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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[Yaarel]

Yeah, you really need to look closely. Because I had the same first reaction as you, only to be disappointed. During the recent stream of garbage in UA articles, I've been regularly writing in my feedback that we don't need more and more subclasses (especially poorly designed ones) and I repeatedly mentioned in my feedback that I wanted to see something unprecedented such as variant class features exactly.

The problem is that there are only VERY FEW variant class features in this UA. Most of the stuff here is not a "variant" which you can choose instead of a core ability of the class. It's a shameless free bump or extra feature which sounds like a first attempt at a 5.5 revision of the PHB.

A real "variant" does not invalidate the PHB version of a character by making it feel inferior for not having the variant... For example, if you add to the game a new way for a Sorcerer to use spell points, that's a boost, not a variant, because a core-only Sorcerer simply has something less than a Sorcerer using this UA article. There is no choice really. The same thing happens if you just add more spells to a class list.

It's a pity because the real variant class features in this article are actually quite interesting, and not just those which you can get at a certain class level instead of the usual PHB class feature at the same level, but also including for example almost all the new Maneuvers, Metamagic and Invocations. Adding them to the game does not make core-only characters obsolete, because the total number of them per character is the same, there really IS a choice for the player, and ignoring the new options does not lead to an inferior character. There has to be a price to pay for every enhancement, otherwise everyone should get the enhancement (and then you're all playing a revised 5.5 version of the game) or none of them.

Now imagine what happens with the "PHB+1" rule in place: if you pick for your "+1" the book with the variant options, you suddendly get a few free boosts for you PC, while players who needed to pick another book have to pay for its options like they always had. How fair is that?

Some Players Handbook mechanics need an upgrade. But perhaps in these situations, offering two variants to choose from would help give the sense of a real choice?

 

[Immoralkickass]

I too think that Instinctive Pounce is crap, even if it didn't replace Fast Movement. People like to cite specific situations where it might be useful, but those situations tend to be rare. The fact is, flat bonus speed is infinitely easier to use, and you get to keep your reaction for something else.

Lets face it, when have you ever played a Barbarian, and when an enemy end their turn 15ft from you, you thought, if i could move 15ft RIGHT NOW, that'd be great?

 

[Stacie GmrGrl]

Seems like their response to Pathfinder 2e and this doesn't come close still to the versatility of other d20 fantasy rpgs. It's a nice step in the right direction though.

 

[Leatherhead]

I have a few problems with Instinctive Pounce:

• It isn't good for slow races.
• The movement itself is very restricted, you have to move closer to the target (obiously) which severely puts a cramp on it's positioning potential.
• Barbarians probably want to draw OA's. Damage helps to keep rage going, and it lets the squishier classes move around more freely.
• But most importantly, it eats up your Reaction. Which is a really big deal for a Barbarian. Their OA's hurt like a truck and are a huge part of their stickyness. What good is it to be in position to block the enemies retreat if you can't actually react to block them anymore?

Also, if you have your heart set on running around the battlefield with near-impunity, look into the Eagle Totem's Dash power.

 

[Li Shenron]

Some Players Handbook mechanics need an upgrade. But perhaps in these situations, offering two variants to choose from would help give the sense of a real choice?

Whether they "need" an upgrade it's subjective. Maybe in your games you're getting bored and you all want a boost. It doesn't mean than in 90% of games they need the same thing.

What we don't need, is a fracture between players who own the PHB and players who buy a possible new book with all these upgrades and suddenly have free boosts.

OTOH, offering two variants to choose from as you say DOES NOT create a fracture. The key is having a price to pay... even if one option is better than the other, as long as there is still a valid reason to choose the other then everything is fine.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The issue is, the hostile has already ENDED its move. So whether the Barbarian moves now or later is mostly irrelevant.

In my experience, extra speed is a big deal. Especially for kiting. But also for controlling the battlefield by catching a caster, a ranged attacker, or a boss.

There are other enemies and allies yet to move. And it's end of move, not end of turn. You could use it to move before they attack, possibly imposing disadvantage.

If you play with miniatures on a large battlemap, extra speed is great. But if you play TotM or in enclosed spaces it's largely irrelevant. Different groups play the game differently.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I have a few problems with Instinctive Pounce:

• It isn't good for slow races.
• The movement itself is very restricted, you have to move closer to the target (obiously) which severely puts a cramp on it's positioning potential.
• Barbarians probably want to draw OA's. Damage helps to keep rage going, and it lets the squishier classes move around more freely.
• But most importantly, it eats up your Reaction. Which is a really big deal for a Barbarian. Their OA's hurt like a truck and are a huge part of their stickyness. What good is it to be in position to block the enemies retreat if you can't actually react to block them anymore?

Also, if you have your heart set on running around the battlefield with near-impunity, look into the Eagle Totem's Dash power.

But the point is, it's an alternative. It's not compulsory. If you think the extra speed is more useful then you can have the extra speed.

 

[dave2008]

For me, too many of these options are pure upgrade rather than replacement for it to quote hit the customization mark for me. It’s nice to see them moving in that direction though!

Are you talking about the variant features or the feats? Since both the skill feats and variant features are UA, I would expect them to be tweaked a bit before final publishing, so that might address your issue.

Personally, I was talking about the concept and not the execution. However, my group doesn't min-max, so the concept of an "upgrade" isn't really a concern for us.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Got to say, I am fine with most changes here. I am glad for the additions to the spell lists. I wish 5E had some sort of limitation to the size of divine caster lists - that way they the designers would be more inclined to add spells to the lists (esp. cleric). We have a house rule that does this.

I am not keen on the features that let you swap chosen abilities/spells after a long rest. That will only happen at level advancement or during downtime in my games.

I still do not think the ranger's companion feature fixes what players expect of their animal features. The designers were too worried about action economy, but this could have actually been a good choice for small groups to boost that.

I want rangers with animals, not air and earth spirit beasts. Those are fine for exceptions but the animals/beast should be the priority.

FWIW: This is our fix:
RANGER'S COMPANION
As we are not overly concerned with 'action economy' in our games, make the following adjustments to this feature:

• You can select an animal with more than 1/4 challenge rating or that is size Large, but the beast must have a challenge rating equal to half your level or lower. If the beast is higher than 1/4 CR and/or size Large, then your proficiency bonus that the beast adds to AC, attacks, damage, saving throws and skills is reduced by 2.
• You can issue commands with your action OR bonus action AND the companion continues to take this action until you spend another action or bonus action to command it to do otherwise. Again, if there is nothing for it to do or it cannot continue taking that action, it resorts to the Dodge action as in the PHB.

Simple.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

References to eponymous boardgames aside, I like the idea of a new pact boon for warlocks, but the talisman really really sucks. It's not even guidance, since it only works for skills in which you are not proficient. Most of the time if you are not proficient in the skill someone else who is proficient does it instead.

The only time I could see it being used is by an NPC warlock ally to give to a PC.

I would be inclined to change the talisman to be a sort of arcane supa-focus, supporting the pew-pew eldritch blaster warlock playstyle.