Unearthed Arcana Playtest Packet 7 Live on D&D Beyond

Wizards of the Coast posted the seventh playtest packet for the 2024 update to Dungeons & Dragons. The new playtest packet includes updated class material for the Barbarian, Fighter, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard classes.

Highlights for each class:

Barbarian

• New Path of the World Tree subclass and updated Berserker, Wild Heart (formerly Totem Warrior), and Zealot subclasses.
• Attack recklessly for a full round rather than just one turn.
• Path of the Wild Heart (formerly Path of the Totem Warrior) has updated options.
• Brutal Critical gets damage buffs.

Fighter

• New Brawler subclass excels at using improvised weapons and unarmed strikes.
• Tactical Mind and Tactical Shift expand the use of Second Wind.
• Studied Attacks grants advantage on an attack roll against an enemy after you've missed an attack against them.
• Battle Master and its maneuvers have been updated.

Sorcerer

• Innate Sorcery empowers your spellcasting for a limited time.
• Sorcery Incarnate and Arcane Apotheosis boost your Metamagic while Innate Sorcery is active.
• Sorcerous Restoration is available at 5th level and scales with your sorcerer level.
• Wild Magic Sorcery now more reliably allows you to roll on the Wild Magic Surge table.

Warlock

• Pact Magic is back.
• Eldritch Invocations are now available at 1st level and your options have been revised.
• Pact Boons are now invocations, and Mystic Arcanum is once again a class feature.
• Patron Spells are always prepared.
• Updated Archfey Patron, Celestial Patron, Fiend Patron, Great Old One Patron subclasses.

Wizard

• Spellcasting feature now allows you to swap out a cantrip each long rest.
• Memorize Spell is now a feature. Modify Spell and Create spell have been nixed.
• Updated Abjurer, Diviner, Evoker, and Illusionist subclasses.

Universal changes include a return to class spell lists, more features from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and update to some of the spells including arcane eruption, sorcerous burst, counterspell, and jump.

The official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube account also posted an almost 90-minute-long video doing a deep dive on the playtest packet.

 

[darjr]

It's 54 pages. The "What's inside" section.

WHAT’S INSIDE
Here are the new and revised elements in this article:
Classes.
Five classes are here: Barbarian, Fighter, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard. Each of those classes includes multiple subclasses, two of which are entirely new: the Path of the World Tree in the Barbarian and the Brawler in the Fighter.
Spells.
Revised spells are included.
Weapons.
Weapon revisions are included.

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

Unearthed Arcana Playtest

Unearthed Arcana Playtest Materials Get Unearthed Arcana playtest content, try it out in your game, and provide feedback! Check back regularly for ...

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[Parmandur]

Making the "Pact of..." features into Invocations makes a lot of sense, instead of a Subclass like choice.

 

[Weiley31]

I like that Rage can be extended with a Bonus Action.

 

[Weiley31]

Also, as a Battle Master player, I am pleased so far with what I see. ESPECIALLY with Relentless.

 

[Incenjucar]

Hiding still makes you physically transparent. sigh

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Is this is the general commentary thread because I must say, I thought this was going to be "small tweaks" according to WotC, but the improvements I'm seeing to Fighters seem to significantly more major that Fighters have even seen in any UA before.

I mean we've Tactical Mind, an actual utility ability, yeah it's extremely weak, it's the equivalent of Advantage, roughly, though you could use it after Advantage, I guess. Also hilariously I guess you get to move without OAs even if you use it out of combat lol? Battle Master is much improved (on an already solid slate), and gets an actual no-roll utility ability - Know Your Enemy - mostly in-combat but still, you could use it out - you could even do scouting with it and come back after a short rest with all your dice back. Student of War gives an actual skill as well as no-doubt still-useless tool proficiency.

Brawler isn't quite there yet but sounds promising, and importantly, WotC have a sidebar that amounts to "Unarmed attacks will be forced to totally suck if you're not a Monk", which is broadly applicable and could be very cool, and perhaps obviate the need for a martial artist class that isn't Monk (still need to throw Monks overboard though, easily 5E's worst conceptualized and least-developed class). It's a little sad though - you can see someone is basically struggling with Crawford to overcome Crawford bizarre but ultra-consistent deep hatred of unarmed attacks from non-Monks (including natural weapons on PC), but you have pathetic loserly design like "Oh you get a free unarmed attack but you're not allowed to use it to punch someone, that would be cool and mechanically effective so obviously inappropriate on a martial!".

