Unearthed Arcana June Unearthed Arcana: Druid Shepherd, Fighter Cavalier, and Paladin of Conquest

The latest Unearthed Arcana from Mearls and Crawford revisits four subclasses from earlier UA articles. "Part of the fun of playtesting is seeing how feedback and play can push a design in new directions. In this month’s Unearthed Arcana, we revisit class material that appeared in previous installments: four subclasses for various classes, along with Eldritch Invocations for the warlock. This material was all popular, and the revisions to it were driven by feedback that thousands of you provided in surveys. The updated subclasses are the druid’s Circle of the Shepherd, the fighter’s Cavalier, the paladin’s Oath of Conquest, and the warlock’s Celestial (formerly known as the Undying Light). One of the main pieces of feedback we got about the Eldritch Invocations is that most players didn’t want them exclusive to particular Otherworldly Patron options, so we’ve opened them up to more warlocks, tweaked them, and cut the least popular ones."

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[Corwin]

You realize there's no spell being cast in the king's presence, don't you?

Wow, really? I hadn't realized. If only someone hadn't already explained that...

 

[Flamestrike]

If your thinking is impaired it's not going to be immediately obvious, because your thinking is impaired.

Touche.

The king is now too stupid to realise how stupid he has just become.

Feel free to run with that interpretation your game if it works for you. I would like to think that if my IQ was suddenly reduced to 50 I'd realise something was amiss.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The Druid seems cool.

I hated the Cavalier the first time around, and I find I continue to dislike it.

I enjoyed the original version of the Undying Light. I would say if any change was needed, it was with the healing dice pool. I'd much rather see something more akin to Lay on Hands or Wholeness of Body with a defined HP pool rather than a dice pool.

The real draw for me are some of the invocations. I am always looking for new invocations, and while some were already largely presented in the last Wizard & Warlock UA, that is the best part of this UA for me. Especially the Frost Lance, Grasp of Hadar, and Ghostly Gaze. The first two make the warlock very effective at controlling enemy movement with Repelling Blast (something I find largely missing from 5e compared to 4e) while Ghostly Gaze is just so freaking interesting. Could be useful with helping the Rogue pick a lock or assisting them disarming traps, directing the rogue to mechanisms that he can't see. Super cool IMO.

My Warlock player will love Ghostly Gaze, I think. She is also the party "rogue", as she is the only one with thieve's tools prof, and a good Dex.

 

[Corwin]

As to that...

The spell says:

You place a curse on a creature that you can see within
range...[snip]

If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell
ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn
of yours to curse a new creature.

Given the original casting is also a bonus action, I see no evidence that you avoid any of the original requirements of the spell (i.e., the components) when placing a subsequent curse. It definitely does not state that you get to transfer the hex subtly, nor free of the requisite components. Only that you can curse a new creature. The same functionally as the original casting, at the expense of the same action type. For what any of that's worth, if you care to get pedantic, or technical, about it.

 

[Flamestrike]

As to that...

The spell says:



Given the original casting is also a bonus action, I see no evidence that you avoid any of the original requirements of the spell (i.e., the components) when placing a subsequent curse. It definitely does not state that you get to transfer the hex subtly, nor free of the requisite components. Only that you can curse a new creature. The same functionally as the original casting, at the expense of the same action type. For what any of that's worth, if you care to get pedantic, or technical, about it.

Also a pretty solid argument.

I think it all essentially boils down to whatever works for you. If a warlock walked in front of someone in my realm and tried to Hex them then it's initiative time the Instant it is declared.

Unless it was done with the subtle spell meta-magic. Then I might allow a sleight of hand check to do it outside of combat with no one noticing.

Off the top of my head.

 

[Corwin]

Unless it was done with the subtle spell meta-magic. Then I might allow a sleight of hand check to do it outside of combat with no one noticing.

This is another important point. The Subtle metamagic option needs to have value. If you allow non-Subtle spells to be subtle, what's the point?

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

It's the same amount of damage per equivalent level spell slot as the Paladin's Divine Smite. If you're going to argue this is weak, then you'll have to argue that is too.

