Unearthed Arcana

The elevel character classes cover many of the basic fantasy archetypes, from rhe ragin warrior to the crafty wizard. But the number of character roles imaginable is essentially infinite, and even when factoring in all the prestige class choices available, you may not be able to find the combination of class features that perfectly captures your mental image of your character.

Presented here, are a wide variety of options that allow you to tweak the existing character classes without coompletely scrapping them and starting from scratch. Whether they involve swapping one class feature for another or trying a new twist on an old favorite, these variants allow the players and DM to retain the familiarity of existing classes while exploring worlds of difference.

With your DM's permission, you can use any one of these variant classes in place of the standard class of the same name. Depending on the campaign world, variant classes may exist side by side with standard classes, or they may replace standard classes entirely. For instance, the DM may decide that all monks must choose a fighting style that reflects their original training, or that all barbarians must choose a totem.

Throughout this section and the "New Classes" section "chracter class" is used to refer to any class that mey be taken by a 1st level starting character.

CLASS FEATURE VARIANTS

As with the variant character classes, these variant class features can exist side by side with the standard class features — some rangers might hunt goblinoids while their comrades favor woodland missions — or can completely replace the standard features. The balance between the standard class and the variant is up to the game master.

FAVORED ENEMY VARIANT: FAVORED ENVIRONMENT

Instead of selecting a type of creature against which to apply a bonus on certain skills and damage rolls, the ranger selects a specific natural environment and gains bonuses when in that environment.

At 1st level, a ranger may select a natural environment from among those given on Table: Ranger Favored Environments. Due to the ranger's experience in that environment, he gains a +2 bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills in that environment. He also gains the same bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks made in association with that environment (or on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks made in association with underground environments, if the ranger has selected underground as a favored environment).

At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (at 10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored environment from those given on the table and gains an identical bonus on the appropriate skill checks in that environment. In addition, at each such interval, the bonuses in any one favored environment (including the one just selected, if so desired) increase by 2. For example, a 5th-level ranger has two favored environments. In one he has a +4 bonus on the appropriate skill checks, and in the other he has a +2 bonus. At 10th level, he has three favored environments, and he gains an additional +2 bonus, which he can allocate to any of his three favored environments. Thus, his bonuses could be either +4, +4, and +2 or +6,+2, and +2.

If the ranger chooses desert or forest, he must also choose a climate type, as indicated on the table (either "cold" or "temperate or warm" for desert, or "cold or temperate" or "warm" for forest).

The game master may rule that a ranger can't select an environment that he has never visited.

RAGE VARIANT: WHIRLING FRENZY

Whirling frenzy is otherwise identical to the standard barbarian rage in all other ways. At 11th level (when a standard barbarian gains greater rage), the Strength bonus increases to +6, and the dodge bonus to Armor Class and on Reflex saves increases to +3. At 20th level (when a standard barbarian gains mighty rage), the Strength bonus increases to +8, and the dodge bonus to Armor Class and on Reflex saves increases to +4.

A barbarian using this variant doesn't gain indomitable will at 14th level. Instead, he gains evasion, but only while in a whirling frenzy.

A character can't use whirling frenzy at the same time that he uses any other form of rage (or similar ability).

TURNING UNDEAD VARIANT: LEVEL CHECK

When turning undead using this variant, the cleric makes a turning check against the closest creature first, followed by a separate check against the next closest, and so on. When two or more creatures are equally close, the creature with the lowest number of Hit Dice is affected first (if it's still a tie, the character chooses which is affected first). Creatures more than 60 feet away cannot be turned.

A turning check is a level check to which the character also adds his Charisma modifier. (Use the character's effective turning level, which is equal to class level for a cleric or class level -3 for a paladin.) The DC is 10 + the creature's Hit Dice + its turn resistance (if any) + its Charisma modifier. (To speed play, the game master can add a "Turn DC" score to the statistics block of each undead creature.)

If you use this variant, some creatures' turn resistance should be increased to keep them from being too easy to turn. Any creature with turn resistance of +4 or higher should gain an additional +2 to its turn resistance. Creatures with turn resistance of +3 or lower need no change.

If the check fails, the creature is unaffected. Its Hit Dice do not count against the total number of creatures the character can turn (see below).

If the character succeeds on the check, the affected creature stands frozen in place for 1 round, just as if it were paralyzed (though this affects even creatures with immunity to paralysis). On each succeeding turn, the character may take a standard action to concentrate on the effect, prolonging the effective paralysis for an additional round. (This doesn't count as a turn attempt, and affects all undead creatures that the character has "paralyzed" in this manner.) The character may concentrate on this effect for a maximum of 10 consecutive rounds, after which the undead creature can act normally. If a creature affected in this way is attacked or takes damage, the effect is broken and the creature may act normally beginning on its next turn. (The character's proximity to the creature has no effect.) This effect is the same whether the character channels positive or negative energy.

If the character's check beats the DC by 5 or more, he may instead turn the creature (if he channels positive energy) or rebuke it (if he channels negative energy).

