Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Barbarian and Monk

Unearthed Arcana makes an unexpected return (the last one was back in May) with a three-page PDF containing two subclasses -- Path of the Wild Soul for the barbarian, and Way of the Astral Self for the monk.

 

[Parmandur]

Whiiiich is kinda what I just said.

Good reason to agree with you, yes...?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Good reason to agree with you, yes...?

Most people don’t interpret a sentence that shows no particular sign of agreement, and begins with “it actually”, as a statement of agreement.

If that was your intent, then cool, something related to Eberron that we agree on, other than “it is a good setting with cool bits”!

The unique feel of Eberron is one of the best things about it, but also perhaps one reason for a lot of folks resistance to it. It’s hard for a lot of folks to get into soemthing they can’t grok via direct comparison, and others latch on to some comparison or other, and decide that that is what Eberron is (like the people who will not accept that it isn’t Steampunk, for instance), and then, because they don’t like Steampunk fantasy, or whatever, they refuse to take a second look at Eberron.

And then you get the people who join an Eberron game and insist on wanting to make a PHB generic dwarf or elf or halfling, complete with them having come from a standard society of that type...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It has predominantly kings and nobles,

Plenty of kings and nobles around in RW 2019. You may live in a Republic, but the rest of the world isn't the same.

Politics is much more important than what tech exists.

I would dispute that, to the degree that it is technology that determines politics (or at least how it is done), not visa versa. See: invention of printing with movable type.

There aren't tractors. Nothing like cars are commonplace.

In 1928 most farms still used horses, and automobiles where the preserve of the wealthy. It's wasn't until the 1960s that "the family car" became standard in the UK. There is actually a clear cut off: the Beaching cuts in rail in 1963 reflected the car replacing the train as the main mass-transit vehicle.

Magic powered cars and tractors could easily be constructed in Eberron. One just has to assume that, as in the 1920s, they are too expensive to be commonplace.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Plenty of kings and nobles around in RW 2019. You may live in a Republic, but the rest of the world isn't the same.



I would dispute that, to the degree that it is technology that determines politics (or at least how it is done), not visa versa. See: invention of printing with movable type.



In 1928 most farms still used horses, and automobiles where the preserve of the wealthy. It's wasn't until the 1960s that "the family car" became standard in the UK. There is actually a clear cut off: the Beaching cuts in rail in 1963 reflected the car replacing the train as the main mass-transit vehicle.

Magic powered cars and tractors could easily be constructed in Eberron. One just has to assume that, as in the 1920s, they are too expensive to be commonplace.

Cars weren’t out of reach for the middle class in America in the 20’s.

And your post addresses none of the meat of the post it responds to.

 

[Parmandur]

Most people don’t interpret a sentence that shows no particular sign of agreement, and begins with “it actually”, as a statement of agreement.

If that was your intent, then cool, something related to Eberron that we agree on, other than “it is a good setting with cool bits”!

The unique feel of Eberron is one of the best things about it, but also perhaps one reason for a lot of folks resistance to it. It’s hard for a lot of folks to get into soemthing they can’t grok via direct comparison, and others latch on to some comparison or other, and decide that that is what Eberron is (like the people who will not accept that it isn’t Steampunk, for instance), and then, because they don’t like Steampunk fantasy, or whatever, they refuse to take a second look at Eberron.

And then you get the people who join an Eberron game and insist on wanting to make a PHB generic dwarf or elf or halfling, complete with them having come from a standard society of that type...

Nothong wrong with a generic Dwarf: as Baker says, if it's in D&D it can be in Eberron.

The actually was meant to support your statement.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Cars weren’t out of reach for the middle class in America in the 20’s.

And your post addresses none of the meat of the post it responds to.

Contrary to opinion, America isn't most of the planet.

I expect there are particularly wealthy parts of Eberron where personal magical convinces are available to all.

 

[Parmandur]

Cars weren’t out of reach for the middle class in America in the 20’s.

And your post addresses none of the meat of the post it responds to.

You are both making good points, but the point of comparison isn't the USA in the 1920's, it's Italy, (a Monarchy tending towards Fascism) or Belgium (a Monarchy) which didn't have the same industrial development.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Parmandur]

Wait? Eberron is Beligum?

I was going to get the book, but now I won't.

There are only two things I hate in this world; intolerance toward other people, and Belgians.

Socially more like 1920's Belgium than 1920-'s New York.

