[Unearthing the Arcana] Paladin: Sacred Oaths

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Coming down from the monastery of the new Monastic Traditions in the last Unearthing the Arcana, it is time to take new Sacred Oaths as Paladins for this week's Unearthed Arcana. Instead of giving us new oaths that would help banish evil, the designers have decided to turn a little to the dark side by giving us Oaths for evil-based paladins that I wouldn't be surprised that it is one of the most often requested subclass.

Let terror reign as new agents who have taken the Oath of Conquest and Oath of Treachery bring the darkness to all who would stand against them.

Oath of Conquest

• On a flavor level, I can also see this being the Paladin equivalent for the War Domain of Clerics, so they may not necessarily bend towards evil per se. However, its tenets seem to remind me of tyranny since it considers holding the reins of power as important as defeating ones enemies. 
• Most of the Oath Spells seem appropriate except for some odd choices like Blight and Insect Plague that could have been swapped with Compulsion and Planar Binding respectively.
• While Conquering Strike works similarly to the Oath of Vengeance's Abjure Enemy, I like that it has a different means of ending the Frightened condition.
• Guided Strike is the same feature as the War Domain Cleric's, which is a good place for both classes to have an overlap.
• Aura of Conquest seems pretty standard in the base Paladin's design, but causing Disadvantage to Frightened means it has synergy with its Conquering Strike.
• Not as powerful as the Devotion Paladin's Aura of Devotion but Implacable Spirit might be stepping into too much toes of other Sacred Oaths.
• Invincible Conqueror can seem overpowered when compared to what the other 20th level Sacred Oath features can do in terms of combat, but somehow I feel that it fits with this Sacred Oath. If I had to adjust it, I might just reduce the Resistance to be similar with the Barbarian's normal resistances for Rage than getting the full package. 

Oath of Treachery

• While the flavor strongly reads to be an alternative to the Oathbreaker in the Dungeon Master's Guide, the features of both Oaths could not be any different. I'm guessing they wanted to make a subclass similar to the College of Whispers for Bards for paladins, but reading the gods that are worshiped by these Paladins doesn't seem to support that idea as well.
• The Oath of Treachery has an interesting choice of Oath Spells. None that I would replace though but it certainly seem to encourage a more stealthy and less combative style of play for a Paladin.
• Conjure Duplicate has many similarities with the Trickery Domain Cleric's Invoke Duplicity, but it has a few nuances in the wording, which generally favors the Cleric's version more, since the Paladin's version has more limitations.
• I'm not sure what the designers are trying to do with Poison Strike. Even though it requires a use of Channel Divinity, other Sacred Oaths do not deal as much damage as Poison Strike. I would have preferred if it stuck to the similar design with the other Sacred Oaths, causing the Poisoned condition and adding just extra damage according to the Paladin's Charisma modifier.
• Another unorthodox design in the Aura of Treachery which has 2 features but can only affect creatures within 5 feet instead of the usual 10 feet. Cull the Herd would be deadly powerful if used in conjunction with Poison Strike. I might have been alright with this aura if it only had the Treacherous Strike ability, which might be something that you will see very often in future supplements or feats. Again, not a fan of a fixed number times of use.
• Blackguard's Escape seems to do as much as other 15th level Sacred Oath features, but it could be considered one of the weaker ones.
• I guess looking at what prior Sacred Oath features are doing, it should be no surprise of what Icon of Deceit can do, which is effectively a Greater Invisibility without having to Concentrate. With the Invisible condition, it deals maximum damage for Poison Strike and the doubles the Paladin's level (which is 60 damage in total). 

On a design perspective, I much prefer the Oath of Conquest but I can easily see how most people would want to play as an Oath of Treachery. However, while the Oath of Conquest does not require a strictly evil alignment, I can't say if DMs would appreciate having the Oath of Treachery being allowed on the table without requiring the DM's permission like the Oathbreaker. While I don't really care for imagining its impact on the Adventurer's League, but I probably wouldn't allow it on my table as it is now since I have more mechanic concerns. Even so, I don't think the Oath of Treachery would fit very well in most of my campaign ideas, which means I have to specifically design a campaign around this Oath, which is generally problematic in my eyes.

Wizards would be taking a break from their usual schedule for the next couple of weeks and so will I. I'm looking forward to see what would be introduced for the Ranger since the last Unearthed Arcana which I had covered. This could be my last post for the year, so I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And see you in the next Unearthing the Arcana!

Last Updated: 20/12/16

[Unearthing the Arcana] Monk: Monastic Traditions

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Graduating from the fighters' school in last week's Unearthing the Arcana, it is time to meditate and learn about the new monastic traditions for this week's Unearthed Arcana with 2 new Monastic Traditions. I have often seen Monks being complained as one of the classes with some of the less attractive sub-classes compared to other classes, so let's see if these new Monastic Traditions could make Monks great again. Although, I have to say that I was a little surprised that we are only getting 2 new Monastic Traditions.

With study and practice, let's look into the Path of the Kensei and the Path of Tranquility to see if there is any enlightenment to be found from them.

Way of the Kensei

• It was quite surprising to see the Kensei being made into a Monastic Tradition when I would expect to see it as a Martial Archetype as it has been for previous editions. Still if done right, the concept of the Kensei can fit right into the building blocks of the Monk class and give make it a little more attractive from the Fighter players to try out the Monk instead.
• Path of the Kensei: I'm not sure what is the reason for the distinction between Monk weapons and Kensei weapons, on the surface it looks perfectly fine to make the martial weapons that the Kensei picks for his proficiencies to be considered as Monk weapons, since they share the same benefits of the Monk's Martial Arts feature. The versatility to use the Kensei weapon to attack or to defend for the +2 AC bonus is a nice touch. The wording on the pummel ability might need better rewording, as by written it doesn't mention the range of the weapon, meaning it could be used for polearms or ranged weapons.  
• One with the Blade let's the Monk's base feature Ki-Empowered Strike apply to their weapons, but it is the Precise Strike ability that seems interesting. I couldn't find any other class feature (not just the Monk) that let's it double the proficiency bonus to an attack, so this could be a huge boon to this Tradition. Instead of only allowing for one use per rest, I would have liked it to spent Ki points instead, as that is almost never used by this Tradition.
• Sharpen the Blade is also another solid feature to give the Kensei, it's simple but does quite a lot. I wouldn't mind if the Ki point cost was a little higher depending on how much bonus is given, perhaps something similar to the Way of the Four Element's Elemental Disciplines, since it lasts for 1 minute.
• Unerring Accuracy stands as one of the better 17th Tradition features compared to the other Monastic Traditions go, and the flexibility to select which attack to re-roll is appreciated.  
• As it is right now, the basic flavors delivered through the mechanics of these features have not much to complain about, but the mechanics themselves feel like they could be fleshed out a little more. I would have liked to see more usage of Ki points in some of the features, and also wondered if there are any goodies for players who decide to go for a ranged Kensei build. 

