Table of Contents:
The Playtest Laboratory of D&D
D&D is not a dead and static game, it's a living one that constantly changes. Wizards of the Coast is constantly brewing up new content ideas and has been since 5th edition started and making new content that you won't find in the . But new content is a double-edged sword, it brings more options and new excitement, but it can also disrupt the game as it is. Is this new class option game breaking? Who can tell? Ultimately it's up to your to determine what they will allow at their table.
Rather than keep these new brews locked up, they decided that the best group of playtesters would be the community itself. Unearthed Arcanas are official D&D supplements that aren't finished , they're playtest material intended to gauge public reaction and to find and fix problems before they become real additions. Follow us through for just a bit and we'll go through every current and show you everything you need to know.
Using This Guide
We'll be going through every single article since they started 5 years ago. We won't be going into a ton of detail, but we will provide a link, a short description, and very importantly whether the is Active , Outmoded , or Implemented.
An Active is current playtesting material, it's the most recent of its content and is still being considered for becoming part of a real book. It's perfectly reasonable to try out Active unearthed arcanas in your home games, especially if you take the time to report some of your experiences online.
An Outmoded has been considered, then thrown out to be replaced with a different version in a . Generally, you should avoid playing Outmoded unearthed arcanas, as they've already been removed from consideration and there is a shiny new version for testing.
Implemented unearthed arcanas are the ones that have actually been included in full releases, or at least a version of them that's very close. Always double-check the version that was actually released before using an Implemented , as there are sometimes tweaks to what made the final cut.
#70 Subclasses Revisited
- Active
- Link
This contains 3 reworks to previous subclasses. It includes the Phantom , a rework of the Revived rouge subclass, The Genie subclass, a rework of the Noble Genie subclass, and the Order of Scribes , which has replaced the Archivist subclass.
#69 Options Revisited
Active
Link
This latest attempt to introduce and balance options to the game includes the Psi Knight , the Soulknife , and the Soul subclass ( Soul directly replaces the previous Aberrant Mind) It also includes 3 themed spells and 5 feats. Who doesn't like a ?
#68 Spells and Tattoos
Contains 11 new spells, focused mainly on summoning, and 11 new "tattoos" and the rules for implementing them.
#67 Subclasses, Part 3
This contains 3 new subclasses, the Armorer subclass, the Circle of the Stars druid subclass, and the Fey Wanderer ranger subclass.
#66 Subclasses, Part 2
This contains 3 new subclasses, the College of Creation subclass, the Unity Domain cleric subclass, and the Clockwork Soul subclass.
#65 Subclasses, Part 1
Active / Outmoded
This contains 4 new subclasses, the Path of the Beast subclass, the Way of Mercy subclass, and the Oath of Watchers subclass. It also contains The Noble Genie subclass which has later been updated.
#64 , , and
Outmoded
This is actually one of their takes on psionics, and has been completely replaced by Options Revisited .
#63 Class Feature Variants
This is a large proposed overhaul providing alternate class features for all of the classes. There's a good chance this will be the basis for a massive "Advanced Class Guide" or something similar in the next year or so.
#62 , Ranger, and
This contains 3 new subclasses, the Rune Knight and the Swarmkeeper ranger subclass are still active, but The Revived has since been replaced.
#61 Cleric, Druid, and
This contains 3 new subclasses, the Twilight Domain cleric subclass, the Circle of Wildfire druid subclass, and Onomancy .
#60 and
This contains 2 new subclasses, the College of Eloquence subclass, the Oath of Heroism subclass.
#59 and
This contains 2 new subclasses, the Aberrant Mind subclass which has been replaced by the later Soul subclass , and the still active The Lurker in the Deep subclass.
#58 and
This contains 2 new subclasses, the Path of the Wild Soul subclass, and The Way of the Astral Self subclass.
#57 The Returns
Implemented / Outmoded
It didn't make the transition completely unscathed, but this last version of the made it most of the way into Eberron: Rising from the Last War . The Archivist subclass was cut but will later return as the Oath of Scribes .
#56 The Revisited
This version of the was very quickly edited for the next version in The Returns.
#55 Sidekicks
This introduces special Sidekick Classes , the Warrior , Expert, and Spellcaster , to be used for helpful and recurring NPCs.
#54 Of Ships and the Sea
Implemented
This version of ship mechanics made it into Ghosts of Saltmarsh with only minor changes, to the point that you can grab these for essentially the same style of water vehicle systems.
#53 Items of Eberron
This set of items was implemented in Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron and then were carried over into Eberron: Rising from the Last War .
#52 Dragonmarks
This set of "Dragonmarks" work essentially as alternate subraces for the core races, they were technically implemented but the final version in Eberron: Rising from the Last War is different enough that I've categorized this as outmoded.
#51 Races of Ravnica
They went through a few major changes, but 3 of these races can be found in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica , including the Loxodon, Simic Hybrids, and Vedalken. Sadly, the 4th race Viashano got left on the cutting room floor.
#50 Giant Soul
This single subclass had a lot of influence from Storm King's Thunder but never ended up in anything official.
#49 Centaurs and Minotaurs
Slightly streamlined versions of this Centaur and Minotaur race were implemented in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica .
#48 Order Domain
This cleric subclass was implemented in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica .
#47 Into the Wild
These general wilderness exploration rules have yet to be implemented or revisited.
#46 Three Subclasses
Active / Implemented
This contains 3 new subclasses, the Brute and the School of Invention are still active but The Circle of Spores druid subclass was implemented in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica .
#45 Elf Subraces
This contains 4 new subraces for elves, the winged Avriel , and the xenophobic Grugach are still active, but the aquatic Sea Elves, and the shadowy Shadar-kai, were implemented in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes .
