New D&D Unearthed Arcana Reveals Two New Subclasses for Monk and Sorcerer, Plus Revamps For Seven More

Wizards of the Coast has a new Unearthed Arcana playtest for Dungeons & Dragons, featuring revamps of seven existing Arcane-themed subclasses, plus two new subclasses. Today, Wizards of the Coast unveiled a new Arcane Subclass Unearthed Arcana, featuring the following subclasses:

• Arcana Domain Cleric
• Arcane Archer Fighter
• Hexblade Patron Warlock
• Conjurer Wizard
• Enchanter Wizard
• Necromancer Wizard
• Transmuter Wizard
• Tattooed Warrior Monk
• Ancestral Sorcery Sorcerer

Notably, the Hexblade Patron and Necromancer Wizard were both relatively high on the wishlist of many D&D players.

That Tattooed Warrior grants the Monk access to several magic tattoos with specific effects that enhance various monk abilities. The Ancestral Sorcery plays off the idea of having a powerful magical ancestor that grants them guidance and direction from beyond. Notably, the ancestral spirit has an spectral haze form and can even Frighten those around the sorcerer at higher levels.

Some of the notable changes in the UA include a revised Arcane Shot ability that comes with an Arcane Shot die used to deal extra damage that ramps up in size, the Conjurer Wizard's benign transposition starts at an earlier level as does Durable Summons, the Enchanter Wizard has some more versatile low-level options that replace Hypnotic Gaze, and the Necromancer has been wholly redesigned with an emphasis on generating temporary hit points for the wizard, their party members, and undead thralls.

 

[Remathilis]

The Explorers Guide and Netherdeep were both published by WotC but through a licensing deal with Critical Role. None of the options have since be reprinted in other books because they can’t be.

The only time those options can be used by WotC is in Critical Role licensed products. It’s very similar to how Marvel and Sony work together on Spider-Man films but marvel can’t just use Spider-Man outside of their agreement.

So the three Wildemount subclasses aren’t coming back. Other subclasses like the Undying Warlock or Long Death Monk have been replaced with thematically similar but mechanically superior options like Undead Warlock and Mercy Monk.

Maybe Jeremy and Chris can give them the 2024 treatment when Darrington releases a new 3pp CR book.

 

[Remathilis]

Piggy-backing off this. So far the two themed UA's included 8 subclasses (not including the Hexblade rework in Arcane which bumped it up to 9) and 2 of them were new, so other themes will likely follow a similar pattern.

I don't know if they are going to be so clean as this, but I wouldn't be surprised if we do get more themed bundle UAs. Then again, the Forgotten Realms book only had three reprints (knowledge, bladesong, and PDK) and a swath of new subs. We could very well end up with a UA around some theme that only has a few reprints and LOT of new as well.

 

[GarrettKP]

Maybe Jeremy and Chris can give them the 2024 treatment when Darrington releases a new 3pp CR book.

It’s certainly possible. But they won’t be sneaking into an everything book unless something seriously changes about WotC and CRs license agreement.

 

[GarrettKP]

I don't know if they are going to be so clean as this, but I wouldn't be surprised if we do get more themed bundle UAs. Then again, the Forgotten Realms book only had three reprints (knowledge, bladesong, and PDK) and a swath of new subs. We could very well end up with a UA around some theme that only has a few reprints and LOT of new as well.

I fully don’t expect my random packets to be exactly correct. But if WotC wanted to they could make it pretty clean.

As for the FR book, I’m assuming a setting specific UA drop is more likely to have new options than UA drops for a possible everything book.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

First, let me say that Enchanting Talker is the best thing I have read in a wizard UA in a looong time.

I feel a little hypocritical about not being awed by Arcana Domain Cleric, since it does check all the boxes for things I like in domains, but let's just do a little thought experiment. Picture an Arcana Domain priest that wasn't a PC. What would a God of Magic who is trying to have more (and better) wizards, bards, sorcerers, and warlocks want the priest to do? And what kind of abilities would support that? Now, how many of those abilities does the Arcana Domain Cleric get? If your answer is none, you and I are in agreement. It would be like having a Love Domain Cleric that is justified because they can cast calm emotion. The whole subclass doesn't need to be "spellcaster support warlord", but even a "when you heal someone who can cast spells, you recharge one of their spell slots of level 2 or less" would go a long way here.

I also miss the minion for the hexblade.

In addition to swarms for necromancers and conjurers, I could see walls of ghoul flesh or bones or a pit where demons grab anyone who comes too close and they finally climb out 1 round per level of the spell, taking X damage each round as fitting. I don't see the 100 skeleton army coming back no matter how much some people like it.

I was thinking of early Naruto for the monk (totally forgot about Iron Fist) in the sense that there are ninja fights where some magic is happening, but the fight really ends when someone hits someone else with a throwing knife (or a bunch of them). I like the idea, but I think it would work better if it was more like the eldritch knight and was just a monk who was a third caster. If they need something especially monkish, the monk could use an unarmed strike to deliver touch spells.

Arcana Domain should be able to use its Channel divinity on the spells of allies as well.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Looking throuh the UA my thoughts are largely that most of them are good. My main concerns are the following:
1) Frankly I think the high level feature, if not a complete replacement/deviation from clerics normally getting domain spells should just be giving Arcana clerics access to the entire wizard spell list when preparing spells. Essentially they'd get access to both lists, but have far less spell prepared than other clerics or wizards to compensate.

2) The tattooed monk is fine in theory. In practice it's a ki heavy drain. At BARE minimum the 11th level feature just just be an always active passive feature, not a ki sink.

3) This hexblade is a hot mess. Frankly I'm annoyed WoTC doesn't have the stones to stick to their previous iteration themed around the hex spell. It was objectively the correct choice and just needed a high level feature that removed concentration from the spell. But hey, whiny players who fear change and whatnot I guess.

Honestly? If this is what the hexblade is going to be now I'd rather they just scrap the entire subclass entrely. As far as I'm concerned this is just proof they have no idea what to do with it now that pact of the blade grants charisma for weapons. If it cannot survive pact of the blade actually being good for the base class now it shouldn't exist. And say what you will about the old UA Raven Queen patron for being more limited in "patron options" than hexblade, at least that subclass was mechanically coherent. At this point I'd rather see a return of that then hex blade. If we must have hex blade, why dont they lean into having the subclass grant weapon masteries or something?

 

[SkidAce]

If we must have hex blade, why dont they lean into having the subclass grant weapon masteries or something?

Ooooooo...fascinating idea.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Ooooooo...fascinating idea.

Here's the thing though. The last version people down voted did do that. They just called it Hexblade's curse and made it part of the hex spell. People were just too kneejerk reacting to losing their precious critical hit at level 3.

 

[SkidAce]

Sadness.

 

[Weiley31]

old UA Raven Queen patron

I loved that one so much.