Way of Tranquility

• An 8 hour long Sanctuary spell that doesn't require a material component that can be cast again after 1 minute. Either I would put a Ki cost to Path of Tranquility or let it only be regained with a Long Rest. Even having the Way of the Open Hand's Tranquility feature at 3rd level instead of 11th level is already a considerably improvement from the other Monastic Traditions. 
• Healing Hands works also exactly as the Paladin's Lay on Hands, except that the Monk gets a healing pool multiplier of 10, compared to the Paladin's 5. This significantly makes the Monk a better healer than the Paladin, though it might done this way to offset the Monk's lack of spellcasting abilities. I'm not quite sure why one would replace one of its Flurry of Blows Unarmed Strikes with this feature, unless it is properly worded that it can be used on the Monk or someone else. 
• Emissary of Peace seems like an interesting way to make a social character out of the Monk, though the wording for the advantage might be a little too specific. Turning someone from Indifferent to Friendly might do a better trick.
• Being able to Douse the Flames of War without spending any resources on the part of the Monk, despite the limitations of it not working and ending still seems a little too handy for my taste. I would have preferred something like a more enhanced version of the Calm Emotion spell that is more rigid and structured in its application, at a cost (since the Monk is probably not going to be spending a lot of Ki points anyway).
• Anger of a Gentle Soul could deliver up to 68 additional damage alone at 17th with Flurry of Blows (assuming all of them hit) on the next round, or up to 80 damage at 20th level. I'm not sure if there is any other class that can match that amount of damage with class features alone, ironically making this sub-class the most damage dealing of them all. It's triggering point of seeing a creature (note not only allies) reduced to 0 hit points could be prone to abuse too. 
• Outside of features like Douse the Flames of War and Path of Tranquility, I've never really liked the idea of this concept, which reminds me of the Disciple of Peace from the Book of Exalted Deed in 3.5 Edition. It could make the DM's job harder to plan their encounters when peace is always a very viable option that could end any sense of conflict, unless that is the sort of direction that the campaign was designed for. 

While I can say that I'm pretty stoked to see the Way of the Kensei within the design framework of the Monk class, I feel like it could use more bite to make feel more than a straight-up Fighter in a Monk's clothing. I'm struggling to like the Way of Tranquility both in flavor and mechanics, but would still like to hear how excited (if they are) about the latter Monastic Tradition.

Next up on the line would most probably be the Paladin, and we could see the designers going with similarly flavored Oaths that they did for the Cleric. Until then, see you in the next Unearthing the Arcana. 

Last Updated: 13/12/16

[Unearthing the Arcana] Fighter: Martial Archetypes

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Coming off from last week's Unearthed Arcana for Druids, this week we go into the pit with new Martial Archetypes for the Fighter. Fighters have been one of the few classes in 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons that I find to have endless possibilities. With the amount of ideas and concept that could fit into a Fighter's definition, it is one class that could benefit from having many different subtypes for players to find one that fits them. I think this is something that the designers realised and that is why we have 4 new Martial Archetypes for this class that feel a little more specialised.

So let's draw steel and find out more about the Arcane Archer, Knight, Samurai and Sharpshooter archetypes.

Arcane Archer

• An old favourite of mine back in the 3.x days, and it is quite surprising to see it again given that it could have been replicated somewhat with the Eldritch Knight archetype. I wouldn't have complained if it had a racial restriction like the Battlerager had in Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, but having it opened to other races doesn't feel too bad.
• I would have preferred a more tiered progression to the number of uses of Arcane Arrows that an Arcane Archer can use, rather than a fixed number of twice per rest which can feel too little in the long run. Maybe something structured to the Battle Master's Superiority Dice could work better and have something to look forward to. 
• Archer's Lore seems a little too generous to give 2 skill proficiency when compared to the Battle Master's Student of War only grants proficiency to 1 tool. The selection for Archer's Lore is also too good since it also allows for the Fighter to pick some of the skills they didn't pick at 1st level.
• Conjure Arrows make it imperative that players and DMs are tracking the number of ammunition they have left on the table - which is not something every table will do. Might have preferred a feature that allows for something more magical to be done on the arrows.
• Ever-Ready Arrow has an effect that is supposed to feel like the Battle Master's Relentless, and it could use a different mechanic to regain a use of Arcane Arrow, rather than tracking for 1 minute. 
• Dealing 4d6 Force damage at 18th level with Deadly Arrow doesn't feel like too much to ask. No worries on that.
• I'm generally alright with most of the Arcane Shots, with some slight concern for Grasping Arrow being a little overpowered and Seeking Arrow having some complications with Invisible/Hiding and line of sight rules. 

Knight

• Born to the Saddle looks natural to have for a mount-based archetype.
• Implacable Mark reads like a combination of the Mark variant of combat rules from the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Sentinel feat. I wasn't a biggest fan of the Marking mechanic from 4th Edition because of the additional tracking in combat, but I guess it is an acceptable feature to differentiate it from the other Martial Archetypes.
• Noble Calvary is a strange feature to be getting at 7th level. I would have liked to see it at 3rd level, and only granting one skill proficiency.
• Hold the Line combined with Implacable Mark is almost effectively the Sentinel feat with some extra bonuses. This is an interesting design approach to the features, though I'm not sure if players are willing to wait 7 levels to get a free complete feat.
• Some might think that Rapid Strike can be used together with Implacable Mark's Advantage on Opportunity Attacks, but it requires a Bonus Action and not a Reaction, so it will need to gain Advantage from another source.
• In the end, I might have been hoping the Knight archetype to be more of a mounted combat-based archetype, but instead what it looks like is a Defender type that is very good and tying enemies down. If the designers were looking to achieve that with the features, this archetype could easily be its own archetype without using the name of the Knight.

Samurai

• Fighting Spirit seems a little too great to grant both benefits of Advantage and Resistance, and regained after a short rest. I would have preferred if it only grants one of the benefits or is only regained after a long rest. 
• Despite being able to add their Wisdom modifier to a specific Charisma check, Elegant Courtier only allows the Samurai to learn one skill proficiency or language. 
• No comments on Unbreakable Will except it is an interesting proficiency to give for Fighters, since they are not proficient with any of the 3 saving throws. 
• Again with Rapid Strike, but this one being able to benefit from the free Advantage it gains from Fighting Spirit.
• Strength Before Death is an interesting feature that lets the Samurai almost become a raging barbarian with Relentless Rage. A planned player might reserve an Action Surge to go with this feature, effectively giving the character two bonus turns. The calculation of damage after the end of the bonus turn might be a hassle afterwards, so it might benefit from having the effects made clearer.