We do get a bit of needless idiocy still, like with EKs, they can have two bonded weapons, cool, but need 2 bonus actions to summon them. That shouldn't even be a rule. It's a waste of ink. All it does is the make the subclass very slightly worse, and make the game needlessly more complicated for absolutely no gain whatsoever. That is straight-up bad design. It's not even consistent design.

I see predictions re: BG3 stuff being in (whichever way around it was, hardly matters) are indeed correct. Speak with Animals is a Ritual spell, for example, and Wildheart Barbarians replace Totem.

Warlock is now a mandatory 1-level dip for any high CHA character who melees and whose DM allows multiclassing good god. Also 3 attacks at level 11 woo.

Oh look they made Wizard an even bigger problem out of combat by giving them Scholar and Memorize Spell. I kind of like Memorize Spell and feel like it's on-brand for Wizards, but it should be like, 1/short rest or something, because A) that would mildly incentivize short rests, something Wizards generally oppose and B) this current design means you can effectively cast ANY spell in spellbook out of combat, which is most obnoxious place to be able to do that, so you can now absolutely OWN the entire party because ALWAYS have ALL your really dumb no-roll utility spells available.

Ugh Counterspell why is this trash still in the game?!?!?

Short Rest is inexplicably still an hour. For god's sake make it 10-15 minutes and limit it to 3 per Long Rest.

 

[Stalker0]

I mean we've Tactical Mind, an actual utility ability, yeah it's extremely weak, it's the equivalent of Advantage, roughly, though you could use it after Advantage, I guess.

Remember the ability is only applied when you fail a check, so you can only use it when you need it. I think you are seriously underestimating the utility. Use this in combo with the battle master's commanding Prescence maneuver, and suddenly you have a fighter so smooth talking that even the bard has to show respect (Persuasion +1d8 +1d10, an average +10 to a check!)

The brawler's main problem is the same as the monk, the game assumes that having weapon equivalency without weapons is somehow a "benefit"....but in 99% of circumstances its not (and technically you can't get d8 damage without giving up a shield....which is terrible). The abilities look fun, but at the end of the day a 3rd level brawler doesn't get anything that a fighter with a few weapons doesn't have the vast majority of the time. Its not until 7th that things start getting interesting.

 

[darjr]

I think know your enemy would be better if it gave you an immediate attack action

 

[Parmandur]

Remember the ability is only applied when you fail a check, so you can only use it when you need it. I think you are seriously underestimating the utility. Use this in combo with the battle master's commanding Prescence maneuver, and suddenly you have a fighter so smooth talking that even the bard has to show respect (Persuasion +1d8 +1d10, an average +10 to a check!)

And not every party is going to have a Bard, so the possibility of a Fighter build being the face doesn't necessarily take away from a Bard being usually the easy no resource charm-master (high Charisma, expertise in Pwrsuasian, etc).

Most Fighters will probably use this as an invitation to get creative with Athletics and Acrobatic checks, like a swashbuckling pulp action hero.

The brawler's main problem is the same as the monk, the game assumes that having weapon equivalency without weapons is somehow a "benefit"....but in 99% of circumstances its not (and technically you can't get d8 damage without giving up a shield....which is terrible). The abilities look fun, but at the end of the day a 3rd level brawler doesn't get anything that a fighter with a few weapons doesn't have the vast majority of the time. Its not until 7th that things start getting interesting.

Being unable to be disarmed or surprised is very potent. I think this Subclass will keep up in damage (the primary measure that matters) while really bringing flavor to the game.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I think you are seriously underestimating the utility.

I'm literally not.

I can do maths.

So I know exactly how powerful it is, sorry.

Use this in combo with the battle master's commanding Prescence maneuver, and suddenly you have a fighter so smooth talking that even the bard has to show respect (Persuasion +1d8 +1d10, an average +10 to a check!)

So by blowing a bunch of resources, you can get a bonus to one roll that you probably aren't proficient in, AND likely don't have a good stat for? Amazing lol.