 

[Gradine]

It's actually funny that Eberron is often referred to as existing in a space similar to that between WWI and WWII, when conceptually and politically, Eberron (and Khorvaire in particular) is actually existing a space that most closely resembles post-WWII. A WMD just leveled an entire kingdom, active hostilities have ceased out of fear of this new threat, but a cold war simmers in the shadows between rival nations. At the same time, these global politics seem to be taking a back seat to global economic interests, a trend which seems in no way to be slowing down.

Which, again, gives credence to the idea that Eberron takes a lot of concepts from a lot of different eras that aren't often explored by other D&D settings.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

You are both making good points, but the point of comparison isn't the USA in the 1920's, it's Italy, (a Monarchy tending towards Fascism) or Belgium (a Monarchy) which didn't have the same industrial development.

There isn't a point of comparison, is my point. It isn't a psuedo-XYZ setting, it's a setting with elements pulled from various fictional ideals of different points in history, and the fantasy tropes of dnd.

Socially more like 1920's Belgium than 1920-'s New York.

Socially, it's not much like either, but Sharn in particular is more like London than either.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Nothong wrong with a generic Dwarf: as Baker says, if it's in D&D it can be in Eberron.

The actually was meant to support your statement.

Actually is one of those words that changes on a 180 degree scale based on inflection. Fair enough.

As for the generic dwarf, sure, you can play one in Eberron, but the DM doesn't have to accomodate a society of classic dwarves for you. There are going to be differenced based on how different the history of the people is, and how different the world is.

Elves especially, tbh. I have a player who wanted to play a classic wood elf druid with no hangups whatsoever about losing people/death, and I had to put my foot down (rare for me in this kind of stuff), and say, "No, if you are playing an elf in Eberron, your people have some degree of of cultural preocupation with dealing with the loss of valuable members of the group. It may be "healthier" from an IRL perspective than the Aerenal elves, but an elf culture in Eberron isn't going to just go 'well, death is part of life. So be it.', Also, if your society is closed to non elves but is in Khorvaire, folk are going to view your people as xenophobic weirdos. Ethnostates are by far not the norm."
And maybe some of that isn't necessarily canon, but it is part of the feel of Eberron. An enclave of super-phb standard wood elves in the middle of The Eldeen is just going to be weird as hell.
So, we settled on an enclave of mostly elves and half-elves, with friendly ties to the Greensingers and some to the Eladrin of the Fey Spire, who impart the memories of their dead into the consciousness of semi-awakened trees in their groves. They can thus seek guidance and knowledge from their ancestors, without unnaturally extending life or binding spirits to younger generations, or stifling growth by never letting younger generations take their turn at running the show.

The dwarf was easier, because the player wasn't resistant to tying the history of their people to the dwarves of the Mror Holds. They were kicked out long ago for reasons unknown, and have ties to a group of dwarven "heroes" who sometimes manifested draconic powers, and eventually wound up in southern Xendrik.

Contrary to opinion, America isn't most of the planet.

I expect there are particularly wealthy parts of Eberron where personal magical convinces are available to all.

You could certainly decide that as a DM, but it isn't written into the setting at all.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Sorry if someone has already posted this, but at The Astral Arms aren’t expressly melee weapon attacks, this means it doesn’t work with Stunning Strike. Can you Flurry with them?, Dan Dillon says the arms are melee weapons, but that means that no flurry with them.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They aren't ranged weapons, they aren't unarmed strikes and they aren't spell attacks, so melee weapons is all that they can be. The wording needs tidying up, but the intent is clear.

 

[Seramus]

Necro. The Astral Arms are monk weapons, but how much damage do they actually do?

 

[Olrox17]

Necro. The Astral Arms are monk weapons, but how much damage do they actually do?

Dude, I thought a new UA was out. Imagine my disappointment.

 

[jgsugden]

It is implied that they use the same damage as your unarmed strike - your martials arts die size.

 

[Seramus]

It is implied that they use the same damage as your unarmed strike - your martials arts die size.

So if an Astral Self monk wears armor, she would still use her martial arts die as the damage for her arms?

 

[jgsugden]

So if an Astral Self monk wears armor, she would still use her martial arts die as the damage for her arms?

As you generally lose monk abilities, including specifically martial ars dice, I would not allow you to use the martial arts dice in armor. Instead, I'd likely make them deal improvised weapon damage.

 

[Seramus]

As you generally lose monk abilities, including specifically martial ars dice

Interestingly, you don't lose your martial arts value when you wear armor, just the ability to substitute the value over the damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. That's how I ran into the question of how much the arms actually do by themselves.