Sharpshooter

• Steady Aim has a component of the Sharpshooter feat and deals additional damage on each hit rather than the first attack, which can come in handy when the Fighter gets Extra Attack later on. Again, not in favour of having a fixed number of use and would preferred a tiered progression.
• Careful Eyes is an interesting feature that might be overlooked by many DMs. Not sure why Survival is among the selection though.
• Close-Quarters Shooting is another feature that is based on the Crossbow Expert feat with additional effects.
•  I'm not entirely sure why Rapid Strike is here again, but the Sharpshooter doesn't have a self sustaining means of granting itself Advantage.
• Snap Shot looks like an interesting feature that would amount up to 4 attacks with the Attack action on the Sharpshooter's first turn in combat at 18th level. 
• As much as I like the archetype, I'm not sure if I would enjoy the mini versions of Sharpshooter and Crossbow Expert, which doesn't give the full benefits of those feats. It could be quite a dilemma to decide whether to take those feats on top of the features, because there aren't a lot of other ranged related feats to take other than those two. 

While I was most excited to see new Martial Archetypes, these 4 have only given me a mixed reaction. Some like the Arcane Archer and Samurai could use a little more thought and work put into them to make them more attractive, but others like the Knight and Sharpshooter just seemed more confused in the design. I would definitely expect to see more iterations of these archetypes and here's to hoping that other players feel the same when the next survey comes about.

Up next is the class that some have considered to have some of the most under-powered subclasses, so it would be interesting to see what the designers have come up with for the Monk.

Last Updated: 6/12/16

[Unearthing the Arcana] Druid Circles and Wild Shape, Part 2

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

My last post on the new Unearthed Arcana for druids covered the new Druid Circles that were introduced. That wasn't the only new things that were introduced in the Unearthed Arcana, however, as it also included an optional rule for druids to select their Wild Shape forms.

Initially I had thought it was going to be a variant of the Wild Shape feature, but after reading it through it was more of a codified way for DMs and players to decide on what Wild Shape forms that the Druid can have starting at 2nd level.

In the Player's Handbook, Druids were expected to seek out the beast form that they want to be able to Wild Shape into. In this optional rule, Druids can decide which beast forms they can wild shape into based on the terrain that the Druid is living in.

Without looking too deeply into the selection of beasts that the Druid can select from, I think this would be welcomed by any DM who wants to bypass the nitty gritty details of the Druid being able to wild shape into a certain beast or not. Not saying that some DMs or players would not find the original ruling in the Player's Handbook to be of less opportunity, but it's a fair alternative to have.

The rule that I appreciate more is how to gain extra beast shapes, which might not sit well with some players. Having to make an Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Animal Handling) may seem to control the Challenge Rating of beasts that the Druid can take shape of, but also bear in mind that the highest Challenge Rating they can take is CR 1, so the highest DC that the Druid can shape into is 11. And for beasts with lower CR than 1, like 1/2 or 1/4, what should the DC be exactly?

So that's all I have to say about the new Druid Circle and the optional rules for Wild Shape. I'm already looking forward to the next Unearthed Arcana, which is for one of my favourite class.

See you in the next Unearthing the Arcana.





Last Updated: 1/12/16

[Unearthing the Arcana] Druid Circles and Wild Shape, Part 1

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Moving down the alphabetic order from last week's Clerics, this week we have the Druids. Not only do we get 3 new Druid Circles, but we also get a new optional rule for Wild Shape Forms. So I will be doing a two-part series for this Unearthed Arcana, with this post covering my thoughts on the new Druid Circles, and the next one on the Wild Shape optional rules.

Now, onto joining the Circle of Dreams, Circle of the Shepherd, and Circle of Twilight.

Circle of Dreams

• Introducing a dice pool mechanic with Balm of the Summer Court which already is deviating from the Druid's design from the Player's Handbook. Not always a big fan of new mechanics being added to the standard design, and it makes things worse with the additional calculations of how many dice does the Druid have and can spent, followed by how many hit points regained and temporary hit points granted. I don't mind the effects more than I mind how clunky and how many additional parts are added to do this. There is certainly a better way to do this. I would have preferred something more akin to Bard's Bardic Inspiration dice.
• Hearth of Moonlight and Shadow is an odd feature but it certainly does make this Circle more attractive to have in a party, although as a DM I don't often use a party's campfire as attraction for random encounters.
• Hidden Paths is effectively casting Misty Step on yourself or an ally, but I rather it be a feature that can only be used once, and then regained after a Short Rest than having to track 1d4 rounds later. 
• Not sure how the name Purifying Light has anything to do with the Feywild, and it is also feels out of nature to this Circle's flavor. The wording is also a little unclear whether the Druid has to spend two spell slots to cast the healing spell and Dispel Magic (I'm assuming the Druid doesn't have to prepare Dispel Magic) or gets to cast it for free with its level equal to the spell slot of the healing spell cast. Does that mean when casting a healing spell on more than one target, the Druid has to expended the use of this feature, along with the number of spell slots for each target? And what if the Druid use this feature when casting a healing spell with a spell slot lower than 3rd level? 
• This is the second class in this new series of Unearthed Arcana to have a Feywild flavor as a subclass, which is probably more fitting than the Bard. But I'm not feeling much of the Feywild vibe than I would like it to be. Maybe having some features related to Charms would spice things up a bit. 

Circle of the Shepherd

• First off, I don't know how many players are not going to get laughed at for playing a Druid from this circle because of the name. I get the flavor the name is supposed to convey, and it is probably the animal companion Druid that 5th Edition has been waiting for, but it could certainly use a better name.
• A good effort in imitating the Barbarian's Totem Spirit as a Spirit Bond which is slightly more powerful and boosts the party within a 30-foot radius.
• The Beast Speech feature should be the same as the Warlock's invocation which is also called Beast Speech. 
• Have not much to say about Mighty Summoner as it gives a fairly minor boost to Conjure Animals, but it does give a nice touch of making the summoned animals' attacks magical, which is similar to the Circle of the Moon's Primal Strike. 
• No complaints for Guardian Spirit, which is comparable with the Circle of the Land's Nature's Ward.
• Faithful Summons is an interesting feature with an interesting trigger. For those wondering why only CR 2 beasts, because that is what can be summoned with a 9th level spell slot. I might not mind that the summoned beast be able to stabilize or heal 1 hit point to the Druid, because the default position is that the summoned animals would be to protect the Druid who would not be able to command them without another party member bringing the Druid back up.
• Why doesn't this Circle give the Druid an animal companion? 

