Unearthed Arcana New Unearthed Arcana: Rune Knight, Swarmkeeper, The Revived

Another new Unearthed Arcana! "In today’s Unearthed Arcana, three classes each receive a playtest option. The fighter gets a Martial Archetype option: the Rune Knight. The ranger gains a Ranger Archetype option: the Swarmkeeper. And the rogue acquires a Roguish Archetype option: the Revived."

 

[Sacrosanct]

The out of combat utility is great!

Gotta say I think this class is way overpowered even for UA. The Fire Rune (Ild) would be an absolute Mage and Rogue killer, with it's 1 Min Restraint, auto 2d6 damage and Str saving throw.

Which I suppose reiterates the old lesson from the 70s: mages should do everything to make sure they are never in range of the fighter

 

[darjr]

Just chiming in to say I LOVE the speculation.
Sorry, but I do. Thank you folks.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Wow.

Kind of like the heroic paladin, the rune knight feels pretty mythic. The rune things makes me think dwarves, and the giant part, goliaths, but if I was going to play one, it would probably be a dragonborn who is convinced he is growing into a "real dragon." Oh yeah, fire shackles are a nice image.

I predict this thread will degenerate into 30 pages of complaints about (and defenses of) the beast master because of the swarm keeper. I don't suppose I could appeal to anyone's good nature to skip it this time.

So that is what become of the revenant race from the Old Black Magic UA of many years ago. Nice use of sneak attack.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

They all look interesting, though I think the 3rd level rogue ability of never needing to eat, drink or breathe needs to be scaled back, especially since this Rogue is not an actual undead. The "no need for sleep, but still needing four hours of downtime each day" feels really forced too.

 

[Parmandur]

They all look interesting, though I think the 3rd level rogue ability of never needing to eat, drink or breathe needs to be scaled back, especially since this Rogue is not an actual undead. The "no need for sleep, but still needing four hours of downtime each day" feels really forced too.

I see no issue with that, some Races already do as much, it's a ribbon.

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

Now I'm picturing a scenario where the party is doing some investigative work and gets stuck. Clearly the only way forward is to nearly kill the rogue...

 

[pukunui]

OK I reckon they saved the best for last this time. These are all amazing. They all look really fun to play.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I like the Rune Knight, it's a reiteration of the concepts from that example Prestige Class they tried, when they wanted to see if any wanted Prestige classes or not. It's something I feel is on par with the Battlemaster in terms of what I want from a Fighter subclass.

I like the Swarmkeeper idea, but they've perhaps got too much into the Insect Swarm idea when they tried to flavour it as being more permissive in the types of swarms they get. Good use of having the option to use spell slots for the "once per long rest" abilities.

The Revived in terms of Planescape since many are going to speculate about Planescape, seems like a Rogue that would be a member of either the Believers of the Source (Godsmen) who believe in reincarnation on a path to ascension or the Dustmen who believe everyone is dead and the Multiverse is an afterlife. I like that they can shoot bolts of necrotic energy as a sneak attack, and can learn all sorts of things from death, even if they hurt themselves to do it.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I see no issue with that, some Races already do as much, it's a ribbon.

That is a race and they are born that way. This is a class feature that may not activate for a character til he is 15 or 20 or 300 years old and that makes no sense. It would be better if at 3rd level a partial reduction is activated, and at future levels the reduction gets better, until the current 3rd level ability is realized.

 

[Quartz]

I'm not digging the Revived. It seems more appropriate as a race than a rogue subclass.