Unearthed Arcana Variant Rules - Previews and Questions

[JPL]

Wolfeye, could you give a little more about the gestalt classes? What does UA say about reasons to use them? What sort of campaigns are they intended for?

[The more I ponder this kung fu idea, the more it appeals to me...]

 

[DonAdam]

Thanks to everyone answering questions.

Here's another: how much is written about using class defense, vitality/wounds, and armor as DR together? If I'm going to use them I want to use all of them.

 

[Azlan]

The more I read about this book, the less the ideas in it seem to have been playtested.

I get that impression too, especially when I consider the great number of optional rules presented in the table of contents.

For example, I see there is an entry for "Armor as Damage Reduction" under Chapter 4: Adventuring. Now, I would love to see a comprehensive, playtested, and balanced set of rules for armor damage reduction; especially so, with those rules being handed down from the game-designer gods of WotC (if only because those rules would reach a broader audience and be more generally accepted); but that alone would take an entire chapter if not more! Because, really, "armor as damage reduction" does not sync well with the D&D system, as is; which still, at its core -- even with the greatly improved 3.0/3.5 -- is totally built around the antiquidated and convoluted (if not nonsensical) "to hit" roll vs. AC concept.

But, alas, I'm thinking the new Unearthed Arcana is going to toss us but a few brief paragraphs addressing "Armor as Damage Reduction", thrown in with maybe a table or two. And all that is going to do is introduce a leaky, ill-fitting rules variant that will end up causing lots of headache for DMs and players. Eventually, most of them may come to the conclusion that "armor as damage reduction" just doesn't work with D&D, because not even WotC could make it work, and that will be the end of that.

But only because the concept did not get the attention and the space that it needed.

 

[Katowice]

Tarril, what are the level progressions for Defense Bonus for each class? Does the book address figuring Defense Bonus for new/other classes not covered in Unearthed Arcana?

 

[Davelozzi]

This book looks great, I'll definately be picking it up.

The more I read about this book, the less the ideas in it seem to have been playtested.

As much as I'd love to feel like everything was thoroughly playtested, with these many different options, it would be next to impossible to make sure that all the possible combinations of variants would be balanced. As with any book outside the core, good DM judgement will be essential.

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

Gestalt:
It's really simple: Choose two classes, take the better Hit Dice type, the better base attack bonus, the better base saving throw bonuses, the most skill points, all class skills, take all class features.
A few caveats: shared class features accrue at the rate of the faster class, spells/day of two classes are kept serarately, no combining two prestige classes and you shouldn't use prestige classes that already are class combos.
It's a high powered campaign and most NPC should also be gestalt characters.


There's nothing about using class defense, vitality/wounds, and armor as DR together.


Level progressions for Defense Bonus:
defense bonus is based on CHARACTER level (not class level), multiclass characters take the better one
classes with no armor proficiency : level/3 +2
classes with light armor proficiency : level/3 +3
classes with light/medium armor proficiency : level/3 +4
classes with light/med. and heavy armor prof. : level/3 +6

Contrary to Star Wars and D20 Modern you don't add the defense bonus when multiclassing.

 

[Count Arioch the 28t]

There's no nonlawful unarmed combattant in UA.

Bah. Oh well, guess I gotta do it myself.

Thanks for replying though.

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

Bah. Oh well, guess I gotta do it myself.

Thanks for replying though.

I think such a class doesn't fit in UA. It's either too similar to a standard class (just allow Monks with any alignment) or altogether another class.

Unearthed Arcana talks about variants in rules with some kind of global effects, it's the rules that change, not just additions (which a new class would be).
UA is all about BIG house rules IMHO.

 

[Michael Tree]

Gestalt:
It's a high powered campaign and most NPC should also be gestalt characters.

It would also work for settings where virtually all characters have multiple capabilities, such as in Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos books. Vlad is simultaneously a great assassin, a very good fighter, and a decent sorcerer and witch, while Morrorlan and Aliera are fantastic fighters as well as master sorcerers.

Can you give us more information about Battle Sorcerers, Legendary Weapons, and the prestige bard and ranger?

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

Battle Sorcerer:
d8; medium base attack; class skills: remove Bluff, add Intimidate; +prof. with any light or one-handed martial weapon of the character's choice, +light armor; no arcane spell failure in light armor; spells/day: -1 slot for each spell level; spells known: -1 for each spell level.


Legendary Weapons:
Special weapons that get better if you enter a specific prestige class: depending on the weapon - Battle Scion, Faith Scion, Spell Scion, and Swift Scion. The level you attain in this Scion class determines which abilities of your legendary weapon are active - each level gets you another special ability.


Prestige bard and ranger:
Just like the Prestige Paladin, they get 15 levels and +1 spellcasting in 11, or 7 of their levels. All of this means: get your class abilities later, but get better spellcasting than the base class.