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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[Parmandur]

So did I miss it, or is the beast companion still not scaling (other than hp)? I was hoping that the scaling was in a separate class feature, but I'm not seeing it. It looks like they grabbed everything from artificer except for the "Might of the Master" ability for the pets? Tell me I'm wrong, please?

Might of the Master. The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the iron defender’s skill bonuses, the bonuses to hit and damage of its bite, and the number of hit points restored by its Repair action.

No, you aren't missing anything, it's just the Artificer approach to the pet.

 

[Yaarel]

So did I miss it, or is the beast companion still not scaling (other than hp)? I was hoping that the scaling was in a separate class feature, but I'm not seeing it. It looks like they grabbed everything from artificer except for the "Might of the Master" ability for the pets? Tell me I'm wrong, please?

Might of the Master. The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the iron defender’s skill bonuses, the bonuses to hit and damage of its bite, and the number of hit points restored by its Repair action.

For the Ranger, Beast of Air/Earth: the hit dice equal your level plus adding hit points 5x your level, so the hit points continue to scale significantly with level.

I assume because the Hit Dice are increasing, that things like attack bonus would also increase.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

That could take care of the magic weapon damage issue, too.

Yep, and it's certainly not hard to make Gauntlets of Punching in the Face that are magical.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

It certainly enables a particular type of character without neccesitating a "Wrassler" Subclass.

A battlemaster with Restraining Strike, Riposte, Brace, Pushing and Silver Tongue with the Unarmed F.S would make for an awesome ''wrassler''.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

A battlemaster with Restraining Strike, Riposte, Brace, Pushing and Silver Tongue with the Unarmed F.S would make for an awesome ''wrassler''.

Exactly. Those might synergize nicely with a caster buddy who happens to have concentration damage spells, too. "Oh yeah, see how you like having your face shoved in a Bonfire while I hold you in a Half Nelson!!!"

 

[OB1]

The way this and the recent UAs is set up could easily end up being a replacement for the current PHB. Perhaps one that includes all Race, Class and Subclass options available up to the point of release.

It wouldn't be called Advanced, or Revised or Unearthed, the old version would simply go out of print and this would be the new starting point. There would be enough new to justify current players buying, while giving new players a single reference for all the options.

 

[Artagon]

For the Ranger, Beast of Air/Earth: the hit dice equal your level plus adding hit points 5x your level, so the hit points continue to scale significantly with level.

I assume because the Hit Dice are increasing, that things like attack bonus would also increase.

It doesn't explicitly say that proficiency goes up, so one would assume that they get stuck with +4 or 5 to hit for the life of the creature. It just seemed surprising to me that they would so quickly become irrelevant for DPS. The pets in Artificer have other utility than just attacks, but they still go up with every proficiency bonus you get.

Do they get their own turn on their initiative? It doesn't say.

 

[Yaarel]

I like the idea of alternate class features but, IMO, the enhancements are crazy. Too much power creep in enhancements.

Some classes like Ranger really needed the boost.

Some classes like Wizard were already doing ok, and didnt really get much.

In the case of the Bard, the spell list expansion looks solid, thematically. The spell versatility was desperately needed.

The Fighter needed the unarmed fighting style as an option for flavor reasons, and it has to competitive with other weapon fightingstyles.

Barring any oversights, the tweaks look solid.

 

[Yaarel]

It doesn't explicitly say that proficiency goes up, so one would assume that they get stuck with +4 or 5 to hit for the life of the creature. It just seemed surprising to me that they would so quickly become irrelevant for DPS. The pets in Artificer have other utility than just attacks, but they still go up with every proficiency bonus you get.

Do they get their own turn on their initiative? It doesn't say.

Hmmm. I guess the proficiency bonus depends on the challenge rating, not the hit dice, so it isnt clear that proficiency of the Beast improves.

Mention this in the survey, that its proficiency needs to scale, and the description to make it clear that it does.

Really, the Beast needs to use the Rangers own proficiency.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

And the power creep continues to grow, unchecked.

At least Berserkers now have a "legitimate" way to shed their excess fatigue levels, with a simple one-level dip into Ranger. (As though that term had any meaning whatsoever in this edition.)

Every published option for 5e has been within the power spectrum of the PHB.