D&D 5E Xanathar's Guide to Everything: Arcane Archer Subclass

[pukunui]

And I'm sure they go against some feedback, too.

As an alpha tester, I can attest to this. I'm sure I'm not the only one who had some specific ideas on how to improve the monstrous races included in Volo's, and yet the versions that made it into the book are virtually unchanged from the draft versions they sent us.

 

[guachi]

It doesn't take much looking at all on this board to see complaint after complaint about the weakness of the fighter in the Exploration pillar.

The Fighter/Scout fixes this in spades. The Rogue gets... more expertise. Expertise in skills they could already have from background. Yay? Let's take the class with the most skills and give them more!!!!

The fighter still sucks in Exploration. The Rogue/Scout fixes a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[Alexemplar]

And I'm sure they go against some feedback, too. As I said, it's advice, but it's not a design brief. They aren't beholden to it.

Can you imagine a game that actually was designed by public vote? It'd be the most average, blandest game ever written.

5e itself is pretty much what you get when you design by committee. And yeah, it's about the safest/least distinctive/least offensive/least experimental iteration of D&D we've seen in a while.

And also the most successful D&D has been in a while, so apparently alot of people love it for that.

 

[gyor]

It doesn't take much looking at all on this board to see complaint after complaint about the weakness of the fighter in the Exploration pillar.

The Fighter/Scout fixes this in spades. The Rogue gets... more expertise. Expertise in skills they could already have from background. Yay? Let's take the class with the most skills and give them more!!!!

The fighter still sucks in Exploration. The Rogue/Scout fixes a problem that doesn't exist.

I think you'll get at least something for the exploration pillar in the Arcane Archer.

 

[guachi]

To keep sidetracking the thread: The Fighter gets four skills. The Rouge/Scout gets four skills... at expertise.

Back on track: What does the Arcane Archer do that you can't do as a Battlemaster Archer? What niche does it fill that is something more than "it does what a regular fighter does... but with magic!"?

EDIT: I reread the revised Arcane Archer and they basically renamed Battlemaster maneuvers as something else - Arcane shots - that you get two of per short rest instead of four like with maneuvers. But they are basically the same.

 

[TwoSix]

5e itself is pretty much what you get when you design by committee. And yeah, it's about the safest/least distinctive/least offensive/least experimental iteration of D&D we've seen in a while.

And also the most successful D&D has been in a while, so apparently alot of people love it for that.

Considering there are hundreds of indie RPGs out there, I have no problem with D&D deciding to be the NCIS/Big Bang Theory of RPGs.

 

[Parmandur]

Considering there are hundreds of indie RPGs out there, I have no problem with D&D deciding to be the NCIS/Big Bang Theory of RPGs.

Listening to and quantifying player input isn't precisely "by committee" either: ask the people what they want, give them what they want. It's good business, which is great since they gave me precisely what I wanted.

 

[Morrus]

5e itself is pretty much what you get when you design by committee.

If that were the case, Mearls and Crawford etc. would have no value. I have to assume there was some artistic input.

 

[gyor]

To keep sidetracking the thread: The Fighter gets four skills. The Rouge/Scout gets four skills... at expertise.

Back on track: What does the Arcane Archer do that you can't do as a Battlemaster Archer? What niche does it fill that is something more than "it does what a regular fighter does... but with magic!"?

EDIT: I reread the revised Arcane Archer and they basically renamed Battlemaster maneuvers as something else - Arcane shots - that you get two of per short rest instead of four like with maneuvers. But they are basically the same.

You could say that about most short rest abilities.

The Arcane Archers arrows are nothing like any of the battle masters maneuvers.

Anyways I was rereading the revised version and realized if one has a magical way of seeing the target, when can send a Seeking Arrow from a surprising distance.

Magic Arrow and Curved shot are cool abilities too even when you aren't using Arcane although, although the effects stack with it. Archery Fighting Style + Magic Arrow makes the AA very accurate (combined +3 bonus to hit) and if they miss anyway, curved shot helps it hit something anyways.

 

[gyor]

BTW is it just me or is Sharpshooter great on the AA with its extra accuracy?