Hey everyone! The feedback survey for this Unearthed Arcana is now live! Don't forget to get your feedback in and let us know what you think!
Did the survey, but would like if the Devs actually gave us a Feedback section to explain why we don't like something, or what we feel needs to be adjusted. Could you please pass that on? Otherwise these Surveys feel less like "How can we make this better?" and more of "Do you want this exactly how it is, yes or no?"
That would be too much of an info dump for them to pull useful data points from in a reasonable span of time. The entire purpose of surveys is to render feedback in a form that’s readily analyzed.
Survey done, I appreciate the opportunity to comment. Said some stuff like:
- artificer's flesh golem needs to hit harder and scale better. What a freakin' pansy. - shadow trinkets would be far more fun at 3rd level - Hexblade either needs a name change or a total rethink - Hunters mark-dependent main abilities constrain the hollow warden's fun. Boooo.
Survey done, I appreciate the opportunity to comment. Said some stuff like:
- artificer's flesh golem needs to hit harder and scale better. What a freakin' pansy. - shadow trinkets would be far more fun at 3rd level - Hexblade either needs a name change or a total rethink - Hunters mark-dependent main abilities constrain the hollow warden's fun. Boooo.
Nice summary 😋
I thought the same about the hexblade. I was a bit confused on seeing this at first, wondering where the iconic “Charisma-to-hit” feature had gone, before remembering that was now Pact of the Blade and therefore accessible to any warlock. So I see why they had to change the focus and make it viable with any pact, but now the name just doesn’t fit at all. Kinda shot themselves in the foot there.
Weird thing is…I have no objections to subclasses doubling-down on a optional feature because I feel subclasses are fine to specialise ( UNlike the ranger where specialisation got built into the core class feature). This subclass already specializes in "Hex", but maybe it would have been better if it also/instead gave you Pact of the Blade if you didn’t already have it, then expanded on what that pact could do. At least it would have matched the name better.
("X times per day, when you successfully hit a creature with your pact blade, you may also cast Hex on it...").
I can never shake the feeling the only reason we're seeing a new Hexblade is because DDB data has said it's the most popular (or at least one of the most popular) subclasses in 2014 so they feel obliged to update it but are missing that no one particularly liked the flavour, they just wanted the Level 1 benefits it gave and it was in an awful lot of Charisma based multiclass dips. With the Charisma based attacks moving to Pact of the Blade and this UA not having the armour and shield proficiencies it just feels like they'll be bringing out a subclass that virtually no one cares about
Agreed that this feels like a poorly-thought out sop due to the subclass's popularity.
With the exception of training in medium armor and shields, you can build a close approximation to the Hexblade using the canon 2024 rules. It's not as good as the 2014 version but IMNHSO it's better than this.
Hexblade needed an update to be fully 2024, format-wise.
Not THIS update. AN update.
It's why I asked for the Medium Armor & Shields in the survey, as well as not ramrodding Hex into another subclass with no way to change its damage type.
THAT BEING SAID...
The 2014 Hexblade dip still works for 2014. It just doesn't leave enough room for people who don't optimize(What I refer to as "Pact of the Hexblade/Pact of the Blade+" playstyles, which are valid, but aren't 2024-compatible ways of playing the Hexblade Patron's metagame). That's what this is trying to address. Chain & Tomelocks, as well as lore confusion that emerged among more casual players(Been at 2 myself that didn't understand anything that mentions The Raven Queen that wasn't from Critical Role, nor the concept of multiversal weapon fragments) who can't fully use the Pact of the Blade Synergy.
While I STRONGLY disapprove of the Hexblade remake as is(Maneuveresque options aside, just don't force Hex into them and they're salvagable) , I can see WHY they did it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
How would be the hexblade with "martial maneuvers"? Let's imagine a spell that gives a martial maneuver during one encounter. After this you have to spend other spell slot. When the spell is active you can use and reload a "martial maneuver" like ones from 3.5 Tome of Battle: Book of nine swords. After to "spend" that atack you use a special action to reload, and you can reload all the times until the end of the encounter. This should allow to be useful even for players who aren't using martial adept classes(crusader, warblade or swordsage).
After my first read I was down on a lot of it. I was surprised after a second read-through how many of the classes and class features I rated green. I took the most issue with these subclasses:
Hexblade Warlock - I can't find the identity of this subclass, it's a big grab bag without any direction. Seems really weak.
Reanimator Artificer - another pet class with the same ol' same ol' pet problem. This subclass is so focused on a pet with terrible scaling. And infinite resurrection from Jolt to Life - please, no. Though I do like the idea of walking my Frankenpuppy on a Witch Bolt leash. I can imagine someone standing at a dungeon entrance, making as many companions as they could, and sending them off one by one to death burst as a way to clear a dungeon and gradually kite enemies to the entrance.
College of Spirits Bard - Gotta drop the random table imo. Slim down the options to 3-4 that the player chooses from. Those options could have a d4 table if you want some kind of randomness but at least let the player pick the general effect. Like:
A) Baneful Spirit:
1. Brute. Each creature of your choice in a 30-foot Emanation originating from the target makes a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes Thunder damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die and has the Prone condition. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage only.
2. Tortured. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes Psychic damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die and subtracts 1d4 from its next D20 test until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage only.
3. Arcane. The target takes Force damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier.
4. Poltergeist. Target a 5' radius within 60'. Creatures in the area make a Dexterity saving throw, taking Fire damage equal to four rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.
B)Helpful Spirit:
1. Beloved. The target regains Hit Points equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier.
2. Avenger. Until the end of your next turn, any creature that hits the target with a melee attack roll takes Force damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.
3. Fortune Teller. The target has Advantage on D20 Tests until the start of your next turn.
4. Wayfarer. The target gains Temporary Hit Points equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Bard level. While it has these Temporary Hit Points, the target’s Speed increases by 10 feet.
C) Transportation Spirit
1. Renegade. The target can immediately take a Reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
2. Shade. The target gains the Invisible condition until the end of its next turn or until the target makes an attack roll, deals damage, or casts a spell. When the invisibility ends, each creature in a 5-foot Emanation originating from the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take Necrotic damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die.
3. Juggernaut. The target flies in a straight line up to 30 feet in a direction you choose before falling to the ground, stopping early if it impacts against a solid surface. If the target would strike a creature, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target strikes the target and stops moving. When the target strikes something, the target and what it strikes each take bludgeoning damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die.
4. Gemini. You can immediately swap places with the target.
Reanimator Artificer - another pet class with the same ol' same ol' pet problem. This subclass is so focused on a pet with terrible scaling. And infinite resurrection from Jolt to Life - please, no. Though I do like the idea of walking my Frankenpuppy on a Witch Bolt leash. I can imagine someone standing at a dungeon entrance, making as many companions as they could, and sending them off one by one to death burst as a way to clear a dungeon and gradually kite enemies to the entrance.
How do you get Infinite Resurrection from the Jolt to Life feature? It's just the option to modify your use of the existing Spare the Dying that restores a dying character to conscious status while also being a danger to anyone, friend or foe, within 10 feet, usually doable less than 5 times per Long Rest.
Are you talking about including a dying Undead Companion in the AOE of the 1d4+ Half Artificer Level lightning damage emanation of Jolt to Life's modded Spare the Dying to give it more hit points when it gets back up on the single casting?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
How would be the hexblade with "martial maneuvers"? Let's imagine a spell that gives a martial maneuver during one encounter. After this you have to spend other spell slot. When the spell is active you can use and reload a "martial maneuver" like ones from 3.5 Tome of Battle: Book of nine swords. After to "spend" that atack you use a special action to reload, and you can reload all the times until the end of the encounter. This should allow to be useful even for players who aren't using martial adept classes(crusader, warblade or swordsage).
The changes to Hexblade in this UA, if stripped of the Hex spell, sound like maneuvers(not the 3.5 ones) akin to what the 3rd-party Grim Hollow Blade Breaker Fighter & Carrion Raven Barbarian have.
Reanimator Artificer - another pet class with the same ol' same ol' pet problem. This subclass is so focused on a pet with terrible scaling. And infinite resurrection from Jolt to Life - please, no. Though I do like the idea of walking my Frankenpuppy on a Witch Bolt leash. I can imagine someone standing at a dungeon entrance, making as many companions as they could, and sending them off one by one to death burst as a way to clear a dungeon and gradually kite enemies to the entrance.
How do you get Infinite Resurrection from the Jolt to Life feature? It's just the option to modify your use of the existing Spare the Dying that restores a dying character to conscious status while also being a danger to anyone, friend or foe, within 10 feet, usually doable less than 5 times per Long Rest.
I think it's a lot on top of all the other healing a party might have. Not literally infinite but if you stand up more times then you get knocked down it might as well be.
It's limited to a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier. Tbh it really only puts this on a level with a Paladin's Lay on Hands. Sure the damage is a nice buff especially with the synergy on the companion, but it's going to happen less often and the target is still only going to get 1hp from that.
It's limited to a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier. Tbh it really only puts this on a level with a Paladin's Lay on Hands. Sure the damage is a nice buff especially with the synergy on the companion, but it's going to happen less often and the target is still only going to get 1hp from that.
Especially since, if your Reanimated Companion dies, it's going to Death Burst. If it's not well positioned when that happens, a 10' Radius Emanation doing 2d6 Necrotic (DEX save for half) during an ongoing battle can be very inconvenient for a 3rd-level party.
If the DM rules it gets Death Saves, the foes have time to get away from it, especially if they know what it is. If the dying RC is in an inconvenient location, the party has to take time removing it , removing the people or things it could damage, or stabilizing it... or take the consequences.
If the DM rules that it does not get Death Saves, then the Artificer isn't going to have time to stabilize it anyway.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
It's limited to a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier. Tbh it really only puts this on a level with a Paladin's Lay on Hands. Sure the damage is a nice buff especially with the synergy on the companion, but it's going to happen less often and the target is still only going to get 1hp from that.
Especially since, if your Reanimated Companion dies, it's going to Death Burst. If it's not well positioned when that happens, a 10' Radius Emanation doing 2d6 Necrotic (DEX save for half) during an ongoing battle can be very inconvenient for a 3rd-level party.
If the DM rules it gets Death Saves, the foes have time to get away from it, especially if they know what it is. If the dying RC is in an inconvenient location, the party has to take time removing it , removing the people or things it could damage, or stabilizing it... or take the consequences.
If the DM rules that it does not get Death Saves, then the Artificer isn't going to have time to stabilize it anyway.
The synergy with the RC that Balianor mentioned is through its Lightning Absorption -- while everyone else nearby takes damage from the Jolt, your companion gets healed by it
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
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That would be too much of an info dump for them to pull useful data points from in a reasonable span of time. The entire purpose of surveys is to render feedback in a form that’s readily analyzed.
Do you have to finish the survey in one sitting, or does it save along the way so you can come back to it?
Given the changes to Heighten I'd guess the shadow dog isn't as necessary anymore.
But my wish is that the subclass gave you Summon Shadowspawn instead of Summon Undead. (The likely reason it didn't being that the former isn't core.)
Survey done, I appreciate the opportunity to comment.
Said some stuff like:
- artificer's flesh golem needs to hit harder and scale better. What a freakin' pansy.
- shadow trinkets would be far more fun at 3rd level
- Hexblade either needs a name change or a total rethink
- Hunters mark-dependent main abilities constrain the hollow warden's fun. Boooo.
Nice summary 😋
I thought the same about the hexblade. I was a bit confused on seeing this at first, wondering where the iconic “Charisma-to-hit” feature had gone, before remembering that was now Pact of the Blade and therefore accessible to any warlock. So I see why they had to change the focus and make it viable with any pact, but now the name just doesn’t fit at all. Kinda shot themselves in the foot there.
Weird thing is…I have no objections to subclasses doubling-down on a optional feature because I feel subclasses are fine to specialise ( UNlike the ranger where specialisation got built into the core class feature). This subclass already specializes in "Hex", but maybe it would have been better if it also/instead gave you Pact of the Blade if you didn’t already have it, then expanded on what that pact could do. At least it would have matched the name better.
("X times per day, when you successfully hit a creature with your pact blade, you may also cast Hex on it...").
I can never shake the feeling the only reason we're seeing a new Hexblade is because DDB data has said it's the most popular (or at least one of the most popular) subclasses in 2014 so they feel obliged to update it but are missing that no one particularly liked the flavour, they just wanted the Level 1 benefits it gave and it was in an awful lot of Charisma based multiclass dips. With the Charisma based attacks moving to Pact of the Blade and this UA not having the armour and shield proficiencies it just feels like they'll be bringing out a subclass that virtually no one cares about
Agreed that this feels like a poorly-thought out sop due to the subclass's popularity.
With the exception of training in medium armor and shields, you can build a close approximation to the Hexblade using the canon 2024 rules. It's not as good as the 2014 version but IMNHSO it's better than this.
Hexblade needed an update to be fully 2024, format-wise.
Not THIS update. AN update.
It's why I asked for the Medium Armor & Shields in the survey, as well as not ramrodding Hex into another subclass with no way to change its damage type.
THAT BEING SAID...
The 2014 Hexblade dip still works for 2014. It just doesn't leave enough room for people who don't optimize(What I refer to as "Pact of the Hexblade/Pact of the Blade+" playstyles, which are valid, but aren't 2024-compatible ways of playing the Hexblade Patron's metagame). That's what this is trying to address. Chain & Tomelocks, as well as lore confusion that emerged among more casual players(Been at 2 myself that didn't understand anything that mentions The Raven Queen that wasn't from Critical Role, nor the concept of multiversal weapon fragments) who can't fully use the Pact of the Blade Synergy.
While I STRONGLY disapprove of the Hexblade remake as is(Maneuveresque options aside, just don't force Hex into them and they're salvagable) , I can see WHY they did it.