That is an uncompelling example. If you were say, level 5, the Bard probably has +4 CHA and Expertise in Persuasion, so +6 PB, so his BASE bonus is +10, and you had to blow two resource-using abilities to even equal his base bonus? You're proving my point completely! The math does not at all support your content that it's "seriously" good ability. The Bard absolutely does NOT need to respect that in the least. It would bizarre to "respect" burning stuff to merely equal his position for one roll. Even if he doesn't have Expertise, he has +7, which is very close.

It's a very mediocre ability, but it's certainly better than nothing - let's be clear on that!

You're better off using it on something you're good at but barely fail the roll for, I'd suggest. That's what it's nice for. Unfortunately Fighters remain good at "not much".

The brawler's main problem is the same as the monk, the game assumes that having weapon equivalency without weapons is somehow a "benefit"....but in 99% of circumstances its not (and technically you can't get d8 damage without giving up a shield....which is terrible). The abilities look fun, but at the end of the day a 3rd level brawler doesn't get anything that a fighter with a few weapons doesn't have the vast majority of the time. Its not until 7th that things start getting interesting.

Exactly.

Crawford just has some kind of mental problem here (like a block or blind spot or an irrational hatred). He absolutely cannot process this very simple and indisputable fact - the bolded bit.

5E has consistently since day one and with no let-up wildly overvalued unarmed combat and natural weapons. Insanely overvalued. It also overvalues stuff like casting without components. I can only think Crawford's home game features PCs getting tied up and naked (not kink-shaming! If that's what you're into, more power to ya bud!), like literally every other session, like it's a late-season episode of Golden Kamuy or something.

There's just no explanation otherwise. I laughed out loud at the "You can get d8 but only if no shield!", because GOD FORBID a Fighter specialized in brawling did the same damage as one just randomly picking up whatever d8 weapon they wanted.

 

[Stalker0]

So by blowing a bunch of resources, you can get a bonus to one roll that you probably aren't proficient in, AND likely don't have a good stat for? Amazing lol.

There are plenty of backgrounds that give persuasion bonuses, so if your going for the face roll, that's a given. Cha is likely to be a 12 for this kind of face, as I agree its not going to be a high priority, though a Fighter 3/Paladin build is interesting as then you would have a charisma focus.

So the fighter normally has to overcome a +6 bonus advantage for the bard, which it can on occasion. now yes they can't do it as much as the bard (the bard IS the social class after all), but on a few key rolls they do have a stronger check than even the bard does. That is a pretty solid improvement to me.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

There are plenty of backgrounds that give persuasion bonuses, so if your going for the face roll, that's a given.

What do you mean "persuasion bonus"? You mean blowing one of your four Skill slots on duplicating the Bard/Warlock/Paladin/Sorcerer's Persuasion?

So the fighter normally has to overcome a +6 bonus advantage for the bard, which it can on occasion. now yes they can't do it as much as the bard (the bard IS the social class after all), but on a few key rolls they do have a stronger check than even the bard does. That is a pretty solid improvement to me.

It's not. You're still not thinking about the mechanics carefully enough. Any Fighter who has Persuasion as a skill, which you seem to be suggesting is a great idea, is better off using the Help action almost 100% of the time, to Help the Bard, and thus give the Bard Advantage, and thus a much higher overall bonus.

Tactical Mind has a use - for when you just barely fail an Athletics check or some other unavoidable check. It's not at all well-suited for trying to go "Face Mode" or something.

 

[Stalker0]

What do you mean "persuasion bonus"? You mean blowing one of your four Skill slots on duplicating the Bard/Warlock/Paladin/Sorcerer's Persuasion?


It's not. You're still not thinking about the mechanics carefully enough. Any Fighter who has Persuasion as a skill, which you seem to be suggesting is a great idea, is better off using the Help action almost 100% of the time, to Help the Bard, and thus give the Bard Advantage, and thus a much higher overall bonus.

Tactical Mind has a use - for when you just barely fail an Athletics check or some other unavoidable check. It's not at all well-suited for trying to go "Face Mode" or something.

well if by "blowing the skill slot" you mean "become better at persuasion"....then yes. I mean if your a fighter who wants to also be a face, getting persuasion seems like the thing you do. did the bard "blow" their expertise slot to get persuasion? No....because that's what they want to be good at. So why is that different for the fighter?

Sure if there is a bard in the party who is focused on being the face, I agree its better to aid them. No one is saying the fighter is now the king of the face roll. However, now the fighter can be the party's face if there is no bard or paladin AND still bring all of the fighter power to the table. Or of course they can spend that +1d10 on other checks if and when needed.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Tactical Mind has a use - for when you just barely fail an Athletics check or some other unavoidable check. It's not at all well-suited for trying to go "Face Mode" or something.

I think that if someone were to play a Cha 14 Fighter for conceptual reasons, at least this lets them chase that dream. I know, I know, you only ever need one specialist in a party, but... the party might not have Bards in it, in which case you might actually be that person.

(and with the increased pressure for everyone to multiclass into Warlock for 1 level, Cha 14 might not actually be completely wasted)

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So why is that different for the fighter?

Becasuse they have a low CHA unlike the 33% of classes who have a high CHA? I've never even seen a 5E party which didn't have a CHA class in it, and odds-wise, it's quite unlikely.

That'd be the only time it made sense on more than an RP/thematic level. And you're obviously fine to do that. Just don't say it makes mechanical sense when it doesn't!

Sure if there is a bard in the party who is focused on being the face, I agree its better to aid them. No one is saying the fighter is now the king of the face roll. However, now the fighter can be the party's face if there is no bard or paladin AND still bring all of the fighter power to the table. Or of course they can spend that +1d10 on other checks if and when needed.

No Bard, no Paladin, no Sorcerer, no Warlock.

What are the odds? Low. And no they can't bring "all of the Fighter power" because to do what you're suggesting they need to:

A) Put points in CHA.
B) Pick Persuasion as a Skill
C) Be a Battlemaster and no other subclasses
D) They can do this once or twice per Short Rest (at the cost of getting HP back!), so you'd better hope the entire encounter rests on a SINGLE social roll!

It's really not for pretending to be a Face.

(and with the increased pressure for everyone to multiclass into Warlock for 1 level, Cha 14 might not be completely wasted)

I mean there is that, why have STR at all? Just go CHA, 1 level dip in Warlock, Blade Pact and your multi-attacks are delayed by one level but everything is going off CHA and you can choose to do Radiant or Necrotic damage!

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

I don't like Tactical Mind's design because it's just spammable bigger numbers. It solves things, but it feels soulless and encourages already skillful classes to 2-level dip for Action Surge + Tactical Mind to boost their actual main stat + expertise numbers even higher.

I would've been happier to see it embrace something like leader of men / teamwork angle, where you can try a skill first, and then delegate it to a party member if your unimpressive numbers cannot keep up.

I mean there is that, why have STR at all? Just go CHA, 1 level dip in Warlock, Blade Pact and your multi-attacks are delayed by one level but everything is going off CHA and you can choose to do Radiant or Necrotic damage!

...oh yeah, they kept Blade Pact at lv1, nevermind, would've been fine with BG3's lv3...

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

I really have no idea what they were thinking with Wizard lv5 Memorize Spell. I mean, the whole class's essence is that they already did memorize spells... in the morning. The spells they picked. Yet here we have a class ability that says, nevermind, actually you have everything memorized always.

At least Memorize Spell being a spell meant it cost a spell slot to use.

 

[Parmandur]

well if by "blowing the skill slot" you mean "become better at persuasion"....then yes. I mean if your a fighter who wants to also be a face, getting persuasion seems like the thing you do. did the bard "blow" their expertise slot to get persuasion? No....because that's what they want to be good at. So why is that different for the fighter?

Sure if there is a bard in the party who is focused on being the face, I agree its better to aid them. No one is saying the fighter is now the king of the face roll. However, now the fighter can be the party's face if there is no bard or paladin AND still bring all of the fighter power to the table. Or of course they can spend that +1d10 on other checks if and when needed.

Being a viable build is cool, doesn't take away from other Class options.

I can think of plenty of other applications: Animal Handling, Survival, Stealth, Acrobatics. Really just gives the Foghter the chance to be overall competent, without stepping on the Rogues Skillmaster role.

 

[Stalker0]

Becasuse they have a low CHA unlike the 33% of classes who have a high CHA?

Do you always pick every skill for your class based on your highest stat? So your clerics never take religion, no rogues taking investigate?