Unearthed Arcana Latest Unearthed Arcana Introduces Rogue & Ranger Archetypes

New UA (1/16/2017): Ranger and Rogue

The new UA is up, you can see it here:http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/2017_01_UA_RangerRogue_0117JCMM.pdf

 

[cbwjm]

Not a major issue but it means when your throwing ideas around you can't just go I want to be a scout.

True, but even when the fighter subclass was introduced, if someone said that they want to be a scout it could still lead to playing a class/subclass completely different from the fighter scout. Both of them are an option for playing scout, however, players could end up running with neither class and choosing something else with a specific background and skills to model their scout.

I've read scout so often that now I'm thinking of the boy scouts. Can you imagine a dwarf or elf dressed up as a scout leader?

 

[Blue]

The Horizon Walker and Forest Guardian don't fit the style of campaigns that I run so they will never get used in my campaigns. As for the Scout, it reminds me of why I dislike several classes not receiving their subclasses at first level.

I hear you, but I'm torn. Part of my thinks that levels 1-4 are "apprentice" levels, but playing a "spell-less ranger" but not getting required skills for 2 levels is bunk.

On the other hand, I do like that the rules don't give a large dump of power at first level that would be easily cherry-picked with multiclassing.

There is a rule in the background section that if you get a skill from a second place just pick any other skill. So you could play a scout with survival & nature from first (assuming you can get them), and then at 3rd you'll simply get two other skills (by that rule) and those skills will improve to expertise.

 

[Blue]

8th level Guardian Ranger (for easy math), gets fireballed in an ambush. You run up, change:

You heal 16 hp, your max increases by 16, and at the start of every turn you gain 4 temp hp.

Enemy breaks, you drop form to follow. Next turn go Guardian again, you heal another 16 hp.


If a DM allows the transformation outside of combat (which I'm inclined to do so they can take advantage of Large size), they can just pop it on and off to heal x2 their level until they are back to full health. Which is not the intent.

They edited the PDF to allow this ability only once per rest.

 

[Blue]

RE: chickens, your DM will probably love it if you buy a flock of chickens and put them on a long multi-leash or in cages, and cart them around with you to sacrifice in your grotesque Death Monk voodoo rituals. He will have so much fun with those chickens. You're right that those questions do occur, but they get resolved in play and it's a blast. In fact, I highly recommend trying out a chicken-flock at least once, for any player, whether or not their PCs have weird life-draining powers.

In a 4e game one of the other players bought a crate of chickens. And used them to set off the several sets of explosive runes that we knew were at our destination.

And just imaging their uses when combined with the legendary 10' pole.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

They edited the PDF to allow this ability only once per rest.

I'm not seeing it. The page (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/ranger-and-rogue) still links to this PDF (http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/2017_01_UA_RangerRogue_0117JCMM.pdf) with this text:

Guardian Soul
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to
temporarily grow and take on the appearance of
a treelike person, covered with leaves and bark.
As a bonus action, you assume this guardian
form, which lasts until you end it as a bonus
action or until you are incapacitated.
You undergo the following changes while in
your guardian form:
• Your size becomes Large, unless you were
larger.
• Any speed you have becomes 5 feet, unless the
speed was lower.
• Your reach increases by 5 feet.
• You gain a number of temporary hit points at
the start of each of your turns. The number
equals half your ranger level. When the form
ends, you lose any temporary hit points you
have from it.

*snip*

Guardian Aura
Starting at 15th level, your guardian form
emanates a magical aura that fortifies your
injured allies. When any ally starts their turn
within 30 feet of your guardian form, that ally
regains a number of hit points equal to half your
ranger level. This aura has no effect on a
creature that has half or more of its hit points,
and it has no effect on undead and constructs.

No mention there that I can see of per-rest. Am I just blind, or is there some other version of the PDF?

 

[Chaosmancer]

They edited the PDF to allow this ability only once per rest.

I heard that on a different forum, but no matter what I do the improved version does not appear for me.

Is it long rest or short rest?

Do we think this ability is still worthwhile once per rest? Is 14 hp a short rest a good 7th level ability?

I agree it needed the limit, I just want to know if people think that takes it into the territory of being a bad ability to gain.

 

[Leatherhead]

Do we think this ability is still worthwhile once per rest? Is 14 hp a short rest a good 7th level ability?

Even at once per rest it's better than Second Wind, and I have yet to hear anyone say Second Wind isn't worth it.

 

[Blue]

I'm not seeing it. The page (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/ranger-and-rogue) still links to this PDF (http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/2017_01_UA_RangerRogue_0117JCMM.pdf) with this text:



No mention there that I can see of per-rest. Am I just blind, or is there some other version of the PDF?

The power the person I was responding to was Ancient Fortitude, and they were talking about entering and leaving guardian form to heal 2*level HPs each time. That's been changed to once per rest (short or long).

 

[Blue]

I heard that on a different forum, but no matter what I do the improved version does not appear for me.

Is it long rest or short rest?

Do we think this ability is still worthwhile once per rest? Is 14 hp a short rest a good 7th level ability?

I agree it needed the limit, I just want to know if people think that takes it into the territory of being a bad ability to gain.

Per short or long rest.

 

[Blue]

Even at once per rest it's better than Second Wind, and I have yet to hear anyone say Second Wind isn't worth it.

It is significantly restrained compared to Second Wind because of when you can trigger it. You can only trigger it when you enter guardian form. So if you enter guardian form to battle, then take damage, you need to use the bonus action on one round to leave (which will also lose all the temp HPs you just got), and a bonus action on a later round to go back in and use this.