D&D (2024) New Unearthed Arcana Playtest Includes Barbarian, Druid, and Monk

The latest Unearthed Arcana playtest packet is now live with new barbarian, druid, and monk versions, as well as new spells and weapons, and a revised Ability Score Improvement feat.

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WHATS INSIDE

Here are the new and revised elements in this article:

Classes. Three classes are here: Barbarian, Druid, and Monk. Each one includes one subclass: Path of the World Tree (Barbarian), Circle of the Moon (Druid), and Warrior of the Hand (Monk).

Spells. New and revised spells are included.

The following sections were introduced in a previous article and are provided here for reference:

Weapons. Weapon revisions are included.

Feats. This includes a revised version of Ability Score Improvement.

Rules Glossary. The rules glossary includes the few rules that have revised definitions in the playtest. In this document, any underlined term in the body text appears in the glossary.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Also, a lot of two-handed swords were significantly lighter than 5 pounds.

Yeah I know, I was going for the worst case scenario just in case it was suggested was being lenient!

 

[Mistwell]

I did not see his analyses of the druid, but as much as I respect his opinion, this is wrong:



I'd also wait until we see some of tge nww beasts. Probably we see the owlbear as a beast in the PHB.
But yeah, lets hope this won't me the only option.

He is not referring to skill and saving throw proficiency. He is referring to your general proficiency bonus, which is a factor in the OTHER GUYS saving throw as it sets the DC.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

He is not referring to skill and saving throw proficiency. He is referring to your general proficiency bonus, which is a factor in the OTHER GUYS saving throw as it sets the DC.

Yep. The playtest says...

"You also retain your skill and saving throw proficiencies and use your Proficiency Bonus for them"

It specifically goes out of its way to restrict what your Proficiency Bonus applies to, which is just wild.

 

[Clint_L]

Yeah, it's a dumpster fire. And that was the gist of my feedback to them.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

He is not referring to skill and saving throw proficiency. He is referring to your general proficiency bonus, which is a factor in the OTHER GUYS saving throw as it sets the DC.

Ok. Then I understood it wrong. Did I not answer to a post were it was said that your con save to keep up your concw tration spell goes down because of the +2 proficiency bonus? Which explicitely is not the case?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yeah, it's a dumpster fire. And that was the gist of my feedback to them.

The old one was a dumpster fire too. This one can still be remedied.
ALSO the old one gives only the animal stats too. And at low to mid level those extra hp are annoying. And later the elemental stats are also unbalanced.

I know you disagree, because your sense for balance seems different than mine.

Kepping the old wildshape would really piss me off. So I rated everything that is not the old one as very satisfied.

 

[James Gasik]

Ok. Then I understood it wrong. Did I not answer to a post were it was said that your con save to keep up your concw tration spell goes down because of the +2 proficiency bonus? Which explicitely is not the case?

A concentration spell was mentioned, yes. I don't know what concentration spell a Druid would have going that requires a saving throw (I haven't played a Druid in 5e). So you are correct in that maintaining concentration probably isn't an issue.

The point that save DC's themselves get worse is still a little problematic, though I'm kind of against them being able to cast spells in wild shape and I'm shocked more people aren't more concerned about this- sure, the spells they can cast are curated, but I'm pretty sure 3.5 Druids being able to cast spells in Wild Shape was universally considered a very bad thing.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

A concentration spell was mentioned, yes. I don't know what concentration spell a Druid would have going that requires a saving throw (I haven't played a Druid in 5e). So you are correct in that maintaining concentration probably isn't an issue.

The point that save DC's themselves get worse is still a little problematic, though I'm kind of against them being able to cast spells in wild shape and I'm shocked more people aren't more concerned about this- sure, the spells they can cast are curated, but I'm pretty sure 3.5 Druids being able to cast spells in Wild Shape was universally considered a very bad thing.

But this is a curated list of spells. So I have no issue here.

 

[Mistwell]

Ok. Then I understood it wrong. Did I not answer to a post were it was said that your con save to keep up your concw tration spell goes down because of the +2 proficiency bonus? Which explicitely is not the case?

No I was referring to the save DC of your own spells, which you cast either before you wildeshaped (and I think there are now some you can cast while wildshaped?)

 

[UngeheuerLich]

No I was referring to the save DC of your own spells, which you cast either before you wildeshaped (and I think there are now some you can cast while wildshaped?)

Ah ok. I thought he meant the concentrations saving throw. Yes. That is indeed a problem.
You should just retain your prof bonus and use your own save dc and spell attack modifier for attacks.