PETA Releases Three New Dungeons & Dragons Subclasses

PETA (yes, that PETA) has released a new 5E supplement containing three new subclasses that embody the organization's stance towards animals. Today, PETA released a new free-to-use supplement containing 5E compatible subclasses for the Paladin, Ranger, and Druid. The new subclasses include the Oath of Animal Liberation Paladin, the Warden of the Wild Ranger and the Circle of Empathy Druid. Obviously, with this being PETA, the subclasses focus on the ethical treatment of animals (including not using animals as a source of food or labor), and general attempts to empathize with other living beings.

PETA has often mocked, spoofed, or criticized games that don't adhere to their ethical standards, often in grotesque and graphic ways. However, this D&D subclass supplement is actually very uplifting by comparison and generally follows 5E (2014) power scaling.

There's also two new spells, one of which opens any cages or bindings on animals, and the other of which gives a literal crimson mark to those "who hunt or otherwise harm animals."

You can check out the new subclasses over on PETA's website.

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[bedir than]

Crimson Mark feels more cantripy to me

 

[Cergorach]

The same people that wanted Games Workshop to ban all fur on their miniatures...

News Digest: Starfinder Release Details, Conan and Middle Earth Releases, PETA vs Warhammer, The Los

Hello everyone, Darryl here with this week’s gaming news! Starfinder announcements plus an update to Paizo’s organized play, The Lost Citadel coming to gaming, Modiphius’s Conan RPG released, Adventures in Middle Earth Loremaster’s Guide comes out, PETA butts heads with Games Workshop, and more...

www.enworld.org

My first reaction was: "What!?!? No fur cloaks in the PHB 2024?"... I checked, but there are!

 

[Steampunkette]

Once I learned that PETA spends a lot of their time and effort murdering people's pets I stopped giving a damn about them.

About 10% of dogs and cats remanded to public and private shelters are killed, nationwide, due to medical issues, behavioral issues, or because they age out of the system and it's horrible and I -hate- it.

PETA's shelters kill 80% of all animals that go into their shelters.

This is because they don't think animals should be pets, which is a weird position but whatever. So they euthanize most of the ones they bring in so they won't be people's pets.

If your dog gets out of the yard and someone drops it off at a PETA shelter your dog will -probably- be dead before you can get there. They'll give you the collar and then berate you as you grieve.

Please do not support PETA. They -suck-.

 

[rharding]

Subclasses feel really weak compared to official ones. There's some decent flavor on a couple of them, like "Echoes of the Wild" is good.

At 7th level, you can listen to the whispers of the wild, gaining
insight into recent activities in an area. You’ll be able to hear
the thoughts and discern the emotions of animals within 90
feet of you, learning about any threats they face, the location
of traps, or the presence of harmful magic affecting them.
This ability can help you track and neutralize dangers before
they harm wildlife.

In before people dogpile on PETA. Non-vegans always feel obliged to give advice to vegans on how to attract people to the vegan cause, to laughably limp results.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Reminds me of an EverQuest Druid I made that refused to fight animals. This angered people I grouped with. Especially if they got attacked by a random puma or lion or whatever, and I just didn't help. Nature demands balance, sorry.

 

[OptionalRule]

One PETA shelter in Virginia euthanized 2500+ animals last year.

So I'm curious to see what the "Oath of Animal LIberation" does exactly? I'm guessing they basically get sneak attack bonus on animals they've just liberated.

 

[Remathilis]

So PETA is crap, but does anyone want to see if the subs themselves are any good?

 

[Dire Bare]

Subclasses feel really weak compared to official ones. There's some decent flavor on a couple of them, like "Echoes of the Wild" is good.


In before people dogpile on PETA. Non-vegans always feel obliged to give advice to vegans on how to attract people to the vegan cause, to laughably limp results.

Who better to give advice on convincing someone who isn't (yet) vegan, than someone who isn't yet convinced to become vegan?

And so far, the "dogpile" covers PETAs own well-documented, unnecessary euthanization of animals in their shelters.

 

[Steampunkette]

So PETA is crap, but does anyone want to see if the subs themselves are any good?

Well. Let's start with the Druid.

They get bonus spells which are fine, nothing new or special.

First ability is Empathy Connection. Which is like a slightly worse version of telepathy in that you can't communicate through the bond, only feel emotions and learn what those emotions are directed at.

Good news: No range limits or targeting requirements beyond a humanoid and animal. So you could link the CEO of a Pharmaceutical Company to an animal being illegally tested on. You also don't need to see either target or be anywhere near them. It also allows the "Frightened" condition, explicitly, to transfer from the animal to the human.

So you could bond some random Chipmunk to the King and then cast "Fear" on the Chipmunk to cause the King to automatically fail his save, I guess?

At 6th level they get "Persuasive Resonance" which is to say you gain the ability to cast Mass Charm Monster on a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom bonus and it lasts for 1 hour. Also they'll explicitly take your words and actions in the most favorable way possible. If they succeed on the save they know you 'tried to influence' them.

I'd say it's a little on the OP side since it doesn't specify humanoids, animals, or another creature type but just goes for "Beings".

Enchanting Address at 10th level is an innate charm and a speech as an action. One humanoid within 30ft must make a Wis/Int/Cha save (their choice). On a failure they gain a benefit...

The benefit is advantage on all Wisdom Saves and Checks and the requirement that you must take actions to benefit and protect animals for the next 24 hours. If an animal within 300ft of you becomes the target of an attack you MUST move up to half speed as a reaction to try and take the hit for the animal.

So if a Tiger is trying to kill an Antelope and you're within 15ft of the Antelope you must leap into the Tiger's jaws, instead... cooooool. Interesting "Benefit".

And finally Nature's Mirror. Choose an area. How big? No idea. No limit in size or shape or how far away it is or whether you have to see it. But it's a forest clearing, riverbank, or meadow and make it into a "Living Tableau" that mirrors the impacts of actions.

Anyone in the area gains a deep understanding of the consequences of their actions. And thus gain a +2 to Wisdom and Intelligence skill checks (Hey, more Arcana, History, Religion, Architecture, and other knowledge skills because you... know the consequences of your actions. Big help on a math test!)

All creatures in the area also function as if under Locate Object and Locate Creature as relates to entities or objects disrupting the natural environment. Like a hidden logging camp in the Forest Clearing, Meadow, or Riverbank...