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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[Salthorae]

So I love most of these options but find the ones for Barbarian to be lackluster by comparison, and find that the best Berserker fix is on the Ranger in Tireless.

Anyway now that I am done complaining I will go roll a Ranger/Berserker with Hunter's mark that works while Raging, THP that get the benefit of resistance from Rage, and Short Rest Frenzies. Hell I'll throw in Unarmed fighting style to boot.

Haha, I love this build idea already. Sounds super effective, and for a time would outclass the Monk for unarmed damage in tier 2.

1d8 (Unarmed Style) +1d6 (Hunter's Mark) +Str+2 = avg. 13 damage on an unarmed strike while raging. Frenzy doubles that. Then at 5th levle of Barbarian or Ranger the Extra attack triples it along with ASI boost to Str and Rage damage increases.

Monk is 1d6 (Shortsword) +1d4 (Unarmed) +Str/Dex x2 = 12 damage in a round, maybe 17.5 with Flurry if all three attacks hit.

That should hold up well against Monk until their Martial Arts die starts really increasing.

 

[CapnZapp]

I think outright replacing Spellcasting like that is probably beyond the scope of this UA.

I wonder how many more years we will have to wait for the fix to the fundamental feature of the Beastmaster subclass to be "in scope"...

 

[CapnZapp]

Reads UA

Barbarian: Am I a joke to you?

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

 

[Rhineglade]

Love it!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Part of me wishes Pact of the Talisman worked exactly like Jack of All Trades, but maybe JOAT is too good to begin with?

I don't see what's so bad about Bards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks being able to change a single spell once per day. Clerics and Druids already can choose all of their spells from their entire class list daily, at no cost. Wizards can pick from their spellbook every day. I can only see this versatility leading to more fun.

The Primal Beast still uses the Ranger's Companion features rules, right? So does it still take the "Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in." Part? It obviously replaces how hit points work. If it doesn't take stuff from the existing feature, then there's also no explanation for how to control it. It's a little unclear what we take from the existing feature and add to the new one.

You take the entire phb feature and use it with these beast options. Look at them as new monsters you can use with the feature, not as a new feature.

 

[Undrave]

I wonder how many more years we will have to wait for the fix to the fundamental feature of the Beastmaster subclass to be "in scope"...

I think they would just need to focus a full UA to it, not just a few paragraphs.

 

[maceochaid]

So for the Monk, I am not sure if it grants proficiency? This seems like it is for Racial weapon proficiencies and multiclass characters.

 

[RSIxidor]

So for the Monk, I am not sure if it grants proficiency? This seems like it is for Racial weapon proficiencies and multiclass characters.

The alternative for Monk Weapons? Yes, that's correct. The feature does not grant proficiency (nor does the original Martial Arts feature). This allows you to use proficiencies you get from race, feats, multiclassing, etc, as a monk weapon. But you get to decide what is a monk weapon for you. I like it.

 

[Parmandur]

So for the Monk, I am not sure if it grants proficiency? This seems like it is for Racial weapon proficiencies and multiclass characters.

It specifically does not add proficiency, so it is only for racial and multiclass weapons. Which, as flavor, makes sense: a Dwarven Monk with racial Weapon Training who is also a Monk can now use Martial Arts with a Battleaxe but not a Greataxe, a High Elf or Githyanki can use a Longsword, etc.

 

[Salthorae]

So for the Monk, I am not sure if it grants proficiency? This seems like it is for Racial weapon proficiencies and multiclass characters.

Yup! I like it as well.

Are there races other than Elf, Variant Half-elves, Dwarves, and Gith who start with racial weapon proficiencies?

EDIT - just remembered Hobgoblins as well.