Circle of Twilight

• Again with the dice pool mechanic for Harvest's Scythe, with even more calculations to do and tracking for undeads killed and allies healed. No thanks.
• Would have like to see Speech Beyond the Grave in the Unearthed Arcana Cleric's Grave domain (I mean it's already in the name), and the Druid can have the Grave domain's Eyes of the Grave feature in return.
• Watcher at the Threshold is similar in design to the Circle of the Land's Nature's Ward and the Circle of Shepherd's Guardian Spirit, and the added Advantage to Death Saving Throws is huge.
• Paths of the Dead could potentially be the most powerful of the 14th level features that a Druid gets, and I'm not sure if it should be regained after a short rest.  

This being the third Unearthed Arcana since the new schedule, I'm starting to notice that the designers are trying to push for additional mechanics to classes. Personally, I'm not a big fan to that approach to design because it is likely for it to go down the path of making future options to that class to supersede those that are in the core rulebooks. I much prefer sticking to basics like they did with the new cleric domains, and I had certainly hoped that 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragon would have stayed with the standardize approach with more diversity than complexity.

I know this is still supposedly a very early draft of the new class features, but I will definitely be sharing my thoughts on this when the next survey comes. However, I would also like to hear what you have to say about this as well, so don't be afraid to drop a few comments.

Stay tune for my next post on the new Wild Shape Form rules!





Last Updated: 29/11/16

[Unearthing the Arcana] Cleric: Divine Domains

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Before I start, let me just say a few things. As [Unearthing the Arcana] will be a regular column in the foreseeable future, I have decided to try and find a suitable format that would be able to keep up with the new releases and meet with my own regular writing schedule. So you will be seeing frequent changes in the format of presentation in the next few posts for [Unearthing the Arcana], as I try to find a balance to be insightful and fast (one of which is likely to suffer for the sake of the other). I would greatly appreciate if you, my readers, would let me know (in the comments) which format is more friendly to your reading eyes, as they are written as much for you as they are for me, so that it would make it easier for me to know where the sweet spot is.

Now back to business.

After my less than enthusiastic reception towards the new Bard Colleges, we move to Clerics, with 3 new Divine Domains introduced in this week's Unearthed Arcana. Clerics have one of the most options from the get-go since the Player's Handbook, and the core design of Divine Domains has been consistent with slight variations for each domain. That might appear boring for some, but thankfully those core design principles have stayed with the Forge, Grave and Protection domains in the new Unearthed Arcana. So that's at least one less worry as a DM.

So let's see what the gods have bestowed on these Clerics.

Forge Domain

• Domain Spells: A good selection befitting the flavor and concept, especially with Searing Smite from the Paladin's spell list and a few Wizard and Sorcerer spells like Fabricate and Creation.
• Bonus Proficiency: No complaints. Makes a lot of sense for the flavor.
• Blessing of the Forge: As a player, this is a very good feature that gives Clerics a Shillelagh equivalent and a little bit more. This is well balanced by the ability to only be able to enchant one weapon or armor between a Long Rest.
• Channel Divinity: Artisan's Blessing: If read as an exception to the normal Crafting rules, being able to craft something what could take up to 20 downtime days, albeit it at full value of an item (rather than half), in the span of a Short Rest can feel a little excessive. I would probably like to see the value it can craft lowered, but require a longer period for crafting. However, given that it expends a use of the Cleric's Channel Divinity, it would probably go for the former. 
• Soul of the Forge: Arguably one of the best domain feature to be gained at 6th level by a Cleric given the number of bonuses it grants, rather than an ability or Channel Divinity. 
• Divine Strike: Standard issue for Clerics, but deals Fire damage. 
• Saint of Forge and Fire: Similar to the War Domain's Avatar of War feature, with the additional benefit of being immune to Fire damage. Could make do without the Resistance to not overshadow the War Domain. 

An exciting domain to play, but could use a few more tweaks here and there as it already feels to be better than most other divine domains from a mechanical standpoint.

Grave Domain 

• Domain Spells:No complaints for the most part, with spells like Ray of Enfeeblement, Vampiric Touch, Blight, and Antilife Shell not from the Cleric's spell list.
• Bonus Proficiency: No complaints since Clerics from the Life, and Nature domains get the same proficiency in Heavy Armor. 
• Circle of Mortality: An interesting twist when compared with the Life Domain's Disciple of Life. The combo with Spare the Dying is a well thought out feature to allow healing spells to be cast on the same turn.
• Eyes of the Grave: Works similarly with the Ranger's Primeval Awareness as it is in the Player's Handbook, though without having to spend a spell slot which is a fairer trade-off. Could also be a better replacement for Detect Good and Evil and slightly better than the Paladin's Divine Sense for detecting undead. Although I'm not sure what it means to learn the creature type of the undead, I could do with or without the ability to know the highest challenge rating undead detected. 
• Channel Divinity: Path to the Grave: A very cool ability that is controlled by expended use of Channel Divinity. Could be potentially dangerous at low levels, but it could be the ability that is needed in most parties.
• Sentinel at Death's Door: Another cool ability that is unique, and being only able to do it once between Rests makes all the difference.
• Divine Strike: Same as other Clerics, but deals necrotic damage.  
• Keeper of Souls: An interesting ability with the amount of hit points regained almost inconsequential by the time this feature is gained. It might seem underpowered in general as it certainly doesn't compare well against the Life Domain's Supreme Healing. 

A concern of mine was how this divine domain was going to differentiate itself from the Life Domain, but the designers have certainly done a good job on this one. I would have liked to see a more powerful Channel Divinity ability to destroying Undead, but as it stands now this domain is fine as well.

Protection Domain

• Domain Spells: The expected usual suspects from the Abjuration school, except for Slow. Would rather see Wind Wall instead.
• Bonus Proficiency: Heavy armor proficiency seemed like a no-brainer for this domain. Wouldn't mind if it had Martial Weapon proficiency too.
• Shield of the Faithful: This is also the same as the Protection Fighting Style of Fighters and Paladins without the Shield requirement.
• Channel Divinity: Radiant Defense: An odd ability to grant protection to an ally, but this has similarities with the Light Domain's Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn, except it deals the same amount of damage without any saving throws. 
• Blessed Healer: Same as Life Domain.
• Divine Strike: Same as Life Domain,
• Indomitable Defense: Works similarly with the recent Barbarian's Ancestral Shield ability to grant resistances to an ally. Might have been better if it was granted at an earlier level then at 17th. Even so, in comparison with Ancestral Shield, it should be able to transfer that resistance as a Bonus Action, instead of an action.

The blandest of all the new domains and even the special features doesn't quite feel right with the theme of Protection. Most likely because of the same features it has taken from other domains that make it feel less distinct. I would say the designers for this domain are on the right track, but it hasn't been fully developed yet.



It's nice to see the designers sticking to basics, despite not having something remarkable. Clerics work best with only small differences between them and the makeup of their domain features is already robust and solid to let them stand on their own as it is. While the Protection Domain could use some more work, I don't expect the next iteration of it would differ wildly from what we seen here in terms of its structure. So, with 2 out of 3 hits, there are probably more good things to say, and still have room for some suggestions.