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
How would be the hexblade with "martial maneuvers"? Let's imagine a spell that gives a martial maneuver during one encounter. After this you have to spend other spell slot. When the spell is active you can use and reload a "martial maneuver" like ones from 3.5 Tome of Battle: Book of nine swords. After to "spend" that atack you use a special action to reload, and you can reload all the times until the end of the encounter. This should allow to be useful even for players who aren't using martial adept classes(crusader, warblade or swordsage).
After my first read I was down on a lot of it. I was surprised after a second read-through how many of the classes and class features I rated green. I took the most issue with these subclasses:
Hexblade Warlock - I can't find the identity of this subclass, it's a big grab bag without any direction. Seems really weak.
Reanimator Artificer - another pet class with the same ol' same ol' pet problem. This subclass is so focused on a pet with terrible scaling. And infinite resurrection from Jolt to Life - please, no. Though I do like the idea of walking my Frankenpuppy on a Witch Bolt leash. I can imagine someone standing at a dungeon entrance, making as many companions as they could, and sending them off one by one to death burst as a way to clear a dungeon and gradually kite enemies to the entrance.
College of Spirits Bard - Gotta drop the random table imo. Slim down the options to 3-4 that the player chooses from. Those options could have a d4 table if you want some kind of randomness but at least let the player pick the general effect. Like:
A) Baneful Spirit:
1. Brute. Each creature of your choice in a 30-foot Emanation originating from the target makes a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes Thunder damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die and has the Prone condition. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage only.
2. Tortured. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes Psychic damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die and subtracts 1d4 from its next D20 test until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage only.
3. Arcane. The target takes Force damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier.
4. Poltergeist. Target a 5' radius within 60'. Creatures in the area make a Dexterity saving throw, taking Fire damage equal to four rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.
B)Helpful Spirit:
1. Beloved. The target regains Hit Points equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier.
2. Avenger. Until the end of your next turn, any creature that hits the target with a melee attack roll takes Force damage equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die.
3. Fortune Teller. The target has Advantage on D20 Tests until the start of your next turn.
4. Wayfarer. The target gains Temporary Hit Points equal to a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Bard level. While it has these Temporary Hit Points, the target’s Speed increases by 10 feet.
C) Transportation Spirit
1. Renegade. The target can immediately take a Reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
2. Shade. The target gains the Invisible condition until the end of its next turn or until the target makes an attack roll, deals damage, or casts a spell. When the invisibility ends, each creature in a 5-foot Emanation originating from the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take Necrotic damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die.
3. Juggernaut. The target flies in a straight line up to 30 feet in a direction you choose before falling to the ground, stopping early if it impacts against a solid surface. If the target would strike a creature, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target strikes the target and stops moving. When the target strikes something, the target and what it strikes each take bludgeoning damage equal to three rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die.
4. Gemini. You can immediately swap places with the target.
How do you get Infinite Resurrection from the Jolt to Life feature? It's just the option to modify your use of the existing Spare the Dying that restores a dying character to conscious status while also being a danger to anyone, friend or foe, within 10 feet, usually doable less than 5 times per Long Rest.
Are you talking about including a dying Undead Companion in the AOE of the 1d4+ Half Artificer Level lightning damage emanation of Jolt to Life's modded Spare the Dying to give it more hit points when it gets back up on the single casting?
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
The changes to Hexblade in this UA, if stripped of the Hex spell, sound like maneuvers(not the 3.5 ones) akin to what the 3rd-party Grim Hollow Blade Breaker Fighter & Carrion Raven Barbarian have.
That's all I was referring to.
DM, player & homebrewer(Current homebrew project is an unofficial conversion of SBURB/SGRUB from Homestuck into DND 5e)
Once made Maxwell's Silver Hammer come down upon Strahd's head to make sure he was dead.
Always study & sharpen philosophical razors. They save a lot of trouble.
I think it's a lot on top of all the other healing a party might have. Not literally infinite but if you stand up more times then you get knocked down it might as well be.
It's limited to a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier. Tbh it really only puts this on a level with a Paladin's Lay on Hands. Sure the damage is a nice buff especially with the synergy on the companion, but it's going to happen less often and the target is still only going to get 1hp from that.
Especially since, if your Reanimated Companion dies, it's going to Death Burst. If it's not well positioned when that happens, a 10' Radius Emanation doing 2d6 Necrotic (DEX save for half) during an ongoing battle can be very inconvenient for a 3rd-level party.
If the DM rules it gets Death Saves, the foes have time to get away from it, especially if they know what it is. If the dying RC is in an inconvenient location, the party has to take time removing it , removing the people or things it could damage, or stabilizing it... or take the consequences.
If the DM rules that it does not get Death Saves, then the Artificer isn't going to have time to stabilize it anyway.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
The synergy with the RC that Balianor mentioned is through its Lightning Absorption -- while everyone else nearby takes damage from the Jolt, your companion gets healed by it
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)