Unearthed Arcana New UA: 43 D&D Class Feature Variants

The latest Unearthed Arcana is a big 13-page document! “Every character class in D&D has features, and every class gets one or more class feature variants in today’s Unearthed Arcana! These variants replace or enhance a class’s normal features, giving you new ways to enjoy your character’s class.”

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[Paul Farquhar]

For a multiclass Druid/Chainlock, could you use Wild Shape to summon say or imp or would it summon a seperate familiar?

You would have two pets.

 

[akr71]

For those saying they want them to change Spell Versatility for Bards, Sorcerers and Warlocks to work for level up rather than long rest...that’s exactly how it works now.

Those classes already can only have an extremely small number of spells. 2, at lvl 1, 15 at lvl 20. That’s not a lot. Wizards have up to 6 at lvl 1, and 25 at lvl 20, and every ritual in their book, as well. And that’s a whole lot more. And Wizards have a much, much larger spell list to choose from, and can eventually learn ALL of them.

Allowing a being infused with magic, or a person connected to a powerful being, to switch up a single spell every long rest won’t overshadow the Wizard, it just solves what is an arbitrary nerf to these classes. Their philosophy of “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit” was the biggest thing I had a hard time with, even though they are some of my favorite classes.

As for them knowing their whole list, technically, it makes sense for Sorcerers and Warlocks. Sorcerers do things on instinct, not learning, and Warlocks have a patron that teaches them power, so both have a leg up on a Wizard, who gets more prepared spells per day and a larger list to pick from, but who is limited to the spells in their book. Bards are a little more of a stretch, unless you figure they’re another kind of Sorcerer.

I was more OK with the Bard being able to switch up their spells that the other classes. I'm not sure why - maybe the whole lore/jack of all trades thing. Since you mention it, I guess I do kind of see them as a Music Sorcerer with a bit of Wizard.

I suppose the warlock being able to change their very few spells isn't a game breaker. I'm still not a fan of that part of the UA for any of the classes that get it. However there are many ways to play this game and I like characters that have to make hard decisions about what abilities, skills and spells they choose and live with those decisions.

 

[gyor]

I'm just thinking that if this is a setting book, they haven't yet shown any new races or classes, which Guildmaster's one one of and Last War will have both.

So if this is a setting book, it's going to be a departure from even the Last War's format. I actually could see this being a more general "Planeswalker's Guide" or something that is largely a player book, but provides some extra setting/DM material for how to play in some popular Magic settings, or even how a PC can be a Planeswalker.

Just brainstorming of course.

I don't think this UA and the previous subclass UAs are for the same thing. Mearls has said that any fixes for the base ranger will be given out for free, so I think if this gets approved (and most if not all of it will be if what this thread is saying is any indication), will be released as a free Official PDF like Elemental Evil Player Companion.

 

[TwoSix]

I suppose the warlock being able to change their very few spells isn't a game breaker. I'm still not a fan of that part of the UA for any of the classes that get it. However there are many ways to play this game and I like characters that have to make hard decisions about what abilities, skills and spells they choose and live with those decisions.

Letting them swap one spell per long rest is just giving the player the opportunity to make more hard decisions, which feels good to me.

 

[Pauln6]

I think it's the long rest that is the issue for me. It feels too computer gamey. If it was afte 7 days of training, I'd be fine with it.

I have reservations about giving paladins some of the cleric's favourite spells to make them even better healers and even better at damaging foes at range. The last thing the paladin needs is a power up.

The ranger companion mechanics look like an improvement. Giving them a special attack should be standard as should the ability to revive them with a spell slot. I like the more druidy option too.

 

[Horwath]

That thought occurred to me as well. Never minding that this would allow the rogue to sneak attack at long range so long as they had Sharpshooter.

Sniper time!

no need to dip from another class.

Just go rogue. It works only on NEXT attack so not much use for Extra attack feature.

Elven rogue can get crazy with Elven Accuracy and this.

But do remember that there cannot be any movement in the round.

So no hiding behind cover to avoid retalitory attacks vs. you, and no kiting also

I see this as some kind of backup when you cannot use Hide action with bonus action as there is no cover.

If there is cover, it is better to use Hide to try to get advantage and SURE cover and/or kiting rather than be in open shootout match

 

[tglassy]

I don't mind giving Paladin extra spells. I actually don't mind giving everyone extra spells. Personally, I think the "Spell Lists" weren't done all that great. I prefer the Pathfinder 2 version, or at least what was in the play test (haven't seen the official book.) Just have an Arcane, Divine and Nature lists, and specify which list they get to pick from. Sorcerers would pick their list. There's literally no reason why a Sorcerer cannot have all the same Arcane spells that a Wizard has. Paladin are already only half casters, so they will only ever be half the healer that Clerics are, even if they can cast all the same spells.

This would eliminate the need for special "spell lists" for certain subclasses, except for the rare hybrid subclass or the kind where they always have them prepared. Sure, having limited spell lists give them something unique when a class gets a subclass that allows them to cast a spell they normally can't, and there's something to be said about Unique spells for a certain class, but a lot of it just seems arbitrary. Especially when someone like a Bard has Magical Secrets and can just pilfer from every list as it is.

I am looking forward to giving a Warlock Animate Dead, though.

 

[Ravenbrook]

Some of these variants are pretty basic, so they should actually be included in an updated and expanded PHB.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

This is a pretty important UA and right now is making me respect WotC's design skill a bit more, though when they cancel everything bold or clever I'll rescind that!

The spell list additions are pretty straightforwardly necessary, and actually appalled me because I hadn't noticed some of these spells were missing, and it's ridiculous that they were. These universally improve both theme-ing and overall balance.

The changes that allow slow, small-scale respec'ing or modifying available spells are extremely sensible. It's good for them to be optional but people talking about "hard choices" are overcooking things in a rather silly way. In practice, one of two things happens. Either the player is a min-maxer and carefully studies the options and picks a narrow range of optimal abilities (dull but effective and kind of necessary with no ability to fix it) or they aren't, and the pick what sounds good, and you can guarantee most players make some bum choices which don't result in much fun, merely frustration and limitation. These options improve both situations. Min-maxers can go outside their comfort zone knowing a choice at L1 won't screw them a L11, and normal players can try stuff out and get rid of bum abilities.

The rest is less exciting and a couple of abilities are wonky, especially low level stuff (for dips) but the Ranger changes, especially the Beastmaster ones, are excellent. A BM Ranger might actually be decent with the new air/land beasts.

I hope the vast majority of this appears in a Xanathar's style book unchanged and optional, and some of it might even make sense as a 5.5E, though I think there isn't enough to justify that, quite.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I'm actually one of the few people who doesn't get all excited about UAs like this, because all of these little variations and tweaks are things I do for my players all the time anyway. Never needed a book to give permission to do these things before... don't need a book giving me permission to do these things in the future.