So until the next Unearthed Arcana that comes out next week for the Druid, see you in the next Unearthing the Arcana.






Last Updated: 22/11/2016 

[Unearthing the Arcana] Bard: Bard Colleges

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

With the new Primal Paths for Barbarians in the last installment, the next class to have new class options would be the Bard.

The first thing that I noticed in these new colleges is that their design is quite different than the ones in the Player's Handbook. All of the college features do not give an immediate or simple bonus to a base class feature, but are abilities on their own. While it's an interesting way to create new bard colleges, it also makes it quite hard to make a comparison and evaluation of these new colleges without a benchmark to work with.

So let's take a look at the College of Glamour and College of Whispers.  

College of Glamour

I've always wanted to see a performance-based Bard College that lets the Bard play up their charms, so the Fey-trained College of Glamour looks like a good fit. Mantle of Inspiration looks to have some interesting combat and tactical application, although it works better for DMs who run with a combat grid, and there is the additional book keeping it incurs given how Temporary Hit Points work.

Part of my concerns with these new Bard Colleges is that they give features that are too on-its-own, that is hard to gauge its effectiveness and usefulness to a player and DM. Enthralling Performance shows that vague application. Taking at least 10 minutes to have any effect means it's practically not to be used in combat, and induces the Charmed condition with additional effects that relies on open interpretation by the DM and/or player. This isn't something that neither of the Bard Colleges from the Player's Handbook have, so it's usefulness depends on the campaign the DM is running.

Mantle of Majesty and Unbreakable Majesty seem a little under-powered to be able to cast 1st level Cleric spells at the level they are gained, and the additional benefits don't seem to add anything significant to its usability that can't be achieved with the College of Lore.

I can't say I'm all excited with the College of Glamour because it doesn't quite do the things that I was hoping it would do, and the unnecessary complexity of its abilities doesn't quite add up to the awe and fear aspects of the Fey. I'm more inclined to the more traditional design of the Bard Colleges in the Player's Handbook, with just a few skills proficiencies swapped around and a couple of features to boost a certain aspect that the College is aspiring towards. 

College of Whispers

If I found the College of Glamour to have some concerns, I would say the College of Whispers is even more so. While it could easily be said that its features are just changing the Charm effects of the College of Glamour to being Frightened, the implication of doing that may be dangerous if a DM is not prepared to handle a fearful situation. In many ways, I see this college as the anti-Bard, just as anti-Paladins, which while giving an 'evil' flavored Bard class, may not be especially welcomed by some DMs.

While Venomous Blades is a straightforward and interesting feature, I feel that Venomous Words has the same problems as I stated for Entralling Performance. The second tier of features Mantle of Whispers and Shadow Lore are to me interesting features when used in a espionage-based campaign, but only creates more complexity in other campaigns.

As always I find the underpinning problem with both features is that there just too many moving parts that are open for DM and player interpretation that is hard to find a common ground on how it should actually work on the table. For example, given how Shadow Lore is worded, it could actually mean the Bard could extort shopkeepers to getting discounted (or free) services, thanks to the duration and its ability to be granted favors and gifts. Again, whether this is broken or not is entirely up to how the DM wants to handle such situations.

I won't say that I dislike both these colleges, especially the flavor of them (which I actually like in concept), but I dislike a design that creates more potential problems for the DM to control than necessary to cater to a very specific play style. Given the expectations I had with the Bard class, I would have liked to see more of the heavily subjective features to be weaker, or have its limitations very clearly worded. That's usually a treacherous path to thread down, but I'm not in charge of the overall design philosophy of 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. If I were in charge, I would have went for something that went along the lines in the Player's Handbook. 

So that's all I have to say about the Bard Colleges, and would definitely like to hear someone give a contrasting opinion or how they would handle features like Enthralling Performance and Venomous Words, which can help me to appreciate them better.

See you in the next Unearthing the Arcana that is coming soon that most likely would be a few more domains for clerics. 

Last Updated: 20/11/2016 

[Unearthing the Arcana] Barbarian Primal Paths

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Some big changes have been announced for the Unearthed Arcana column from Wizards recently at Gamehole Con. Instead of a monthly column, Mike Mearls and Jeremy Crawford have announced that they would be turning it into weekly column, which means there will be plenty of new rules and variants to play with in the coming months. I'm not sure if I and this column would be able to keep up with the schedule, so I most likely going to have a few gaps here and there, as new Unearthed Arcana rules are put out on faster rate.

Starting off in this new schedule is a new Unearthed Arcana with new Barbarian Primal Paths. The new Primal Paths are Path of the Ancestral Guardian, Path of the Storm Herald, and Path of the Zealot. Each of these are different flavored barbarians with some interesting mechanical features tied to them.

From a general outlook, I find that each of these Primal Paths imply a unique way of playing the Barbarian, as reflected by their mechanics and it would be interesting to see its iterations until it reaches official print. For this Unearthed Arcana, the designers do not seem to be setting out to change anything for the Barbarian but to give them new options. As a whole, these are definitely some welcomed options for the Barbarian class that can shift their role in the party.

Path of the Ancestral Guardian

Bound and protected by the spirits of their ancestors, the Path of the Ancestral Guardian seems to have a lot in common with the Path of the Totem Warrior, in terms of the flavor, and even their mechanics can feel a little similar too.

Ancestral Protectors is essentially marking mechanism that ties down a creature to the Barbarian as a Bonus Action while raging, granting disadvantage to attack at anyone else but the Barbarian, and even making it harder for the creature to disengage from the Barbarian, who can easily catch up with the Barbarian's Fast Movement at later levels.

Ancestral Shield is an interesting mechanic that allows it to transfer its damage resistances while raging as a bonus action to allies. This calls for some tactical decision as the Barbarian can give away its resistances to anyone as long as they are within range and in sight, as many times as they want during combat. 

Consult the Spirits looks like it was trying to be a variant of the Path of the Totem Warrior's Spirit Walker feature at 10th level. Rather than communing with the ancestral spirits, however, the Barbarian is granted advantage to its Intelligence and Wisdom checks as much as 3 times per Long Rest.  

Vengeful Ancestors adds a damaging element similar to the Ancestral Shield which deals damage to creatures that hit you or an ally within range and in sight. The use of a Reaction already limits how powerful it can be in combat (1/turn), and 2d8 Force damage may not put a big dent to the monsters that Barbarian would be facing at 14th level.

Aside from Consult the Spirits, the Path of the Ancestral Guardian puts an interesting twist to the protective role of the Barbarian that is taken by the Path of the Totem Warrior. Rather than being a powerful absorbent of damage like the Totem Warrior, the Path of the Ancestral Guardian is more tactical is pinning down powerful enemies with Ancestral Protectors, while still being able to protect squishier allies with Ancestral Shield. This would certainly make choosing between the two paths a little harder for players, but they should be glad to have both options. 

