Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Cleric, Druid, Wizard Options

In another new Unearthed Arcana (these things are coming out fast right now!) the cleric receives a new Divine Domain option: the Twilight Domain; the druid gains a new Druid Circle option: the Circle of Wildfire; and the wizard gains a new Arcane Tradition feature: Onomancy, the magic of true names.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Your players make me sad.

Wow, insulting other people because they actually love something. Great.

 

[Vael]

Names are legitimately one of the hardest things in DnD. I'm not even joking. A poor name choice for a PC can be frustrating. I remember in 4e, we had a Thri-Kreen Rogue. The player took a name off the list of example names, "Pik-ik-cha". And of course, we all called him "Pikachu". If the player had had access to more than the 14 names in the racial write-up, he might have found something better.

So, for me, lists of names are important, and you really can't have too many. Sure, there are others out there, so what? They're fun for a quick perusal, I go through a few when I'm hunting for names. I've used some online name generators, but generally prefer lists like the one in Xanathar's. The more, the merrier, I say.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Names are legitimately one of the hardest things in DnD. I'm not even joking. A poor name choice for a PC can be frustrating. I remember in 4e, we had a Thri-Kreen Rogue. The player took a name off the list of example names, "Pik-ik-cha". And of course, we all called him "Pikachu". If the player had had access to more than the 14 names in the racial write-up, he might have found something better.

So, for me, lists of names are important, and you really can't have too many. Sure, there are others out there, so what? They're fun for a quick perusal, I go through a few when I'm hunting for names. I've used some online name generators, but generally prefer lists like the one in Xanathar's. The more, the merrier, I say.

That's an important point: nobody is arguing that the names tables were absolutely needed, people are saying they were fun and useful. That is not the same thing. Most things in Xanathar werent really needed: knots tying rules, sleeping in armor, how to count squares on a map etc. Those things werent vital to the game, and I doubt players were clamoring for rules on how to tie a knot, but I'm sure many people actually found them fun and/or useful.

 

[Xenonnonex]

Names are legitimately one of the hardest things in DnD. I'm not even joking. A poor name choice for a PC can be frustrating. I remember in 4e, we had a Thri-Kreen Rogue. The player took a name off the list of example names, "Pik-ik-cha". And of course, we all called him "Pikachu". If the player had had access to more than the 14 names in the racial write-up, he might have found something better.

So, for me, lists of names are important, and you really can't have too many. Sure, there are others out there, so what? They're fun for a quick perusal, I go through a few when I'm hunting for names. I've used some online name generators, but generally prefer lists like the one in Xanathar's. The more, the merrier, I say.

Xanathar's also gave you at least pronounceable names.
Xanathar's gives me Theriatis, Aramil, Dayereth, Beiro, Enialis as potential names.

An online fantasy game generator game me the following -> Celorfin Elelwel Mothilbor Celodhir Arelel Gonare Gwionaeli Toranthing Odrelel Fingildior.
How do you even pronounce half of that?

 

[Hussar]

it might still pass mister, we'll find out.

Sorry, but this is the second time I saw this and it bugged me:

It might still pass muster. Not "mister".

 

[Mistwell]

There's been this obsession with wanting a "Generalist" Wizard even though the main reason for it's existence has been rendered obsolete in 5e as all Wizards get access to all schools of magic now.

Every time some "Generalist" gets brought up: Traditions are like University degrees. And being a "Generalist" is like getting a "General Studies" degree.

Liberal Arts degree is what it's called. And I still want a generalist wizard. One who can swap spells in a shorter period of time, or make quick scrolls for free from their spells known that only they can use, or who gets bonus out of combat spells added to their spellbook every level, etc..

 

[Al'Kelhar]

True Name spell list needs to include a lot more party-friendly spells and less enemy focused one. There is tension in your allies giving you their true names, and tension in using that true name outloud when foes are near, and that needs to be played up more by adding some really beneficial buffs to the list.

As we Aussies say, "yeah, nah". Balancing crunchy benefits with fluff detriments is, generally-speaking, poor design (and I thought disappeared from D&D with 2E). This would entirely rely on the DM to ensure any "misuses" of the PCs' "true names" came home to roost.

IMHO, the Onomancer as an archetype is not about helping allies - it's about obtaining great power over others. It should be a master de-buffer and controller of enemies.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[phantomK9]

The more Wizard sub-classes they print, the more I wish the Wizard had a two factor leveling.
Much like the Warlock has Patron and Pact boon, Wizards could choose their School Specialty (or generalist) and their Sub-class. A Diviner Onomancer would be a different character than an Evocation Onomancer.

 

[Undrave]

when I was looking for names for my Deep Gnomes I just picked Polish names.

An online fantasy game generator game me the following -> Celorfin Elelwel Mothilbor Celodhir Arelel Gonare Gwionaeli Toranthing Odrelel Fingildior.
How do you even pronounce half of that?

"See-lore-finn"
"El-el-well"
"Moth-ill-boar"
"See-lodd-here"
"Arr-el-el"
"Go-nah-rey"
"Guii-yonn-ey-lee"
"Torr-ann-thing"
"Odd-rey-lel"
"Fing-gil-dee-yore"

Not that hard.

 

[Mistwell]

As we Aussies say, "yeah, nah". Balancing crunchy benefits with fluff detriments is, generally-speaking, poor design (and I thought disappeared from D&D with 2E). This would entirely rely on the DM to ensure any "misuses" of the PCs' "true names" came home to roost.

IMHO, the Onomancer as an archetype is not about helping allies - it's about obtaining great power over others. It should be a master de-buffer and controller of enemies.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

Already one section of the subclass (casting bless) does in fact focus on allies. I am just wondering why the other part doesn't, except for perhaps the Sympathy option of Resonant. But it's already part of that subclass earlier.