Unearthed Arcana Waterborne Adventures: New from Unearthed Arcana

I, for one, am very pleased with the different options for existing classes over completely different classes.

I don't really have an balance thoughts. Balance isn't an issue with me unless it's incredibly flagrant.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Don't be silly. We all know elves got no booty. The Twerking Monks of Mithral Hall are a different story. Dem Dwarven Lasses, ahhhh.

Yeah but the beards.

 

[Thyrwyn]

Just a random thought, not sure if I believe it. Because this was listed as an "in addition" instead of it's own power that a major upgrade would be, could the intend that this replaces the "ally within 5 feet"? So a normal rogue can SA with advantage or an ally within 5' of the target, and a Swashbuckler rogue can SA with advantage or with no allies adjacent to the target.

Just changes the parameters, not extending them.

Again, not sure I read it like that, just putting it out there for others to digest.

That's actually how I did read it on my first (quick) read through...

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Between that and Fancy Footwork overlapping with 1/2 of Mobile, my biggest complaint with the article is that they seem to be throwing parts of feats into class and racial features, rendering those feats redundant for those characters. It isn't a deal breaker, but it is less clean than it has been.

A minotaur needs to have a charging gore attack, even if your game isn't using feats.

 

[AverageCitizen]

A minotaur needs to have a charging gore attack, even if your game isn't using feats.

I get that, but I don't like it. By that same logic the Minotaur should be a hulking brute, because I might not be using Goliaths or Half-Orcs.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

[MENTION=6752135]Inchoroi[/MENTION] does it need to be melee only? Can you not shout witticisms while firing arrows from the rigging?

Balance reasons mostly. Lots of enemies don't have ranged weapons in their stat blocks. IIRC, presence/absence of ranged attack is part of the CR balancing mechanism.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I get that, but I don't like it. By that same logic the Minotaur should be a hulking brute, because I might not be using Goliaths or Half-Orcs.

Not quite. The minotaurs of Krynn have a charging gore attack, and that needs to be in there if you're going to accurately portray them. The fiction exists first, and then you use mechanics to represent it.

There's no reason why any given world needs at least one hulk race.

 

[AverageCitizen]

Not quite. The minotaurs of Krynn have a charging gore attack, and that needs to be in there if you're going to accurately portray them. The fiction exists first, and then you use mechanics to represent it.

There's no reason why any given world needs at least one hulk race.

You are acting like your preferences take precedence over mine because they are based on Krynn. I will never run Dragonlance, so the fiction of Krynn is irrelevant to me. I like hulking humanoids, and my settings will always have at least one, but I'd like to mix it up. That is my reality. However, I can accept that some people are invested in Dragonlance, so it has to be accommodated. Similarly, I don't think it is different at all to hope that my investment in feats as a game mechanic be accommodated. I wish they continued the practice of ensuring that class and racial traits don't overlap feats.

EDIT: Also, keep in mind that I am not saying they should not have a charging gore attack. Of course they should. I just wish it interacted with the charger feat instead of completely invalidating it.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

You are acting like your preferences take precedence over mine because they are based on Krynn. I will never run Dragonlance, so the fiction of Krynn is irrelevant to me. I like hulking humanoids, and my settings will always have at least one, but I'd like to mix it up. That is my reality. However, I can accept that some people are invested in Dragonlance, so it has to be accommodated. Similarly, I don't think it is different at all to hope that my investment in feats as a game mechanic be accommodated. I wish they continued the practice of ensuring that class and racial traits don't overlap feats.

It's not my preference, either. I'm just telling you how the game designers work. It's not like they sat down and decided to make a playable minotaur race, and they only used Dragonlance for inspiration. This is an article on "waterborne adventures", with an example being if you want to incorporate the minotaurs of Krynn. These are Krynn-ish minotaurs. They have a goring charge attack. If you're not in Dragonlance, then you wouldn't necessarily use this minotaur race. Most minotaurs in most settings aren't accomplished sailors.

 

[Inchoroi]

[MENTION=6752135]Inchoroi[/MENTION] does it need to be melee only? Can you not shout witticisms while firing arrows from the rigging?

I suppose he could, but, as stated, the intent of the class is to make a swashbuckling fencer sort of archetype, therefore the melee attack; at least, that's how I read it, anyway. My two cents, so take it with a dash of salt.

 

[AverageCitizen]

It's not my preference, either. I'm just telling you how the game designers work. It's not like they sat down and decided to make a playable minotaur race, and they only used Dragonlance for inspiration. This is an article on "waterborne adventures", with an example being if you want to incorporate the minotaurs of Krynn. These are Krynn-ish minotaurs. They have a goring charge attack. If you're not in Dragonlance, then you wouldn't necessarily use this minotaur race. Most minotaurs in most settings aren't accomplished sailors.

My point is that if they have to avoid stepping on Krynn's toes, they might as well not step on their own while they are at it.