Path of the Storm Herald

Using their primal rage as a conduit for primal magic to be centered around them, I personally find the name a little tacky, but generally think a weather themed Primal Path seems almost natural for the Barbarian.

This one shares some similarities with the Path of the Totem Warrior, the same way that they have to select 3 different variations of their features. Instead of animal spirits, the Path of the Storm Herald selects between three terrains; Desert, Sea and Tundra, which can generally be remembered as Fire, Lightning or Cold for their effects. However, instead of being able to pick a different animal for each primal path feature in Path of the Totem Warrior, once the element is chosen, future primal path features are based on the element chosen for the rest of the primal path.

This path introduces an aura-mechanic that are similar to the Paladin class, but instead of buffing party members, the 10-feet radius aura emanates negative effects or protections based on the chosen elements. This aura only appears when the Barbarian is raging, except for one of the feature.

Storm of Fury deals damage to a single or any enemies  (depending on the damage type) within the aura based on the selected element.

Storm Soul grants the barbarian resistance against the chosen damage type, and an additional benefit against it. This is then granted to allies within the aura with Shield of the Storm.

Raging Storm turns the aura into dangerous area of effects that reduces mobility of enemies.

I personally have mixed feelings with the aura mechanic in general, so giving it to the Barbarian might seem like a logical choice of design, but not necessarily my favourite because of the additional book keeping it requires. The calculation of damage for Storm of Fury is very clunky, which could be refined with a tier-like structure or a similar mode of calculation that other classes and features might already be using. Having this feature early makes it significantly more useful (and powerful) than the Path of the Ancestral Guardian's Vengeful Ancestors so I think the designers will be thinking more on how to get the right amount of damage output.

Path of the Zealot 

This one is probably the most surprising theme for the Barbarian, but the simplicity of its mechanics is also my favourite out of the three. This may not be the first time I'm seeing a divinely guided Barbarian, but I can myself doing away with the divine connection, and apply them to something more spiritual or frenzy.

This is the only Primal Path that gets 2 primal path features upon reaching 3rd level, with Divine Fury and Warrior of the Gods. Divine Fury is a much more straightforward but also likely to be a more damaging version of Storm of Fury, that I'm not sure how the designers are going to balance between the two. Warrior of the Gods is a very nice feature to have for a class that is most likely to get killed, although I could use to have it a higher levels when spellcasters in the party would have access to the more expensive spells for bringing back the dead.

Zealous Focus is an interesting feature that could prematurely end the barbarian's rage, so it's hard to tell how effective it is without actually playing it on the table. If I was a player, I may only use it to end a Rage that is almost near the end of its duration, and I also save a Bonus Action to do that.

Zealous Presence looks a little out of place for me to fit with the flavor, but it's a feature that players would have no complaints about, especially since it doesn't require the Barbarian to be raging to use it. That is probably where the designers will look into, if they want to nerf it. There are no comparable class features at that level I could find that is comparable, so this one could be more on the high side of the power curve.

The idea of Rage Beyond Death is cool, but it completely makes the Barbarian's Persistent Rage base feature a level later redundant. It is possible that this was the intention of the designers to make this primal path more attractive, but I prefer class features to have more synergy.  

Aside from the flavor, I like the Path of the Zealot for being a die-hard barbarian, which makes features like Divine Fury and Zealous Presence seemed like a tacked on idea to the theme of the Path of the Zealot. It would be great if the designers refined the features of the Path of the Zealot to make it tougher and harder to kill.   

All in all, I like seeing these new Primal Paths for the Barbarians and granted that these are still first drafts, it is still too early to judge them for anything. There are certainly places that could be improved and refined for the mechanics, but the real work for me, I would think, is in hitting the right flavor of some of these Primal Paths. I'm in the direction I see the designers are taking with the class, so I would be interested to see where they would take it in the next iteration. 

So share your thoughts about these Primal Paths here and if you haven't already, the feedback survey for these primal paths is already up,

See you in the next Unearthing the Arcana where I go attend the new Bard Colleges. 

Last Updated: 17/11/2016 

[Unearthing the Arcana] Encounter Building

This column is to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Encounter building, while one of the most fundamental skills to master as a Dungeon Master, is highly reliant on the tools provided to the DM at every edition. For 5th edition, I have seen DMs who either cannot comprehend, let alone utilize, the encounter building guidelines as provided in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Not only it may take some time to understand them, but even after learning how to use them, it can come up with some questionable results with large degrees of variance than what the DM can be expecting. So it was a pleasant surprise that the designers at Wizards had come up with an alternative set of guidelines to perform one of these essential tasks.

Although this new encounter building guidelines have some significant differences in its approach to creating encounters, the good thing is that it still relies on the underlying math of 5th Edition that uses the party size and level and the Challenge Rating and number of monsters, without adding another subset of math to make it any more complicated than it already is.

So to start off this examination of the new Encounter Building guidelines, let's see what this new guideline is aiming to achieve:

This encounter-building system assumes that, as a Dungeon Master, you want to have a clear understanding of the threat posed by a group of monsters. It’ll be of interest to any DMs who want to emphasize combat in their games, who want to ensure that a foe isn’t too deadly for a specific group of characters, and who want to understand the relationship between a character’s level and a monster’s challenge rating.

After creating a few sample encounters with the same party size and levels, using both the guidelines from the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Unearthed Arcana, it would seem that this new guidelines do achieve what it is made to do, but not without losing a few things in exchange.

So here's a few things I've noted.

It's easier to scale for smaller or larger party size

The encounter building guidelines from the Dungeon Master's Guide is built on the assumption that the party size is between 3-5 characters. Although it has adjustments for smaller or larger party size than 3 or 5, it can make the calculation of the appropriate encounter level more confusing. This new guideline, however, has already have different party sizes taken into account in the tables, whether its picking the right monsters for a party of 6 or even a party of 1. This is mainly done with the benefit of its second advantage...

It's easier to find a combination of monsters with different Challenge Ratings

A major drawback when I was using the guidelines from the Dungeon Master's Guide is that it tends to have a lot of grey areas that doesn't fit perfectly with the party size and level. Once you have calculated the XP threshold for the party for the various difficulties, it becomes a time consuming process to try and find the right combination of Challenge Rating in the right number of monsters, which can modify the XP threshold. This often leads to frustration for me when I have to test each combination to match within the threshold of the difficulty that I want it to be, and either come up short to match the XP threshold perfectly.

In this new system, you can easily create encounters with different challenge ratings because the number of monsters of a certain challenge rating has a ratio to the number of characters. This allows you to mix and match any combination of challenge rating and number of monsters until it matches with the party size,  so it becomes far less time consuming to find the various right combinations. The other benefit is that it has a separate table for Legendary monsters since they are almost effectively one-and-a-half monster with two initiative counts. Although this would be unlikely to appear at the lower levels, but it's more accurate to gauge the right challenge rating for legendary monsters against the party. 

