the line of martial arts and I was therefore disappointed.

On one side, let's say you want those 3 feats because they fit your PC; you don't need to use the styles variant, you can just choose those feats as regular feats at 1st, 3rd and 4th level and you can just buy ranks in the skill. By selecting the style, you get these benefits compared to choosing the feats as regular ones:
1) you don't need to meet the prerequisites
2) you get them as bonus feats (so your regular feats could be anything else)
3) you get the second feat one level earlier
4) you get a +2 on the skill
5) you (may) get the extra at level 6th
These are all quantitative advantages.

On the other hand, you HAVE to get those 3 feats and skill exactly even if you wanted only some of them. This is a flexibility disadvantage.

I am sure that some of the styles are going to be just for munchkins, while the ones proposed here seem to have poor feats (Improved Overrun) or unrelated feats (Imp Grapple / Imp Disarm) just to make the style less powerful.

It doesn't convince me that much... Also the feats and skills associated to a style don't seem to me to go together very much, the only one who is designed very well is the last one IMHO.

I like however all the three 6th-level extras, but I'd rather like them to be just feats.

 

[Shazman]

I really liked the preview of the UA stuff, especially the variant rage. I wasn't big on barbarians before, but this might change my mind. The traits weren't too bad, but the monk styles were just rehashed from Dragon #310.

 

[Li Shenron]

I really liked the preview of the UA stuff, especially the variant rage. I wasn't big on barbarians before, but this might change my mind.

How did you actually change your mind? To me the new Rage doesn't seem to make much difference than before!

before +4 to Con used to grant +2 hp/level and +2 Fortitude, and -2 to AC
now you instead get +2 dodge AC which is still a defensive bonus

before you got +2 Will
now you instead get +2 Reflex

before you got Indomitable Will (+4 vs Ench)
now you instead get Evasion (only during frenzy)

the only other new bonus is the extra attack (works as rapid shot, but not only ranged)

Overall it looks quite balanced with the previous version (or perhaps slightly better since those bonus HP used to go away after the rage), which is a good thing since it is supposed to be a variant. It is slightly more attack-oriented because of the extra attack.

Do you like it because it looks stronger or for other reasons?

 

[Shazman]

I like it for several reasons. First the extra attack can turn the barbarian into an even better melee combatant (especially when using two-handed weapons in conjunction with power attack). I also like the idea of his AC increasing. This sort of rage also has a different feel to it. More like a combat trance or being in the zone, than just being really angry. At low levels a barbarian is a one trick pony unless you get the extra rage feat. The AC penaly pretty much negates the hp boost from a better Con. That leaves you with a +4 to str and a small bonus on will saves. I think it could also add flavor to a campaign with different tribes or races having different types of rage based on cultural differences.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I don't really like the variant monk fighting styles when they first appeared in Dragon because in OA monks could already choose any martial arts feat when they got bonus feats, and when they had the right selection of feats and skill ranks, they bonuses from having a mastery over a martial arts style.

As far as traits go, I do think the penalties need to be worse than the bonuses or else traits just are going to be abused.

 

[JPL]

I figure anything that diversifies monks is good. Even in 3.5, too many end up looking the same.

Good for roleplaying purposes, too --- different styles = different traditions.