Level Up (A5E) Level Up Class Preview: Adept

The Kickstarter has launched and already has nearly 2000 backers! Over the next month, we have plenty of fun stuff to show you. Let’s start with a class — and we’ll start at the beginning with the Adept.

Class Preview: Adept — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

The Kickstarter has launched! Over the next month, we have plenty of fun stuff to show you. Let’s start with a class — and we’ll start at the beginning with the Adept.

www.levelup5e.com

 

[Waller]

• Exertion Use: It still feels like this class goes through exertion so quickly you can hardly blink. My biggest issue in the playtest was I found it very difficult to choose manuevers and focuses for a character....because exertion use blew through my reserves so quickly I had to be extremely stingy with choosing things that spent exertion. I don't feel like that changed in the final product, its 2 exertion cost everywhere!

• Way of the Fist (Warrior Monk): So I actually playtested a homebrew monk that got back 1 ki every time they crited, so I have first hand experience into this kind of ability. And the ability....is really really good, and that's just at 1 ki. The fact here is at higher levels you could recover 2 or 3 exertion on every crit, I am a bit worried that this one ability is going to overshadow some of the other subclasses

Choose one, man! Does it have too much exertion or not enough?

 

[niklinna]

Does Closed Soul apply to the saving throw that triggers it?

 

[niklinna]

Choose one, man! Does it have too much exertion or not enough?

They were pretty clear about saying that the class overall will burn through exertion, and that this one archetype's ability to regain exertion might overshadow others.

 

[Faolyn]

For probably the first time, I'm actually interested in making a monk Adept. I don't know what exactly I'd make, but looking over the Focus Features, I kept going wow, that's awesome. Distant Death Dance seems pretty strong, though. 60 feet!

One question, though. The warrior monk says that you can pick a tradition you're not proficient in. Does this mean any tradition, or only one from Mirror's Glint, Rapid Current, Razor's Edge, or Unending Wheel?

As Stalker0 noted, you turned the Adept's knacks into Practiced Techniques. But when you shared the Fighter class (in the 8 Days thread), that had knacks as a separate thing. Are you using knacks for some classes and renaming them for others?

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Minor quibble from a very brief read....

The Light Armor benefit you get at 1sr level should have a "may" in the rule. You should be given the option to use STR instead of DEX but not forced to as the RAW states.

 

[Candour Pendragon]

I agree entirely with what Stalker0 wrote - especially the point about Temporary Hit Points not keeping you from falling unconscious is something I noticed myself.

I'm loving this more polished version, even compared to the early preview which I already liked a lot.

One note: there's a typo in the Sixth Sense Practiced Technique. It says you gain "advantage in initiative checks", not "on."

 

[King Brad]

On the subject of Knacks/ Practice Techniques, I sort of prefer them to stay as Knacks for each class. I think calling them a separate thing in each class when they are fundamentally the same can get confusing.

 

[Faolyn]

Exertion Use: It still feels like this class goes through exertion so quickly you can hardly blink. My biggest issue in the playtest was I found it very difficult to choose manuevers and focuses for a character....because exertion use blew through my reserves so quickly I had to be extremely stingy with choosing things that spent exertion. I don't feel like that changed in the final product, its 2 exertion cost everywhere!

I've never played a monk: how fast do regular monks go through ki in comparison?

Also according to the playtest, you can spend HD to regain exertion (although it takes a minute), which will help between fights even if there's no time for a short rest.

ETA:

As per the Great Reputation thing, I'd read the "initial reaction" meaning when you first meet someone. If you already have a rival, they're not going to suddenly be friendly to you. If you meet someone for the first time, they are friendly, and subsequent meetings will depend on how you treat them.

 

[AllOlive]

I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to fix the Monk class, including playtesting a "Martial Artist" from 3rd-8th level. I found even one special technique per level from the base class to be a lot; add in subclass features, racial features, feats, and there's a lot of opportunities to forget about something you can do at the one time it comes up. And that was for me, who'd designed the class in the first place. So I'd suggest that this class, with over 2 goodies per level all told, is gonna be more than most can handle.

Also, I find in play that defensive reactions just "feel right" for a class like this. I think there should be defensive reactions available not just for missiles, but for melee attacks and saving throws, and there should be reasons to take them. After all, 1d8 for a largely-close-range martial character, with only-middling AC and several other ability scores besides Constitution to worry about, is not that great.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I've never played a monk: how fast do regular monks go through ki in comparison?

Also according to the playtest, you can spend HD to regain exertion (although it takes a minute), which will help between fights even if there's no time for a short rest.

ETA:

As per the Great Reputation thing, I'd read the "initial reaction" meaning when you first meet someone. If you already have a rival, they're not going to suddenly be friendly to you. If you meet someone for the first time, they are friendly, and subsequent meetings will depend on how you treat them.

When I was playing a monk (1st through 9ish level) I never got to a point where I was totally out of ki and needed some. I also tend to end the day with spells available or end videogames with 300 unused potions so I am on the conservative user side of the equation.

They replenish on a short rest so at a worst case if I needed my points back we would call for one.