There is more fine-tuning and DM assessment needed

Off the bat when reading the new guidelines is that it is not built on a baseline of characters' power level at any given level. Before and after selecting the monsters that will be in the encounter, it cautions DMs to make their own assessment of what the monster is capable of against the characters in the party. Although the places to look are pretty standard (hit points, saves, attacks and damage), but from here you can tell that this system is not designed to be generic and able to cater for many situations without much of the DM's input. This may be an additional hassle for newer DMs who don't know how to assess a monster's capabilities beside its Challenge Rating. 

It is more difficult to decrease or increase the difficulty of the encounter

This is where the tradeoff between the new and old guidelines come in. You get more precision in exchange for flexibility. In the guidelines from the Dungeon Master's Guide, the DM can decide the difficulty level they want for the encounter and calculate the XP threshold from there. In this Unearthed Arcana, the difficulty is presumed to only be 'challenging', which by and large equals to a slightly more difficult composition than a Medium challenge in the Dungeon Master's Guide. 

There are ways to increase or decrease the difficulty of an encounter by assuming a larger or smaller party, but again it falls into the vague territories as in the original guidelines where it could result in the encounter being overpowering or underwhelming than expected. I may suggest DMs using the new table to just use the next higher or lower Challenge Rating instead of the 'right' Challenge Rating to make it easier or more difficult, but I don't know how accurate that would be compared to increasing or decreasing party size.

It runs on different extra-circumstances

It's hard to have a really fair comparison between both encounter guidelines beyond the number crunching because they run on different assumptions. The guidelines from the Dungeon Master's Guide also assumes you can use it to built encounters with multiple parts or waves, and also certain modifiers that could make the encounter more difficult (e.g., monsters having Surprise, environmental effects, terrain, sight, etc.), rather than just the number or Challenge Rating of the monsters. 

On the other hand, this Unearthed Arcana has an additional step for the DM to consider the personality and relationship of the monsters which could end combat earlier, and assumes there are terrain factors and traps in the encounter. It even has an added consideration for random events that could happen before or during the encounter. So the encounters using this guidelines is not made to end solely through combat but gives a little more depth to it.  

Final Thoughts

It's fairly hard to conclusively say if this Unearthed Arcana guideline improves what is in the Dungeon Master's Guide. How I see it is that it is an additional tool in the Encounter Building toolbox, and it is a much needed tool for a more precise encounter building. I would definitely use the Unearthed Arcana guidelines for a more tailored encounter for the party, but would probably stick to the Dungeon Master's Guide when building a more open encounters or encounters in a campaign where players are not expecting everything to be tailored. It would be interesting to see if it is possible to mesh both guidelines together, and I think they might benefit from referencing each other in order to find the right level of challenge.

The more important part out of this Unearthed Arcana I will say is, know what you want your encounters to achieve and use the appropriate tool to make them. This is definitely a welcome set of Unearthed Arcana rules and I also like that it provides more insight into party size and levels and Challenge Ratings, which if better understood can help a DM to do away encounter building guidelines altogether.

See you in the next Unearthing the Arcana!





Last Updated: 16/10/2016

[Unearthing the Arcana] The Ranger, Revised, Supplement: The Beast Conclave's Animal Companion

This is the first series for a new column to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

In my post on the Beast Conclave, I mentioned that the revised Animal Companion and Companion's Bond has vastly changed the animal companion and the companion's statistics that accompanies the Ranger. So to make a more meaningful comparison, I needed a post focused on just comparing what was changed for the animal companion.

For this comparison, I choose to take a Black Bear as the animal companion because it has the Multiattack action to demonstrate what happens when it is removed. I will be comparing the animal companion across different levels at 3rd (when the Ranger first acquires it), 7th (when it gets its second Conclave/Archetype feature) and lastly at 11th (for the 3rd Conclave/Archetype feature). This I think will give a wider picture of how the companion differs as it progresses as you will see.

As a disclaimer, I cannot guarantee that the math I've done is perfect so I'm open to anyone who can point out anything unusual or incorrect in the statistics I've derived, and if proven wrong, I would make the amendments accordingly. Of course, conversely, if there's any of the calculations that doesn't make sense to you, I can try to show you my workings.


So first off, here are the companion's stats when the Ranger is at 3rd level and first acquires the animal companion:

Black Bear, Medium Beast	Ranger's Companion (Player's Handbook)	Animal Companion & Companion's Bond (Revised)
Armor Class	13 (11+2)	13 (11+2)
Hit Points	19 (3d8+6)	19 (3d8+6)
Speed	40 ft., Climb 30 ft.	40 ft., Climb 30 ft.
STR	15 (+2)	15 (+2)
DEX	10 (+0)	10 (+0)
CON	14 (+2)	14 (+2)
INT	2 (-4)	2 (-4)
WIS	12 (+1)	12 (+1)
CHA	7 (-2)	7 (-2)
Ranger's Proficiency Bouns	+2	+2
Saving Throws
STR	+2	+4
DEX	+0	+2
CON	+2	+4
INT	-4	-2
WIS	+1	+3
CHA	-2	+0
Skill Proficiencies
Athletics		+4
Perception	+3	+3
Stealth		+2
Number of Attacks	1	1
Bite	+5 to Hit: 1d6+4 Piercing	+5 to Hit: 1d6+4 Piercing / 1d6+6 Piercing (Favored Enemy)
Claw	+5 to Hit: 2d4+4 Slashing	+5 to Hit: 2d4+4 Slashing / 2d4+6 Slashing (Favored Enemy)

Here's the animal companion when the Ranger is at 6th level. For the Ability Score Improvement, the player of the revised Ranger would increase the companion's CON score by 2. Also should be noted that the revised Ranger would have also gained the Greater Favored Enemy feature.

Black Bear, Medium Beast	Ranger's Companion (Player's Handbook)	Animal Companion & Companion's Bond (Revised)
Armor Class	14 (11+3)	14 (11+3)
Hit Points	19 (3d8+6)	43 (6d8+18)
Speed	40 ft., Climb 30 ft.	40 ft., Climb 30 ft.
STR	15 (+2)	15 (+2)
DEX	10 (+0)	10 (+0)
CON	14 (+2)	16 (+3)
INT	2 (-4)	2 (-4)
WIS	12 (+1)	12 (+1)
CHA	7 (-2)	7 (-2)
Ranger's Proficiency Bouns	+3	+3
Saving Throws
STR	+2	+5
DEX	+0	+3
CON	+2	+5
INT	-4	-1
WIS	+1	+4
CHA	-2	+1
Skill Proficiencies
Athletics		+5
Perception	+4	+4
Stealth		+3
Number of Attacks	1	1 ,1 Reaction (Coordinated Attack)
Bite	+6 to Hit: 1d6+5 Piercing	+6 to Hit: 1d6+5 Piercing / 1d6+9 Piercing (Favored Enemy)
Claw	+6 to Hit: 2d4+5 Slashing	+6 to Hit: 2d4+5 Slashing / 2d4+9 Slashing (Favored Enemy)

For our last comparison, this is the companion with the Ranger at 11th level. For the Ability Score Improvement, the Ranger increases the companion's STR by 2.

