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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[doctorbadwolf]

For which? Sorry didn't follow this response.

The wood elf example.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Sure, I guess. He's often portrayed as more of a dumb brute, but he really is a smart guy, just smart in an "I'm from a highly advanced culture so my education was far more advanced than yours and I've been around for 1500 years, so I know stuff" than "I'm inherently smart like Iron Man or Banner and I can just Invent things." In that way Fighter (EK) fits. Just gotta use Magic Initiate to pick up your other thunder/lightning-related spells since you only start with 2 cantrips.

Would you make him Aasimar or V. Human?

The only thing leaning me towards Sorcerer still would be getting access to Chain Lightning. Somehow getting Call Lighting might be able to flavor the difference.

The neat thing about EK is, you can freely dump Intelligence if you don't pick any spells with attack rolls, or forcing saving throws.

But I suppose that's all of the ones that do lightning or thunder damage besides booming blade and elemental weapon.

Yeah you're probably right

 

[Parmandur]

Thrown weapon specialization is fringe? Lol since when?

As the main weapon type for a Fighter? Thrown weapons in my experience are more for Rogues looking to get some sneak attack.

 

[Yaarel]

That doesn't apply to Cantrips though as it's under the section "Spells of 1st level or higher".

Actually, swapping a spell while leveling probably does already apply to cantrips. The cantrip is a spell whose level is zero. So, for example, a Sorcerer can already replace a level-0 spell with an other level-0 spell from the Sorcerer spell list. According to the rules as written in the Players Handbook. There are indeed ‘slots’ for level-0 spells.

Only the Wizard is in the strange situation of being unable to swap a cantrip, thus needs the Cantrip Versatility to do what the other spellcasters can already do.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

As the main weapon type for a Fighter? Thrown weapons in my experience are more for Rogues looking to get some sneak attack.

Um...okay you’re getting more in the weeds than I care to. “Guy who throws weapons” isn’t fringe, is my point.

 

[Salthorae]

The wood elf example.

Oh - I don't know about overpowered, but I think giving someone TWO different movement modes is a bit much. I think splitting it up would be more level loaded in terms of balance of power.

The neat thing about EK is, you can freely dump Intelligence if you don't pick any spells with attack rolls, or forcing saving throws.

But I suppose that's all of the ones that do lightning or thunder damage besides booming blade and elemental weapon.

Yeah you're probably right

Yeah, those darn spell attack and DC modifiers get me every time with my EK's!

Actually, swapping a spell while leveling probably does already apply to cantrips. The cantrip is a spell whose level is zero. So, for example, a Sorcerer can already replace a level-0 spell with an other level-0 spell from the Sorcerer spell list. According to the rules as written in the Players Handbook. There are indeed ‘slots’ for level-0 spells.

Only the Wizard is in the strange situation of being unable to swap a cantrip, thus needs the Cantrip Versatility to do what the other spellcasters can already do.

Actually actually no it's not. You cannot RAW in the PHB replace a "level-0" spell because look at the header for the section that swapping spells on level up is under.

And no, you don't have "level-0 slots", RAW. If you play that way, great, but it's not RAW.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the sorcerer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Sorcerer table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the sorcerer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the sorcerer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

 

[Parmandur]

Um...okay you’re getting more in the weeds than I care to. “Guy who throws weapons” isn’t fringe, is my point.

Thrown weapons as a part of an arsenal, no. A guy who focuses exclusively on thrown weapons to the exclusion of bows or melee weapons? Slightly more fringe concept.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Thrown weapons as a part of an arsenal, no. A guy who focuses exclusively on thrown weapons to the exclusion of bows or melee weapons? Slightly more fringe concept.

Not really. It’s pretty classic and well represented in fiction. That guy isn’t ever gonna switch to a bow, also, they are either throwing or hitting in Melee.

But also who said anything about “to the exclusion” of anything? Specialization =\= never does anything else.

 

[bedir than]

Javelin throwing Barbarian or Ranger or Rogue:Scout (RIP Fighter:Scout) would be tons of fun!

 

[Parmandur]

Not really. It’s pretty classic and well represented in fiction. That guy isn’t ever gonna switch to a bow, also, they are either throwing or hitting in Melee.

But also who said anything about “to the exclusion” of anything? Specialization =\= never does anything else.

As I said, it is a valid concept. But it makes sense that it wasn't necessarily something they though of in the PHB. These alternate features actually a good illustration of what Crawford said at the start of this round of UA tests, about working on more quirky concepts that weren't covered by the core concepts in the PHB or XGtE.