Paladins dont have to spend a limited option just for the ability to smite at all. They get all of their spells at once without having to deal with short rests. Given the opportunity costs, bladelocks should be better. They spend way too much just trying to get into the melee damage game that there should be a bigger payoff.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Given the original casting is also a bonus action, I see no evidence that you avoid any of the original requirements of the spell (i.e., the components) when placing a subsequent curse. It definitely does not state that you get to transfer the hex subtly, nor free of the requisite components. Only that you can curse a new creature. The same functionally as the original casting, at the expense of the same action type. For what any of that's worth, if you care to get pedantic, or technical, about it.

You're claiming that shifting the hex equates to re-casting the spell and requires all of the original components? So a bladelock who's dual-wielding can't shift his Hex without sheathing one of his weapons, nor can he shift it while silenced? Okaaaaay... if that were the intent, you'd think it's a pretty critical omission that the rules text says nothing whatsoever about any such requirement.

One wonders if you-as-DM would apply the same logic to other spells with continuing actions, like Crown of Madness and Animate Dead. If a necromancer who's been gagged can no longer command his skeletons because he can't speak Verbal components, that's an even more critical bit of knowledge to have, and its omission from the rules text is even more critical.

TL;DR: the fact that WotC defines many abilities in terms of gamist jargon ("as a bonus action, you may...") instead of in in-world, roleplaying terms ("by making a magical gesture, as a bonus action you may...") creates unnecessary ambiguity, which must be resolved by the DM. In the particular case of Hex, it seems that Flamestrike and Corwin would resolve it differently than JeremyCrawford, Yunru, or Hemlock would.

 

[Mephista]

Druid seems pretty cool. Summoning focused, a bti worrysome if they lose control of the summons, but otherwise pretty neat. I do like it overall. Maybe a bit stronger than Land, but definite props overall.

Cavalier is... meh. The extra proficencies are lame. If you take something other than Handle Animal, it better be because you already know it. The expertise tricks are... iffy. So much of the mechanics are built around a mounted charge, it feels like a one trick pony pretending to have more tricks. Relentless is especially strange. One dice when you need two for the charging.

I actually like the new paladin. Its a bit odd about the psychic damage, but the whole "being awesome at fear" trick is pretty cool. I like it a lot, and could see myself playing it.

Celestial Warlock, on its own? Crap in a crap basket. I don't care that its a goodly patron, I care that its pretty much terrible for a Blade or Chain pact. You want a celestial pact, make a celestial familiar. Make some mechanics that let the blade work with it, and not focused entirely on spell casting. Make the cantrips competative with Eldritch Blast+Hex if you want us to use Sacred Light instead of EB. The healing is nice, but we're going back to long rest instead of being short rest focused. Warlocks should thrive on short rest abilties. I do like Celestial Radience, but Searing Vengence is... iffy. I don't like that kind of "risk your life" mechanic, because it encourages stupid actions like running into the middle of a fight to get knocked around and nearly dying like a masochist.

So, final thoughts.
I like the new druid and paladin options. Pretty cool and thematic.

New Fighter is iffy and still is still crap at anything outside combat.

Celestial Warlock is going to default to Eldritch Blast + Hex again because its so awesome, and needs support for Chain or Blade if those are going to happen. At least an archon or some other baby angel type for a familiar.

Warlock invoactions are fun, and there's meaningful choices to be had here. I do miss Glyssa based stuff, however.

 

[Thurmas]

As to that...
Given the original casting is also a bonus action, I see no evidence that you avoid any of the original requirements of the spell (i.e., the components) when placing a subsequent curse. It definitely does not state that you get to transfer the hex subtly, nor free of the requisite components. Only that you can curse a new creature. The same functionally as the original casting, at the expense of the same action type. For what any of that's worth, if you care to get pedantic, or technical, about it.

I agree, nothing about it would be subtle. Best case scenario I could see would be with some proper RPing and the right scenario, a skill check or checks could allow it.

"Your party convinces the king the warlock is a seer, with visions of the future. The king asks for his future to be read, anxious to know the actions of his enemies. The warlock's eyes begin to glow. He casts a handful of bones and the petrified eye of a newt into a bowl on the table in front of him. As he starts to speak in infernal he points towards the king and in a harsh voice declares the king's future is full of hazards." Or he says the king's mother is a purple people eater, since no one else speaks infernal. Up to him.

"Great, roll me a performance check to see how convincing your act is."

Rolls a 22. - The warlock's voice quiets, and the king's mind slows as the hex takes effect. He stares in fear at nothing before slowing getting up to retire to his chambers.
Rolls a 7 - Roll initiative!