Black Bear, Medium Beast	Ranger's Companion (Player's Handbook)	Animal Companion & Companion's Bond (Revised)
Armor Class	15 (11+4)	15 (11+4)
Hit Points	19 (3d8+6)	78 (11d8+33)
Speed	40 ft., Climb 30 ft.	40 ft., Climb 30 ft.
STR	15 (+2)	17 (+3)
DEX	10 (+0)	10 (+0)
CON	14 (+2)	16 (+3)
INT	2 (-4)	2 (-4)
WIS	12 (+1)	12 (+1)
CHA	7 (-2)	7 (-2)
Ranger's Proficiency Bouns	+4	+4
Saving Throws		Has Advantage (Beast's Defense)
STR	+2	+6
DEX	+0	+4
CON	+2	+6
INT	-4	+0
WIS	+1	+5
CHA	-2	+2
Skill Proficiencies
Athletics		+7
Perception	+5	+5
Stealth		+4
Number of Attacks	2 / Multiattack (Bestial Fury)	Up to 8 (Storm of Claws and Fangs), 1 Reaction (Coordinated Attack)
Bite	+7 to Hit: 1d6+6 Piercing	+7 to Hit: 1d6+7 Piercing / 1d6+11 Piercing (Favored Enemy)
Claw	+7 to Hit: 2d4+6 Slashing	+7 to Hit: 2d4+7 Slashing / 2d4+11 Slashing (Favored Enemy)

Overall, I think there's plenty to like for the new Beast Conclave. I hope these comparisons has helped you to see how the companion is now an effective party member rather than a meat shield. Given that it now costs time and money to bring back a dead animal companion, it probably justifies that these companions don't die as easily. Although its combat effectiveness isn't worrying, but it certainly makes the Beast Conclave seem more fun to play.

This would pretty much conclude my study of the new revised Ranger, and I'm quite certain that this won't be the last time that the designers would be making another revision, so I'm already looking forward to see the next revision. I would definitely like to hear what you all have to say about this revised Ranger, so feel free to share your thoughts on them.

See you until the next Unearthing the Arcana!





Last Updated: 10/10/2016  

[Unearthing the Arcana] The Ranger, Revised, Part 4: The Deep Stalker Conclave

This is the first series for a new column to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

In my previous post, I got disappointed that nothing much has changed from the Hunter Archetype of the Player's Handbook in the new Hunter Conclave, and pointed out some areas where they could have improved on it. Perhaps it was not a priority for the designers in this revision to make any revision for the Hunter Conclave Ranger, so all hope is not lost for another revision.

Moving onto the last Ranger Conclave for this revision, this isn't the first time that the Deep Stalker Conclave was introduced; it being ported over from a previous Unearthed Arcana to put in some Underdark flavor to some of the classes for Out of the Abyss. Though most of Deep Stalker Conclave features read pretty much the same as its previous iteration with some tweaks, but since this is the first time I will be mentioning it for this column, I will inspect it as though this was the first time I'm seeing it.

So let's get right into it.

Underdark Scout

As it says in the description, the Deep Stalker Conclave Rangers are masters in the art of the ambush and this feature fully demonstrates that. Not only does it give additional speed for the Ranger to reach their target creature at its first turn, the Ranger gets to make 2 attacks against it (or another creature). Combine that with the revised Natural Explorer, the attacks can be made with Advantage on creatures that have not acted and that is potentially more deadly than a Hunter Conclave Ranger's Hunter's Prey. This is why I think the revised Natural Explorer is more overpowered than it looks and it only gets more powerful with features like Underdark Scout (again, I'm not even bringing up what happens when multiclassed with Rogue).

Even if the Ranger does not gain advantage from Natural Explorer for having the drop on unacted creatures, the addtional benefits of negating creatures with Darkvision to spot them in low light conditions or in hiding, can grant that advantage for being unseen.

Deep Stalker Magic

It should be no surprise that all the spells given here are non-Ranger spells and none are above 5th level which they can't cast. The selection is seemingly random. With Disguise Self and Seeming being useful illusion spells, the Deep Stalker Conclave could be made for disguising himself or the party, rather than hiding outright (except for Greater Invisibility).

Extra Attack

With this, the Ranger could make 3 attacks with Underdark Scout on its first turn, with or without Advantage.

Iron Mind

A seemingly random benefit to gain, but it's a good fit since the Ranger already relies on its Wisdom as its spellcasting ability. It is also understandable from a flavor perspective. Don't want to get charmed by a Mind Flayer while you're down in the Underdark.

Stalker's Flury

An unusual combat feature that I could see being abused with some multiclassing, but only getting it at 11th level might stave off many of the potential builds. I'm not entirely sure how to explain this flavor-wise, but I generally don't really have a problem with this feature mechanically speaking because of the level deterrent..

Stalker's Dodge

When reading the wording carefully, you would notice that this feature can be applied to all attacks without any limitations on the number of attacks, or how many times it can be used in the Ranger's turn. While that may sound a little overpowered, it is also more likely that a creature would be given Disadvantage to their attack rolls in a different spell or feature, other than this feature, by 15th level. So I guess that balances it out on its own. Again, I'm not quite sure how the flavor of the Deep Stalker Conclave is suppose to grant this, but I find it acceptable, if not anything remarkable about it yet.

While it's always good to see more options for any class, especially for the Ranger, my reactions to the Deep Stalker Conclave is that it has some features to be excited about, but I feel that it needs a little more work in the flavor department. While its combat capabilities may be something to be cautious about, but I believe a little tweak to either the base class features or the Deep Stalker Conclave features would fix this without anyone knowing.

So that's all my thoughts on all the new Ranger Conclaves for this new revision and I hope you find what I had to say to be useful or insightful. Wizards of the Coast has already started gathering feedback on the revision with their October 2016 survey, so don't forget to share your thoughts and experiences with the revised Ranger with them to make it better.

So that's just about it for my first series on the Unearthed Arcana, but just before I end this, I did promise to do a supplemental post on the Beast Conclave to examine the new animal companion. So look forward to that one. 

[Unearthing the Arcana: The Ranger, Revised, Supplement: The Beast Conclave's Animal Companion]



Last updated: 9/10/2016