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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[Ruin Explorer]

Likely the better explanation is that Barbarian is a powerful popular class that needs no fix

I feel like this is both true and kind of myopic.

If you min-max a Barbarian and pick the right subclass (and there are what, like two options that don't suck?), they are utterly undeniably "a powerful class". But equally, if you don't min-max them, and/or you pick any of the other subclasses, you end up with a pretty questionable PC.

It's not a well-designed class because on the surface it's this simple, straightforward class, but in reality, unless you make certain decisions, not all of which are straightfoward, you're going to end up in a pretty mediocre-to-bad place. I feel like WotC screwed up here, particularly re: the relative effectiveness of subclasses.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Huh. Hadn’t realized that. The stock chain Warlock is garbage, in that case.

Y'know, it feels unfair, singling out any one thing in D&D as garbage.

Barbarian … on the surface it's this simple, straightforward class, but in reality, unless you make certain decisions, not all of which are straightfoward, you're going to end up in a pretty mediocre-to-bad place.

Ironic. In 3e, the Fighter class design (while an excellent, elegant design), looked simple but had depth that made building an effective fighter take some system mastery, while the Barbarian was actually a great 'training wheels' class, more straightforward to build & play.

 

[NotAYakk]

Known Spellcasters:
They can all swap out 1 spell per rest (including cantrips).
Prepared Spellcasters:
They can all swap out a cantrip per level up.

I am seeing this as a "don't get a character with a bad build choice have to reroll at level 10".

Spell lists:
There is some power creep here.

For the Bard, however, few if any of those would have been "arcane secret" fodder. So it isn't large power creep.

Revivify on Druid and Ranger list is an upgrade. Spirit Guardians on Paladin.

Barbarian:
These are both utility variants. Not seeing power creep here.

Druid:
Wild Companion is neat.

Fighter:
Battlemaster upgrade really. Fighting style lets you start as a Battlemaster at level 1, which is nice.

Monk:
Formalizes the "monestaries pick other weapons" bit.

Ki-Fueled strike fixes a problem with some subbuilds. 2 new Features are not power creep in my opinion.

Cantrip fighting styles:
Nice and flavorful. I guess could avoid a 1 level dip.

New Fighting Styles:
The interception style is the only one that seems stronger than the previous styles. Everything else just seems flavourful and quirky.

Ranger:
Lots of cleanup and power creep. The fact that Ranger 2 is a great dip for frenzied barbarians is neat. Favored Foe might be too tempting to dip for some builds.

The companions are an interesting patch. All of the "alternates" give you something that mechanically works better in 5e than the old one did and match the flavour. I approve.

Rogue:
You can aim. Lose mobility in exchange for 1 advantage.

Sorcerer:
Being able to warp elemental damage is going to change things. I also like unerring spell.

Warlock:
Piles of patches for the less favored pacts.

 

[Parmandur]

So, these options are primarily built around fulfilling character concepts difficult in the original core Classes, like the Wrassler Fighting Style. The Barbarian, I would wager, is probably be the Class WotC gets the absolute fewest complaints about fulfilling variant character concepts, as it is super dialed in.

 

[Garthanos]

This is good. Pathfinder 1st Ed has had this kind of stuff for years now and I always figured WotC did not do the same sooner because it would look like they were copying their rivals.

Alternate Class features... were front and center in 4e.... hmmmm

 

[BookBarbarian]

So, these options are primarily built around fulfilling character concepts difficult in the original core Classes, like the Wrassler Fighting Style. The Barbarian, I would wager, is probably be the Class WotC gets the absolute fewest complaints about fulfilling variant character concepts, as it is super dialed in.

The first 2 levels are dialed in. They fulfill the concept ot the angry death machine quite well.

At level 3 when I choose between ghost anger, storm anger, animal anger (of varying usefulness, I'm looking at you Tiger Totem), god anger, spiky armor anger, and anger anger things are pretty off the rails for me in terms of concept.

Alright the base class as a whole fits bill but honestly was the Paladin without Spirit Guardians somehow not fitting its concept?

Also where is my punchy Barbarian?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Alternate Class features... were front and center in 4e.... hmmmm

It was one of the bits of 4E that worked really well, interestingly.

 

[NotAYakk]

Also where is my punchy Barbarian?

At level 4 take "Weapon Master" feat and take the unarmed fighting style.

Or dip fighter.

 

[BookBarbarian]

At level 4 take "Weapon Master" feat and take the unarmed fighting style.

Or dip fighter.

What about a game not using optional rules like Feats and multiclassing?

Edit: and Weapon Master does not grant Fighting Styles. No feat (so far) does.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

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.

I seriously doubt it. That free pdf was what, four years ago? Hasn't really been anything like that since, unless you count the UA's themselves. Or Planeshift, which is a different beast.

And I think what Mearls meant was tweaks, and this is a pretty big change. I could see these being free for people who already own a digital-PHB on Dnd Beyond or something if this truly is just a re-release of that book. Otherwise I think you're being too optimistic.

The sheer amount of UA's coming down the pipeline smells like all one product going in heavy development right now. Could be a complete redesign of the PHB, but I'm thinking it's a Xanathar's-like supplement. It's one of the best-selling books released, makes sense they'd try again.