Why I Hate Unearthed Arcana

[Johnnie Freedom!]

It's a beautiful Saturday morning, and I'm here at work catching up on some stuff at a relaxed pace. My sweet 1-year-old daughter is playing happily with some of my office supplies (who needs toys when sticky notes are equally fascinating?) and the sun is shining. All is right with the world.

Therefore, I need something to gripe about.

I don't actually hate UA (ha ha! suckered you in!) but something *is* starting to really bug me. Ever since the book has been released, I've been having players from *both*my D&D and d20 Modern campaigns (I run both) ask the following:

"Can we use [insert obscure variant from Unearthed Arcana] in this campaign?"

They've been asking this a lot. Numerous times. Over and over again. You get the point.

I know, I know, take the Nancy Reagan approach and just say no. I do.

But I hate having to! It gets irritating...because then I look like the grumpy DM who isn't letting his players have kewl options.

ARGH...[begin old fart mode] In my day, we didn't have all these new-fangled variants! We had the core rules, and that was good enough for us! And all we needed was a 10-foot-pole and our THAC0!

[dry cough, takes breath from oxygen mask]

Rant over.



(please take it all with a grain of salt.)

 

[Piratecat]

Actually, Johnnie, we DID have all those damn variant rules! Eight bajillion unbalanced kits, Player's Option books, even the original Unearthed Arcana with the cavalier and barbarian in it. The only difference is that now the warning "think twice before inserting alternate rules into your game" is much clearer.

 

[Wormwood]

I have the opposite problem.

My players who are content with 3.5 as written, but I'm constantly harassing them to experiment with new class variants and magic systems.

It's so bad that I want to start a new campaign each week.

So many games, so little time.

 

[Pants]

I plan on talking with my group before implementing any of the rules, that way the game will be fun for everyone.

I've already implemented Weapon Groups and Themed Summon Lists, but I'm also going to ask about several other variants, namely facing, bloodlines, variant paladins, urban rangers, domain sorcerers, monk fighting styles, and maybe a few more.

I may end up liking a certain rule, but the others may not. I also know that its sometimes a big pain in the arse to learn something in completely a new way (namely, facing), so I won't force any on anyone. Likewise if they like a certain variant, all they have to do is ask (but I still reserve the right to say 'NO!')

 

[Liquidsabre]

The unfortunate part is that many of the rules variants in UA don't work so streamlined and I found many of the major ones need re-tooling before they become actually playable. Heh, "official" house rules - a ruleslawyer's worst nightmare!

 

[Guillaume]

The unfortunate part is that many of the rules variants in UA don't work so streamlined and I found many of the major ones need re-tooling before they become actually playable. Heh, "official" house rules - a ruleslawyer's worst nightmare!

Can you give us an exemple ? What is it that doesn't work and why ?

 

[Ember_Ion]

ARGH...[begin old fart mode] In my day, we didn't have all these new-fangled variants! We had the core rules, and that was good enough for us! And all we QUOTE]

eh?...what's core rules? Back in my day all we had was that handy dandy PHB and the DMG with the funky red guy with lightning bolts coming outa him. Oh and the MM with the cute red dragon. Ah! That was real art! Then that new fangled Fiend Folio came out with its fancy-shmancy blue cover and it all went to pot...or did Unearthed Arcana come first with its cavalier?..I cant remember. Anyway, those were the good ol days. When you rolled a d20 and asked the DM "Did I hit?". When the mind flayer had psionics and the DM spent all day trying to figure out WHAT the heck psionic is. When....

*crawls back into her criogenic chamber*

 

[BSF]

I dug the Thief-acrobat in the original Unearthed Arcana. That and the sunsword. There were sime nifty toys in there.


Johnnie Freedom, consider yourself lucky that your players are asking. think of the horror stories where a player just starts using anything they think they want from any book. In my case, at least half the people I game with don't even know about books beyond the Core rules and a few others. It's kind of sad sometimes. I haven't picked up Unearthed Arcana yet. No particular reason, I just haven't gotten around to it. But, I like some of the stuff I have heard of and seen out of there.

 

[Bloodstone Press]

know, I know, take the Nancy Reagan approach and just say no. I do.

I try to never tell the players "no." options make the game fun and interesting for everyone. The only time I'll tell a player "no" is if the option simply doesn't fit in the world or if it is clearly over-powered.

Besides, the UA does have a lot of cool varients in it.

For example, if I'm runnig a game in a tropical jungle area where there are only humans and elves and a player wants to play a gnome from an arctic climate, I'll tell them "Sure, but you must have traveled a long way, and you'll be a stranger in a strange land. Perhaps you are lost, or exploring. Equipment will be hard to come by also."

 

[BiggusGeekus]

You know what I hate? The new weapon proficiency rules.

Take a ranger and give him two quarterstaffs and bear down on the quartersaff proficiencies. Do you have any idea how soon that guy can get 5 attacks every 2 rounds? It's insane. And don't even get me started on the barbarian breaking all the potions.

...

Oh wait. You guys are talking about the 3rd edition book and not the 1st, right? My bad!