If the creature has Hit Dice equal to one-half the character's effective cleric level or less, the turning attempt automatically succeeds, and he does not have to make a check (the creature's Hit Dice still count against the maximum). Furthermore, such undead are automatically destroyed (if the character channels positive energy) or commanded (if he channels negative energy).

The character makes checks against each eligible creature until he has affected the maximum Hit Dice worth of creatures, or there are no more eligible creatures. He can affect a number of Hit Dice of creatures equal to three Χ his effective cleric level on any one turning attempt. For example, a 4th-level cleric (or 7th-level paladin) can affect up to 12 HD worth of creatures, which could mean two creatures with 6 HD each, four creatures with 3 HD each, or any other combination that adds up to 12 HD.

An evil cleric can instead channel negative energy to bolster undead or to dispel a turning effect. In either case, the cleric makes a normal turning check (if attempting to dispel a turning effect, add the turning cleric's Charisma modifier to the DC of the evil cleric's turning check. if the cleric successfully rebukes the undead, the undead gain turn resistance +2 (if he was attempting to bolster them) or are no longer turned (if he was attempting to dispel the turning effect).

For example, a 3rd-level cleric, faces three ghouls and a ghast. The cleric can turn up to 9 HD of creatures. Two of the ghouls are 10 feet and 15 feet away, respectively. The third ghoul and the ghast are both 20 feet away. His turning attempts affect the closest ghouls first, then the farthest ghoul, and then the ghast. The cleric makes the first turning check. A ghoul has 2 HD, but it also has +2 turn resistance, so it is treated as a 4 HD creature. After adding the ghoul's +1 Charisma modifier, the turning check DC is 15. The cleric rolls a 12, which, with his three cleric levels and +1 Charisma modifier, gives him a result of 16, so the nearest ghoul is halted in place. (If the cleric wants to maintain the effect, he'll have to continue to concentrate on it in later rounds.) He has successfully turned 4 HD worth of creatures, leaving him with 5 HD. This is enough to affect another ghoul, so he makes another turning check against the next closest ghoul. the cleric rolls a 6 against the second ghoul, for a result of 10, so the ghoul is unaffected. Against the third ghoul, his roll is 16 for a result of 20, which beats the DC by at least 5, so the cleric can turn the ghoul if he wishes to do so. Since he knows he can't affect the ghast on this turning attempt—it has 4 HD and 2 turn resistance, and the cleric has only 1 HD of turning left — he chooses to paralyze the third ghoul rather than sending it scurrying back into its burrow where it can gather more allies. (Even if the cleric had failed to affect the third ghoul, he would only have 5 HD left — not enough to affect the ghast thanks to its +2 turn resistance.) On his next turn, the cleric can choose to continue holding the ghouls in place or, if his allies have already destroyed the three ghouls, use another turning attempt against the ghast (which requires a DC 19 turning check).

TURNING UNDEAD VARIANT: PLANAR BANISHMENT

Make a turning check as normal. The result indicates the most powerful outsider affected (treat an outsider as having Hit Dice equal to its Hit Dice + its Cha modifier, if any). if the roll is high enough to let the cleric affect at least some outsiders within 60 feet, roll 2d6 + cleric's class level + cleric's Cha modifier for turning damage. That's how many total Hit Dice of outsiders the cleric affects.

Any outsider affected by the turning attempt is banished back to its home plane. (If it is already on its home plane, there is no effect.) Even if it has the ability to travel between planes, it cannot do so for 10 rounds (1 minute). If the cleric has twice as many levels (or more) as the outsider has effective Hit Dice, he destroys any outsiders that he would normally banish.

If the cleric would normally turn or destroy undead, he has the ability to banish or destroy evil outsiders (that is, outsiders with the evil subtype). Characters who would normally rebuke or command undead instead gain the ability to banish or destroy good outsiders. As an additional option, the game master might allow clerics worshiping a lawful deity to banish or destroy chaotic outsiders, while clerics worshiping a chaotic deity could banish or destroy lawful outsiders. This ability would replace the ability to banish or destroy good or evil outsiders.

If you use this variant, consider allowing clerics who can turn or rebuke elementals (that is, clerics with access to the Air, Earth, Fire, or Water domains) to instead banish elementals of the same element and banish or destroy elementals of the opposing element.

This variant is otherwise identical to turning undead, including limits of daily uses and feats that enhance a cleric's turning ability.

WILD SHAPE VARIANT: ASPECT OF NATURE

At 5th level, a druid may take on one aspect from those described below. At 8th level, the druid can take on up to two aspects simultaneously. At 11th level, she can take up on to three aspects simultaneously, and at 15th level the limit increases to its maximum of four simultaneous aspects. (Some aspects can only be combined with certain other aspects, as indicated in their descriptions.) Each aspect taken on counts as one daily use of the druid's wild shape ability. Multiple versions of the same aspect don't stack. Taking on one or more aspects is a standard action (which does not provoke attacks of opportunity), and the effect lasts for 1 minute per druid level.

Some aspects, as noted in their descriptions, have a minimum druid level as a prerequisite.

A druid may take on one aspect per day for every daily use of wild shape she is entitled to. For instance, a 5th-level druid could normally use wild shape once per day, so she could assume an aspect once per day. A 10th-level druid could take on four aspects per day and can choose to take on two aspects simultaneously (which would use up two of the druid's daily uses).

