Class Feature Variants: Dungeons And Dragons Fifth Edition Gets An Optional Overhaul To Their Most Beloved Classes Part 4

Class Feature Variants: Dungeons And Dragons Fifth Edition Gets An Optional Overhaul To Their Most Beloved Classes Part 4
Credit: Wizards of the Coast via YouTube

Whether you want to be a sorcerer, blasting your enemies with a Fireball, or a fighter, slicing your enemies to ribbons, Dungeons and Dragons has something for everyone. Unearthed Arcana does a fantastic job at adding new and fun playtest material for people to enjoy what’s beyond the Player Handbook.

With this installment, however, Wizards of the Coast seeks to change what the Player Handbook offers. While some classes received more/fewer changes and additions than others, the fourth part of this installment will be covered below.

Sorcerer received a few additions to its spell list, the most notable of which is Demiplane and Foresight. Sorcerer’s power comes from their Font of Magic and Metamagic features, however, and this installment didn’t disappoint. Sorcerer received 3 new Font of Magic options: Empowering Reserves, Imbuing Touch, and Sorcerous Fortitude.

Empowering Reserves allows the sorcerer to spend sorcery points to gain advantage on a skill check. Imbuing Touch allows the sorcerer to spend sorcery points to touch a weapon and make it magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non-magical damage. Sorcerous Fortitude is the final Font of Magic option and allows the sorcerer to gain 1d4 temporary hit points equal to the number of sorcery points spent.

This playtest material also added 3 new Metamagic options: Elemental Spell, Seeking Spell, and Unerring Spell. Elemental Spell lets the sorcerer change the damage type of a spell to another, as long as both damage types are on the following list: acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder.

Seeking Spell lets the sorcerer spend sorcery points to ignore the effects of half and three-quarters cover when attacking with a spell or forcing a creature to make a spell save. Unerring Spell is used to reroll an attack roll for a missed spell, provided the sorcerer spends 2 sorcery points.

Warlock received Spell Versatility and a few new additions to their spell list, the most notable of which is Gate and Shapechange, both 9th-level spells. However, a lot of the power for Warlocks comes from their Eldritch Invocations and Pact Boons, both of which saw additions in this installment.

The most notable of these new Invocations is Eldritch Mind, Eldritch Armor, and both of the new Pact of the Chain Invocations, Chain Master’s Fury, and Investment of the Chain Master. Eldritch Mind allows the Warlock advantage on Constitution checks to maintain concentration. Eldritch Armor increases the power level of Hexblade Warlocks even further, allowing them to touch a suit of armor and gain proficiency with it.

The Pact of the Chain Invocations give the Pact of the Chain a much-needed power boost. Chain Master’s Fury allows the warlock to command their familiar to make an attack as a bonus action, and Investment of the Chain Master gives the warlock’s familiar a few benefits, such as a flying and swimming speed, as well as allowing the familiar to use your spell save DC when necessary.

Pact of the Talisman is a new Pact Boon that gives the warlock a magical necklace to use as a focus for their power, as well as the physical manifestation of said power. This Pact gives the user bonuses to ability checks and the new Invocations that accompany it do much the same.

Finally, Wizard received Cantrip Versatility, allowing them to change a cantrip each time they level up. They also received a few additions to their spell list, the most notable of which is Speak With Dead and Divination.

If you would like to know more about this installment or would like to view other playtest material, it’s suggested to visit the Unearthed Arcana website for more information.

MORE ABOUT