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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[TheCosmicKid]

A little late to the party perhaps, but wanted to point out that the barbarian would not be threatening any attacks of opportunity until their next turn as they have already spent their reaction on the 15ft of movement.

Still somewhat useful, but not very threatening with no more reaction.

Well, to be fair, the triggering character has also ended their movement, so they're not gonna be provoking anyway...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I hate Thrown Weapon Fighting. Allowing thrown weapons to work with Extra Attack is simply how the game should already work.

It does-ish. You can have a throwing weapon in each hand at the start of your turn, and draw another as part of your move, so you can potentially throw up to three (four if you have the Dual Wielder feat).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Knife-thrower?

Maybe It's the fault of circuses and vaudeville, but seems pretty classic, to me. Certainly 1000x more familiar in the mainstream than Vancian.

It's also a Western trope.

There is this classic episode of Red Dwarf....

 

[Aaron L]

I like this. Very very much!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A little late to the party perhaps, but wanted to point out that the barbarian would not be threatening any attacks of opportunity until their next turn as they have already spent their reaction on the 15ft of movement.

Still somewhat useful, but not very threatening with no more reaction.

The main thing would be to impose disadvantage if they tried to use a ranged attack. It's not hugely useful, but in some games the extra 10' move isn't hugely useful either.

 

[Fallen Rain]

I'll second the comments of those suggesting Spell Versatility is a poor design decision. It boosts the spellcasting versatility of classes that have no need of additional versatility (they have adequate class features outside of spellcasting) and undermines the key design role of the wizard - which is to be the absolute best generalist spellcaster in the game. (Although, since everyone has been hating on wizards since the ridiculousness of 3.5E, the fact they're being power-creeped and role-creeped by every other spellcasting class at every opportunity no longer surprises me).

Along with expanded spell lists, Spell Versatility is just bad. I suspect it's only been published to allow AL PCs who make a bad spell choice to swap it out "legitimately". Otherwise, when any caster with limited spell choice makes a bad spell choice in a home campaign, tell me that the DM doesn't just let them change the spell anyway?

OTOH, Cantrip Versatility (allowing swapping out cantrips on gaining a level) for every spellcasting class is a no-brainer, and is something I've had as a house-rule IMC for years.

Do paladins really need spirit guardians, perhaps the most OP 3rd level cleric spell in the game?

Do all rogues really need to be expert snipers? Cunning Action is a very strong feature already - it really doesn't need to be "enhanced". Cunning Action: Aim makes every rogue the best marksman in the game. What it enables rogues to do is to utilise their sneak attack without risk to themselves or anyone else. (Did someone forget to tell WoTC that ranged combat is far lower risk than melee combat, so anything that makes ranged combat more effective is inherently unbalancing? Just like the GWM feat is far less of a problem than Sharpshooter.)

More generally, while there's a lot of worthwhile stuff here in the replacement class features, to the extent that the class features are enhancements, they are in less charitable terms "power creeps", and should be judged as such. If that's to correct an underpowered class feature, cool. If not, what is its function, if not to keep the uncritical masses happy (like we're all teenagers playing a computer game)?

A solid C- grade.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

Fair enough.Sorcerer have really strong Metamagic, they steal too many things from the wizard.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

This is how I see Spell Versatility.

	Classes that can change all their prepared/known spells after a long rest	Classes that can change 1 prepared/known spell after a long rest
Classes with access to their entire spell list	Cleric, Druid, Paladin	Bard, Ranger, Sorcerer
Classes with access to a subset of spells from their spell list	Wizard	Warlock*

* Since Pact Magic only covers 1st to 5th level spells.

Sure, I get that. But there's no design justification for the second column in that table.

Bards are already a very solid class and get the Magical Secrets class feature anyway.

Ranger - What? Why do they suddenly get this bennie? Seriously, first UA wildly overcompensates for the poorly designed PHB ranger with stupid gimmicks like "you can never be lost, like ever" and "you know how many bad guys are within 5 miles of you, cos, you know, that's cool". And now, what, they're super flexible spellcasters, too? Not really sure what they're smoking in the old WoTC design team...

Sorcerer - A solid class that doesn't need extra spellcasting bennies, and Spell Versatility goes against the whole design ethos of the sorcerer anyway.

Warlock - If anything, Spell Versatility should be an Eldritch Invocation available to Tome Pact warlocks only, and allow them to write warlock spells into their Book of Shadows. They now "prepare" spells like a wizard, preparing a number of spells per day from their Book of Shadows equal to the number of warlock spells known for their level. Or something like that.

Seriously, Spell Versatility is just dumb. Sure, give a variation of it to Tome Pact warlocks as an Invocation, but giving it to bards, sorcerers and rangers (again, WTF guys?) is completely unnecessary and just another kick in the crotch to the wizard.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[FireLance]

Seriously, Spell Versatility is just dumb. Sure, give a variation of it to Tome Pact warlocks as an Invocation, but giving it to bards, sorcerers and rangers (again, WTF guys?) is completely unnecessary and just another kick in the crotch to the wizard.

Why just wizards? Wouldn't it also represent a similar encroachment for clerics, druids and paladins?

For that matter, why aren't clerics, druids and paladins, who can change out all their prepared spells after each long rest AND have access to every spell on their spell list equally a kick in the crotch to wizards?

The only reason I can think of is to believe that the initial 5e distribution of class abilities represents some Platonic ideal of class balance, and I do not.

Honestly, this reminds me of a quote from David Eddings's Seeress of Kell.

"Garion was startled, even a little awed by the single-mindedness of the Spirit of the Child of Dark. The thing was as implacable and as unchangeable as adamantine rock. He perceived that it did not change because it could not. He began to grope his way toward something which seemed significant. Light could change. Every day was testimony to that. Dark could not. Then it was at last that he understood the true meaning of the eternal division which had rent the universe apart. The Dark sought immobile stasis; the Light sought progression. The Dark crouched in a perceived perfection; the Light, however, moved on, informed by the concept of perfectability."

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

What do you think about the suggestion of can spend spells to reload single-use magic item as tattoos, talismans or runes? And these only could be crafted by the players with special tool and places. This allow sorcerer or warlock to wear a tattoo with a feather fall spell to be used in an emergency.

 

[fobia]

just another kick in the crotch to the wizard.

Seriously? The poor wizard?
Sorry, but this seems more of a personal problem than an actual balance issue.