Unless otherwise noted in an aspect's description, a druid who assumes an aspect of nature retains her own type and subtype(s), keeps her extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like abilities, and retains her ability to communicate and cast spells. She is considered proficient with any natural attacks granted by the aspect.

Agility

Aquatic

Elemental Air

Elemental Earth

Elemental Fire

Elemental Water

Endurance

Flight

Plant

Poison

Scent

Speed

Tooth and Claw

Vigor

HOUSE RULE: DRUID DOMAINS

Druids who select the Animal domain or the Plant domain gain Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]), since Knowledge (nature) is already a class skill for druids.

A druid who chooses the Sun domain gains the ability to turn undead 1/day as a cleric of her level, and cannot perform a greater turning.

SPONTANEOUS DIVINE CASTERS

Like other spellcasters, a character using this variant system can cast a certain number of spells per day. His base daily spell allotment is the same as a normal cleric's number of spells per day (not including domain spells), plus one spell per day of each spell level he can cast. For instance, a 1st-level cleric using this system can cast four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells per day.

However, the divine caster's selection of spells known is limited. At 1st level, the character begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice, plus his two 1st-level domain spells (if a cleric) or summon nature's ally I (if a druid). At each new level in the character's divine spellcasting class, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated below:

Characters who use this option lose the ability to spontaneously cast cure, inflict, or summon nature's ally spells in place of other spells. However, each time the character gains a new spell level, he gains one or more bonus spells known to add to his list. A cleric may add his two domain spells to his list of spells known, while a druid may add the appropriate summon nature's ally spell to her list of spells known. (An entry of 0 on the table indicates that the cleric knows only his domain spells of that level, and the druid knows only the summon nature's ally spell of that level.)

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered class level after that, a cleric or druid can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. This functions identically to the sorcerer's ability to swap out known spells, except that a cleric may never choose to lose a domain spell and a druid may never choose to lose a summon nature's ally spell.

For example, a cleric has chosen the domains of Good and Healing, which means that at 1st level, he automatically knows cure light wounds and protection from evil. In addition, he chooses four spells from the list of 0-level cleric spells (cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, and read magic) and two spells from the list of 1st-level cleric spells (bless and shield of faith). He now knows four 0-level spells and four 1st-level spells.

Another example: At 4th level, a druid learns a new 0-level spell and a new 2nd-level spell. She can also choose to replace one of her 0-level spells known with a different spell of the same level. She chooses to replace know direction with detect poison.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: SPNTANEOUS CASTING

This variant has the secondary effect of individualizing the divine casters in your game, since no two characters choose to learn the same set of spells. With only a limited number of spells known from which to choose, characters must make tough choices each time they gain new spells known. For instance, is it more important that a 4th-level cleric learn cure moderate wounds — particularly if he already knows cure light wounds — or bear's endurance? Should your druid learn resist energy as a 2nd level spell, or should she wait until she gains access to 3rd-level spells and learn protection from energy instead? The cleric's choice of domains becomes crucial, because those areas form the backbone of his available spells.

HOUSE RULE: SPONTANEOUS DOMAIN CASTING

This functions identically with the cleric's ability to spontaneously cast cure spells. The cleric "loses" a prepared spell to cast either one of his domain spells of the same level or lower.

This house rule reduces a cleric's overall spell power by one spell per spell level, and makes his choice of domains much more significant. A cleric who selects the Chaos and Luck domains seems a very different spellcaster from one who selects the Good and Strength domains.

If you use this variant, the Healing domain loses much of its appeal, since six of the nine spells associated with that domain are cure spells and thus available for spontaneous casting by all clerics who channel positive energy. (To a lesser extent, this variant diminishes the value of the Destruction domain, but since only three of that domain's spells are inflict spells, the effect is much less severe.) Consider granting clerics who select the Healing domain the ability to use d12s instead of d8s when casting cure spells. Thus, such a cleric's cure light wounds spell would cure 1d12 damage +1/level, and his caster level is treated as one higher than normal thanks to the granted power.

Alternatively, you can simply eliminate the normal cleric's ability to spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells. This makes the selection of the Healing domain (or the Destruction domain, for evil clerics) into an extraordinarily powerful choice, but simultaneously places a dramatic limitation on the average cleric's ability to heal damage. If you use this option, you might want to allow a cleric of any good deity to select the Healing domain as one of his domains.

For example, a 1st-level cleric has selected access to the domains of Air and Animal. He may cast one 1st-level spell for being a 1st-level cleric, plus one 1 st-level bonus spell because of his 15 Wisdom. Instead of preparing one domain spell (either obscuring mist or calm animals) each day, he may spontaneously cast obscuring mist or calm animals in place of either or both of his prepared 1 st-level spells. He does not prepare domain spells. If this cleric had chosen the Earth and Plant domains, he could spontaneously cast magic stone or entangle in place of either or both of his prepared 1st-level spells.

If you use the Druid Domains house rule, you could allow such characters to use these same spontaneous casting rules (either in addition to or in exchange for the existing druid ability to spontaneously cast summon nature's ally spells).