Threeshades |
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It's just as true as what Alchemy headed the most recent Unearthed Arcana link with. I promise.
What we've all been eagerly waiting for, the full Mystic class!
hiiamtom |
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Refining the mass combat rules... I really like their approach int he first UA and this looks like a bit of a streamlining. I think I like When Armies Clash more than this, though this would certainly move faster.
This would be excellent for players being stuck inside a larger battle, while the former is very much the players taking part in a decisive massive battle.
This UA is for Helm's Deep, while When Armies Clash is one a final battles in the LotR trilogy of films.
Petty Alchemy RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
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I should've waited to claim it was the mystic UA, because this time it's a Trap.
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
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I really like the new trap guidelines. I'm currently planning a big crypt dungeon, and I like the ideas of the traps that are listed.
I particularly like how complex traps encourage teamwork and a variety of countermeasures. I also like how you don't need a rogue to disable all the traps AND that some traps (particularly magical traps) require other skills, like Intelligence (Arcana), and methods. And multiple deactivations, especially those that lead to partial deactivations, are neat. Even more so than traps getting deadlier as time goes on, which is also kind of cool.
Archdevil |
Nice UA, if less exciting than a mystic. I don't find myself using traps very much but there are some fun ones in here.
Irontruth wrote:Side note, my favorite thing about Otyughs... they speak common.Which ones? Not the one in the Monster Manual.
They spoke Common in 3e/PF (and I think 4e as well). I remember there being some kerfuffle about an encounter with one in Hoard of the Dragon Queen where the adventure text says it's willing to bargain with the PCs (despite the fact that it can't talk) ... because speaking Common was removed from the otyugh at some point during 5e development and the adventure wasn't revised.
hiiamtom |
They spoke Common in 3e/PF (and I think 4e as well). I remember there being some kerfuffle about an encounter with one in Hoard of the Dragon Queen where the adventure text says it's willing to bargain with the PCs (despite the fact that it can't talk) ... because speaking Common was removed from the otyugh at some point during 5e development and the adventure wasn't revised.
The only otyugh I am aware of is just a monster encounter with an unique environment. If people complained it's probably because it's not a creature that can breath underwater.
Steve Geddes |
I think the WotC devs have been reading Mythras/RuneQuest 6 or games drawing from it a bit. The mass combat and new trap options are in the same vein as the rules they use.
Next they will post the crafting rules I have been using from it.
"Trap options" confused me there. You sounded remarkably positive about it, given such a derisive label. :p
The Sword |
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A particularly memorable encounter (though I can't remember which novel) involved a door warded by a magical trap that had cross-crossing magical wires - almost like a complicated bomb. The wizard protagonist looked at the arcane pattern and was able to disarm the trap by cutting/disabling the strands one at a time tp the point where the trap collapsed harmlessly on itself.
It seems to me that using Arcana or even other skills could be a great way to create new and interesting challenges, particularly if magical and non-magical elements are used.
It also reminds me of Aviendha picking apart a spell in the Wheel of Time series and the disastrous consequences when that fails. I wonder what else the Arcana skill could be used for.
Petty Alchemy RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
Petty Alchemy RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
So I'm going through the disciplines right now. Everything seems quite strong (though I'm skipping most of the Avatar stuff until later), I'm holding off on crying OP until I see it in action.
Got to Mastery of Air's Cloak of Air ability though, and it can't just be me, right? That can't be fair.
3pp conc. 10m, bonus action to activate, attacks vs. you have disadvantage, and if a melee attack misses you, you can use your reaction to make them roll the attack against themselves.
Steve Geddes |
So I'm going through the disciplines right now. Everything seems quite strong (though I'm skipping most of the Avatar stuff until later), I'm holding off on crying OP until I see it in action.
Got to Mastery of Air's Cloak of Air ability though, and it can't just be me, right? That can't be fair.
3pp conc. 10m, bonus action to activate, attacks vs. you have disadvantage, and if a melee attack misses you, you can use your reaction to make them roll the attack against themselves.
Do they get a save on that effect? Or is it automatic - miss with disadvantage and be forced to attack yourself?
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
It sounds like a beefed up blur. I think it's weird that it affects melee attacks. What about reach? I think it makes more sense for it to affect ranged attacks: The winds make the arrow blow around you and you get to shoot it back at the shooter.
Maybe spend 3 psi points to cast it, and then use your reaction and spend 1 or 2 psi points to redirect the attack.
