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.

 

[Ravenbrook]

I never understood the concept of "true names." Once a true name is revealed, wouldn't it be very likely that at least some of them would be broadcast throughout the multiverse and practically everyone would know them?
After all, wizards and other magic users have rapid ways of disseminating information.

 

[Staffan]

A class that uses fire to heal, and at high levels have the ability to come back in a fiery explosion from an injury that would otherwise have killed them?

 

[Charlaquin]

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

It might still pass muster. Not "mister".

I assumed it was an auto-correct issue.

 

[Parmandur]

I assumed it was an auto-correct issue.

Fat thumbs + Android, yup!

 

[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.

Yep, I agree there might be design space for the wizard class to have a subclass focussed on assisting allies (which seems more generally to be assigned to the bard and cleric classes). I just don't think that, at least insofar as "truenamers" are represented in myth and fiction, that helping allies out is their schtick. They tend to be all about subjugating others and turning those others to their will through the use of "name magic", even if sometimes for ostensibly beneficial ends.

For the Onomancer, as I think I mentioned upstream, I reckon the bless option for the Fateful Naming class feature should be replaced with hex.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think the most essential fix for the Onomancer is to change the level required to magically force the revelation of a true name to 21.

 

[Leatherhead]

Does an AoE like Fireball target someone simply because they are in the area? Or are they not targets so we can't apply Resonants? (And if it does count, does that mean we can make someone not in the area take the Fireball damage with the Sympathy one?)

I don't think Anyone answered this.

Fireball is kind of a weird spell when it comes to this kind of ruling.
Yes it Targets (official spell mechanic here) an area on the grid, and that is where the spell happens, however to quote the text of the spell itself:

A target takes 8d6 fire damage on a failed save

Which means everyone who is hit by a Fireball counts as a target of the spell. This is a unique property of the Fireball spell thanks to the wording of the spell.

Lightning Bolt, the Luigi to Fireball's Mario, says this instead:

A creature takes 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save

Now, you might think this is mere pedantry and the words are interchangeable, but it has been referenced in a ruling: Spell with one target

Look carefully at the text of fireball: every creature affected is called a target.

And this has been backed up by the official Sage Advice:

Some spells (like eldritch blast ) target a creature. Some others (like fire bolt ) target objects too. Does this mean that I can’t attack the door with eldritch blast?
The target specifications (creature, object, or something else) in spells are intentional.

In contrast, a spell like Darkness targets only areas or objects, and affects creatures who wander into it's zone, who are not targets themselves. Which means a Resonant is off the table for them.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Balancing crunchy benefits with fluff detriments is, generally-speaking, poor design (and I thought disappeared from D&D with 2E).

There was plenty of that in 3rd edition, especially with prestige classes.

 

[Yaarel]

"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.

Heh, it has to be hard, cause I would pronounce them differently.

 

[Undrave]

Heh, it has to be hard, cause I would pronounce them differently.

Heh, I never claimed it was the CORRECT pronounciation, just that it was A pronounciation. As long as you can say it outloud it's not that hard.