Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Returns to Monthly With Some Revised Subclasses

the fighter’s Sharpshooter subclass was, by far, the least popular

No one in their right mind liked that abomination. A terrible concept from the start.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Um, you don't need either the feat nor the fighting style to use two-weapon fighting.

Got a rogue who does it. Sure, average 1 point less damage on my on-hand attack because it's a light weapon (but even without Dex-to-damage my off-hand can make that up), but most importantly now I have two opportunities to land a blow and get my sneak attack in for the round. And if I hit on my first attack I can use my bonus action for something else if I want.

Feat isn't particularly enticing with only 1 attack - averages to +1 damage each hand assuming hits, and +1 AC. Multiclassing for fighting style is also not planned anytime in the next few levels. And again, right now it's just to deliver SA - I can skip it any particular round for a different bonus action assuming I hit with the main. If I start investing it it at the cost of my SA, then I'll be more constrained to use it.

I think you misunderstood. I didnt mean have dual wielding ONLY available with the feat/fighting style. It would remain a bonus action, but IF you have either, it becomes part of the attack action. I've been running this in my games for over a year, and it has worked very well.

The change is greatly needed to help dual wielding keep pace compared to GWM, Sharp Shooter and other options. It would free up rangers to use hunter's mark the first round of combat for example, and let fighter's get a second offhand attack with action surge. Rogues can still dual wield as is now, just with the feat they can use cunning action AND their offhand. I wasnt proposing making those a requirement to dual wield, merely upgrading them further.

 

[Dausuul]

• Path of the Ancestral Guardian: The spirits of your ancestors come to aid you in battle... except you're the one person they don't aid. They aid the squishy wizard and the weaselly rogue and the sanctimonious cleric--at your expense, I might add. Once those weaklings are dead or fled, and you're the last one standing against a terrible monster, the spirits of your ancestors stand around with their thumbs up their butts. Great concept, solid mechanics, but this concept does not belong with these mechanics*. Except the clairvoyance thing, that bit is neat.
• College of Swords: Plenty of folks have pointed out that two-weapon fighting technically doesn't work with Blade Flourish. This is easily rectified (just allow Blade Flourish to count as an Attack action for TWF); I trust WotC will take care of that before official release. Other than that, I think this is a very solid offering, the best of the five and a significant improvement on the Valor Bard.
• Arcane Archer: Most of the arrow options feel clunky and forced to me, but I always feel that way about the Arcane Archer; I have never met an implementation of the class that I liked. The concept leaves me utterly cold. So I will leave it to Arcane Archer fans to judge whether this version is good or bad. It seems reasonably effective mechanically.
• Path of the Kensei: ...So, this is for people who like the flavor and core abilities of the monk, but don't like having to fight with farm implements. It does the job, but I'd like to see more focus on a single weapon and more of a mystical link with that specific weapon. "Nothing in this world can you trust; not men, not women, not beasts... This you can trust.**"
• Favored Soul: So, your sorcerer gets to use cleric spells. And you can use sorcery points to be a better healbot. That's really all there is to this one. This subclass used to give you a bunch of flavors depending on your choice of deity; now it's pure vanilla. Borrrring. Bring back access to domain spells. Or Channel Divinity. Or something where a Favored Soul of Bane is different from a Favored Soul of Sune.

[SIZE=-2]*Although now I kinda want to make an Ancestral Guardian barbarian whose ancestors are just a**holes and think it's funny when their descendants get themselves killed.

**Yes, I know this quote is from a barbarian, not a monk. Considering the barbarian in question got himself killed in the next scene, he's in no position to cry plagiarism. He should have spent less time pondering the riddle of steel and more time pondering how to make his ancestors leave him alone.[/SIZE]

 

[Gradine]

My first thought when looking at the Path of the Ancestral Guardian was hey look, it's a Tairnadal elf!

I actually feel like each of these have a really great and specific place within Eberron.

Path of the Ancestral Guardian: Tairnadal elves, definitely. We've never really had a great deal of gameplay support for the "by my ancestors!" concept, which is the central piece of that tradition. This fits great.

College of Swords: This feels like something that would have been popular in Cyre pre-Mourning. Could be the new Cyran Avenger?

Arcane Archer: Aerenal was the traditional home of Arcane Archers already; I could also see an "Arcane" Archer tradition in Thrane (with the magic attributed to the Silver Flame)

Path of the Kensai: Eberron has several monastic traditions that are weapon-based; don't know if every weapon associated with those traditions work for this Kensai (don't think there's an official double-bladed sword, and if one existed it would almost certainly have the special property) but most I think would work fine. Plus now your Mockery-worshiping kama-wielder can be use war pick if you want.