Petty Alchemy RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
I decided to sketch up a build using Cloak of Air as-is.
Ezuri, a lvl4 high elf Mystic (Avatar).
Ezuri has AC 18 (Breastplate+Shield+Dex, could be 19 if you don't mind disadvantage to Stealth), but bonus action busts out Cloak of Air for 3pp to give enemies disadvantage to attack him for 10m, and the ability to redirect as a reaction.
His combat focus is Crown of Rage to give enemies within 5ft of him disadvantage to melee attack his allies, so his enemies just have disadvantage against the crew.
With the Sentinel feat, you set them up for a lose-lose situation. If they attack you and miss, they attack themselves. If they attack one of your melee friends, you attack them. If they try to leave, they get attacked by you and either fail to move, or they take Booming Blade damage (which you pick up as a High Elf).
The Nomadic Step discipline could be anything else, I just like teleporting and it gives you a Shield-like reaction ability, in case they hit you through disadvantage.
The Mantle of Command discipline could be any other Avatar discipline, I just like the 4e Warlord a lot. Setting up positioning can make this build shine even more, and starting level 5, it becomes a pretty decent pp sink if you want to give the martial the ability to use their Extra Attack twice a round, or let the Rogue attack as a reaction to Sneak Attack twice a round. It allows you to take your best weapon-user ally's DPS and make it yours for 3pp.
At lvl 4 you have 17 pp, so if you want to be frugal and stick with Booming Blade/Mind Thrust, you can use the Cloak of Air 5/day.
Dustin Ashe |
Petty Alchemy RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
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The Mystic survey is up, as well as revised Wizard options.
The Theurgy Channel Arcana seems very strong, 2/short rest increase the DC of a spell by 2. I'd also love to pick up Tempest's Destructive Wrath on a wizard.
War Mage is interesting. Very good at holding onto Concentration. A mini-Empower 1/short rest on AOE spells. Durable Magic reinforces the Concentration theme with a reward. No ribbons here.
Edit: Curses, ninja'd by 6 minutes.
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
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hiiamtom |
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I realize it's a bitter pill for many fans to swallow, but 5e needs to lean in on loosey-goosey narrative minded abilities (like backgrounds and ribbons) and use the tools they created for streamling the rules (proficiency, etc.), and stop dipping into 3.5 crutches like static bonuses or inventing additional resources. It's what differentiates it from the rest.
Petty Alchemy RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
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Praise Sigmar, the Drunken Master is back!
Also an Oath of Redemption for Paladins, and Monster Slayer for Rangers.
My thoughts:
Drunken Master: Kinda neat, gets around the need for Mobility if you don't want to bother taking it (or you're playing without feats). The lvl 6 feature is a lot of fun, but very limited in use. Maybe it feels better in tests, but I'd kinda like it more if it had a ki cost instead of a 1/SR freebie. Drunkard's Luck with Diamond Body will allow you to shrug off any effect with a save at high levels.
Oath of Redemption: An oath that might not fit every playgroup. Comes into a strong AC at lvl 3, however a Dex focus doesn't work too well with the other lvl 3 feature that needs a bludgeoning weapon, so you'll want to be a little more balanced. It's a little confusing if you actually forswear weapons of war (which are what, martial weapons? bladed weapons?) mechanically, or if that's just fluff and you can use whatever you want.
Monster Slayer: Pure power, if I made a Ranger guide these features would all be light blue or gold.
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
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They look cool, but for the Drunken Master, I miss the "For Medicinal Purposes" and "Fire Breath" abilities that let them heal themselves and do AoE damage.
It also makes me want to see a monk/ranger in action. Flurry of Blows + Extra Attack + hunter's mark + Dueling Fighting Style seems like it would be amazing. They even synergize well for multiclassing (Dex 13, Wis 13).
hiiamtom |
In my mind Drunken Style does some tremendous stuff. For 1 Ki you get +10 movement, disengage, and two extra attacks with a bonus action. Really, the whole subclass would be fun to play and it pretty strong. Intoxicated Frenzy is probably the worst because high level play tends to gravitate to single monster encounters.
Oath of Redemption seems like it's really fun. Grab a club, beat some fools into friendship, and tank wearing no armor. I just wish Rebuke the Violent was more than it is, but I guess you can choose to use it against crazy strong crits and stuff while your default reaction is your aura. I like this a lot.
Monster Slayer is the most Witcher class yet.
Petty Alchemy RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16 |
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |