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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[NotAYakk]

I think they aren't ambitious enough with this Artificer.

They should be a prepared-gadget, short-rest recharge caster.

In a long rest you can build an Invention. Inventions have spells they can cast and other effects. You have a limited number of Inventions.

Over a short rest you can recharge your Invention, giving them new charges.

So a Cannon would be a Invention. It can be used as a weapon (stats). You can set it up as a Turrent (stats). You can also use an action to get it to cast (list of spells), but you need to recharge it after it casts a spell.

The Artificer would have a list of known Inventions, and a number they can keep running at a time.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Looking over Warlock stuff, and I have to ask... is Investment of the Chain Master even close to worth it?

It can only be taken by Chainlocks, so it is most likely to apply to the special familiars: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite.

The Invocation has 4 effects.

It can gain a flying or swimming speed equal to 40ft -> Imps and Sprites already have 40 ft fly, Psuedodragons have 60. So, it either applies rarely when swimming matters or it applies to Quasit's that do not have a flying speed.

The familiar no longer needs to breathe -> Super rare to come up, might end up allowing them to avoid specific poisons while scouting? Poison which the Imp and Quasit are immune to. I suppose it works for holding your breath underwater, if you end up needing an extended scouting mission underwater instead of using your flight.

The Familiars weapon attacks are considered magical ->This is a straight boost by allowing your familiars to ignore the resistance of higher level enemies (or fiends)... of course, all but one are doing a measly 1d4+2/3, with a poison rider sure, but this doesn't overcome the poison resistance or immunity that most things with resistance to nonmagical damage have. (Sprites by the way get really shafted, only dealing 1 point of damage period, so this doesn't help them at all)

Your Familiar uses your DC for their Saves -> This is big, every creature on the list can inflict the poison condition on a failed save, so this is a buff. If they aren't immune of course. And, interestingly, the Psuedodragon comes out on top. They knock unconscious if the target fails by 5 or more. The Sprite gets a bit shafted, since they only knock unconscious on a result of 5 or lower, they might possibly make it up with increasing Heart Sight but... eh.

So, if you are in Imp user... this is nice for going underwater or poisoning.

Quasits can fly, go underwater and poison better

Pseudodragon go under water and poison..

Sprite... you get the idea.

So... is this really worth an invocation?

Edit: Especially since you can likely have the Imp or Sprite be invisible and just provide the help action instead of attacking for minimal damage, attempt to poison, and be visible to the enemy

 

[Leatherhead]

It occurs to me that the Rogue should have a weapon swap feature like the Monk gets. Scimitars and Whips would be fun for Rogues to have.

 

[Chaosmancer]

It occurs to me that the Rogue should have a weapon swap feature like the Monk gets. Scimitars and Whips would be fun for Rogues to have.

Oh yeah, I let a Rogue use a whip before (dagger on a rope technically, she wanted to be like a character from Ark the Lad) it wasn't too bad

 

[Salthorae]

I let a Rogue use a whip before

I was about to reply that my rogue uses a whip before I remembered that she's actually a fighter... shrug.

There's always Weapon Master?

 

[SkidAce]

Looking over Warlock stuff, and I have to ask... is Investment of the Chain Master even close to worth it?

It can only be taken by Chainlocks, so it is most likely to apply to the special familiars: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite.

The Invocation has 4 effects. ....

.... So... is this really worth an invocation?

Edit: Especially since you can likely have the Imp or Sprite be invisible and just provide the help action instead of attacking for minimal damage, attempt to poison, and be visible to the enemy

I feel i was intended to buff the other familiars, so they would be chosen more often.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I feel i was intended to buff the other familiars, so they would be chosen more often.

I'd say it was a failure in that respect. 95% of the other familars don't do saves and nothing you get is better than invisibility

 

[Salthorae]

I'd say it was a failure in that respect. 95% of the other familars don't do saves and nothing you get is better than invisibility

I guess? Sure from a pure optimization standpoint, yes nothing is better than invisibility. That doesn't mean that this Invocation doesn't bring significant boosts to normal familiars.

Purely from an RP perspective, can you imagine the horror of a Great Old One (or the Lurker in the Deep UA) Pact of the Chain calling for their familiar from the ether and suddenly an Octopus appears next to an enemy flying through the air and grapples someone with your Save DC?

Speaking of horrors from an RP perspective, I have two words for you.

Flying. Freaking. Spiders. (yes I know, more than two, they're that terrifying).

... plus spiders & snakes get your DC to their poison damage.

There is tons of flavor to be had with the normal familiars and this invocation that isn't available to any other class in any way on top of the normal benefits of your suped-up familiar options. A swimming Owl or flying Cat.

And you can change your familiar every 10 minutes if you want to get back an invisible whatever option.

 

[Stalker0]

I know that Treatmonk is going gaga for the Blind Fighting fighting style....but I don't see what the fuss is about.

Is it a solid ability in several areas? Absolutely. Is it as good as a +2 dmg or +1 AC all the time? I would say yes...but I certainly wouldn't consider it OP, as its going to be a lot more limited.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I guess? Sure from a pure optimization standpoint, yes nothing is better than invisibility. That doesn't mean that this Invocation doesn't bring significant boosts to normal familiars.

Purely from an RP perspective, can you imagine the horror of a Great Old One (or the Lurker in the Deep UA) Pact of the Chain calling for their familiar from the ether and suddenly an Octopus appears next to an enemy flying through the air and grapples someone with your Save DC?

Speaking of horrors from an RP perspective, I have two words for you.

Flying. Freaking. Spiders. (yes I know, more than two, they're that terrifying).

... plus spiders & snakes get your DC to their poison damage.

There is tons of flavor to be had with the normal familiars and this invocation that isn't available to any other class in any way on top of the normal benefits of your suped-up familiar options. A swimming Owl or flying Cat.

And you can change your familiar every 10 minutes if you want to get back an invisible whatever option.

Fair for rp, but Imps can turn into spiders.

Flying. Freaking. Invisible. Spiders.

But yeah, I get and love the flavor, In just think it could stand to get a little juice to make it more obviously an improvement. Pact of the Chain doesn't get almost any good invocations, and it would be nice to make your familiar more of a threat by mid-levels.