Favored Soul: This is exactly the kind of blurring the lines between arcane/divine magic that's pretty central to Eberron. I like the idea of these being somehow influenced by or descended from Radiant Idols. Not quite the 3.5 Favored Soul but as has been argued I don't think that concept is really missing from 5e, and I dig the Divine Bloodline idea. I echo the disappointment over cure wounds as the default spell; would probably house-rule that as player's choice based on the exact nature of the origin.

 

[Chaosmancer]

So, looking back over the Spirit Shield ability. Nothing in the rule prevents you from using it on yourself.

The mechanical rule for it is "If you are raging and a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction"

This is nearly identical to the wording of spells like Prayer of Healing which can target the caster "Up to six creatures of your choice that you can see within range"

So, that makes this barbarian truly beastly. If it can use it's reaction to reduce damage to itself. A Goliath Spirit Ancestral Barbarian is going to be a truly terrifying thing to see at high levels

 

[Dausuul]

So, looking back over the Spirit Shield ability. Nothing in the rule prevents you from using it on yourself.

The mechanical rule for it is "If you are raging and a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction"

This is nearly identical to the wording of spells like Prayer of Healing which can target the caster "Up to six creatures of your choice that you can see within range"

So, that makes this barbarian truly beastly. If it can use it's reaction to reduce damage to itself. A Goliath Spirit Ancestral Barbarian is going to be a truly terrifying thing to see at high levels

Hmm, fair point. If that actually is the intent of the ability, I take back my complaints about this subclass.

 

[Iguanacus]

• Path of the Ancestral Guardian: The spirits of your ancestors come to aid you in battle... except you're the one person they don't aid. They aid the squishy wizard and the weaselly rogue and the sanctimonious cleric--at your expense, I might add. Once those weaklings are dead or fled, and you're the last one standing against a terrible monster, the spirits of your ancestors stand around with their thumbs up their butts. Great concept, solid mechanics, but this concept does not belong with these mechanics*. Except the clairvoyance thing, that bit is neat.
• College of Swords: Plenty of folks have pointed out that two-weapon fighting technically doesn't work with Blade Flourish. This is easily rectified (just allow Blade Flourish to count as an Attack action for TWF); I trust WotC will take care of that before official release. Other than that, I think this is a very solid offering, the best of the five and a significant improvement on the Valor Bard.
• Arcane Archer: Most of the arrow options feel clunky and forced to me, but I always feel that way about the Arcane Archer; I have never met an implementation of the class that I liked. The concept leaves me utterly cold. So I will leave it to Arcane Archer fans to judge whether this version is good or bad. It seems reasonably effective mechanically.
• Path of the Kensei: ...So, this is for people who like the flavor and core abilities of the monk, but don't like having to fight with farm implements. It does the job, but I'd like to see more focus on a single weapon and more of a mystical link with that specific weapon. "Nothing in this world can you trust; not men, not women, not beasts... This you can trust.**"
• Favored Soul: So, your sorcerer gets to use cleric spells. And you can use sorcery points to be a better healbot. That's really all there is to this one. This subclass used to give you a bunch of flavors depending on your choice of deity; now it's pure vanilla. Borrrring. Bring back access to domain spells. Or Channel Divinity. Or something where a Favored Soul of Bane is different from a Favored Soul of Sune.

[SIZE=-2]*Although now I kinda want to make an Ancestral Guardian barbarian whose ancestors are just a**holes and think it's funny when their descendants get themselves killed.

**Yes, I know this quote is from a barbarian, not a monk. Considering the barbarian in question got himself killed in the next scene, he's in no position to cry plagiarism. He should have spent less time pondering the riddle of steel and more time pondering how to make his ancestors leave him alone.[/SIZE]

Just a small thing, but in that quote Conan's father isn't really referencing THAT sword but all weapons. Not really in support of your argument.

 

[Dausuul]

Just a small thing, but in that quote Conan's father isn't really referencing THAT sword but all weapons.

Granted, but I'm repurposing the quote anyway; it's not like Conan's father could remotely be considered a kensei, nor for that matter Conan himself.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Something that occurred to me is that the Kensei Monk can take up the rapier as a weapon, and that could go well with a Rogue multiclass. Both Monk and Rogue would lose something in the multiclass like pure damage in either attacks or sneak attack, but I could see it adding a lot of versatility.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Double post

 

[BookBarbarian]

So, that makes this barbarian truly beastly. If it can use it's reaction to reduce damage to itself. A Goliath Spirit Ancestral Barbarian is going to be a truly terrifying thing to see at high levels

Wouldn't the Goliath's Spirit Shield and Stone's Endurance compete for the same Reaction? I guess you could use Stone's Endurance when not raging as long as you haven't used it already since your last rest.