#44 Fiendish Options
This contains 8 new subrace options for tieflings, and options for specific fiendish cults. The cult mechanics didn't make it over, but the subraces were all implemented in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes .
#43 Race Options: Eladrin and Gith
The elf subrace Eladrin and the Gith races were all implemented in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes .
#42 Three-Pillar Experience
More of a DM philosophy and advice article than actual rules, these concepts have yet to be placed in any official book.
#41 Greyhawk Initiative
This alternate rules system for determining initiative order adds significant complexity to normal combat but also allows for more depth and variety.
#40 Revised Class Options
This contains 4 subclasses in their last incarnation before being implemented in to Everything . It includes the Circle of the Shepherd druid subclass, the Cavalier , the Oath of Conquest subclass, and The Celestial subclass.
#39 Revised Subclasses
This contains 5 subclasses in their last incarnation before being implemented in to Everything . It includes the Path of the Ancestral Guardian subclass, the College of Swords subclass, the Arcane Archer , and The Way of the Kensi subclass, and the Favored Soul (later renamed Divine Soul) subclass.
#38 Feats for Races
This contains feats that can only be chosen by specific core races. Most of these were implemented in to Everything but a few were left behind or redone.
#37 Feats for Skills
This contains feats that provide proficiency in each skill along with a small side benefit.
#36 Downtime
These rules and concepts for downtime activities were implemented in to Everything .
#35 Starter Spells
Most (but not all) of these low level spells were implemented in to Everything .
#34 A Trio of Subclasses
This contains 3 subclasses in their last incarnation before being implemented in to Everything . It includes the Way of the Drunken Master subclass, the Oath of Redemption subclass, and the Monster Slayer Ranger subclass.
#33 Revisited
This contains 2 subclasses for wizards. War , which was implemented in to Everything , and Theurgy, which seems to have been left behind.
#32 The Mystic Class
This contains the last incarnation of the Mystic class before they seem to have abandoned it. It was decidedly too complex and unbalanced, and has been replaced in later as multiple subclasses.
#31 Traps Revisited
This set of systems and rules for traps was implemented in to Everything alongside several example traps.
#30 Mass Combat
This contains rules for organizing mass combat for full-scale warfare and similar engagements.
#29 and
This contains 3 subclasses, 1 of which was The Hexblade subclass, which was implemented alongside numerous new eldritch invocations in to Everything . The Raven Queen subclass and the Lore Mastery were sadly left behind.
#28
This contains 4 subclasses, Favored Soul which was replaced later with Divine Soul , Phoenix Sorcery which was overpowered and abandoned, along with Sea Sorcery and Stone Sorcery which were both later replaced with Storm Sorcery .
#27 Ranger and
This contains 3 subclasses, the Horizon Walker ranger subclass and the Scout were implemented in to Everything . The Primeval Guardian ranger subclass however remains unused and active.
#26
This is one of the earlier incarnations of the that has since been replaced.
#25 : Sacred Oaths
This contains 2 subclasses for paladins. The Oath of Conquest , which was implemented in to Everything , and The Oath of Treachery, which seems to have been left behind.
#24 : Monastic Traditions
This contains 2 subclasses for monks. The Way of the Kensi and The Way of Tranquility , both of which have been replaced by new versions in later .
#23 : Martial Archetypes
Active / Implemented / Outmoded
This contains 4 subclasses for fighters. Samurai was implemented in to Everything almost unchanged. The Arcane Archer and Knight subclasses were revised in later before being implemented, and the Sharpshooter subclass seems to have been abandoned due to power balance issues.
#22 Druid Circles and Wild Shape
This contains 3 subclasses for druids. Circle of Dreams was implemented in to Everything almost unchanged. Circle of the Shepherd would be revisited in another before implementation. Finally, the Circle of Twilight seems to have been abandoned due to power balance issues.
#21 Cleric: Divine Domains
This contains 3 subclasses for clerics. The Forge Domain and the Grave Domain were both implemented in to Everything . Twilight Domain however has been left behind and remains active.
#20 : Colleges
This contains 2 subclasses for bards. The College of Glamor and the College of Whispers which were both implemented in to Everything .
#19 Primal Paths
This contains 3 subclasses for barbarians. The Path of the Ancestral Guardian received another version in an before being implemented. Path of the Storm Herald and the Path of the Zealot were both implemented in to Everything .
#18 Encounter Building
This contains new advice and guidelines for building new encounters as a DM, they were implemented in to Everything .
#17 The Ranger, Revised
The ranger has often been criticized as the weakest class, this commonly used revision hasn't yet been implemented but greatly strengthens the ranger's capabilities.
#16 The Faithful
This contains The Seeker subclass that remains unused and active, and the Theurgy that would be later tried again in another .
#15 Quick Characters
This contains tables for randomly creating a new out of the core classes and races, it remains unused.
#14 Feats
This contains a set of feats centered around specific mastery and tool mastery, they have yet to appear in any publication.
#13 Gothic Heroes
This contains the undead subrace Revenants , which can be applied to any race, and the Monster Hunter , both of which have yet to be implemented. It also contains the Inquisitive which was implemented in to Everything.
#12 Kits of Old
This contains 4 subclasses, 3 of which, including the 's College of Swords and the 's Cavalier and Scout would be replaced with later versions, and Scout even switches from a to a . The 's College of Satire however, remains active and unused.
#11 That Old Black
This contains the tiefling subraces and abyssal spells that have been replaced in later .
#10 Light, Dark, Underdark!
This contains alternate "fighting styles" for classes that can gain them, these alternate fighting styles remain active and unused. It also contains 2 subclasses that have since been replaced with newer versions, the Deep Stalker ranger subclass and the Undying Light subclass (later renamed The Celestial ). It also contains the Shadow subclass that was implemented in to Everything.
#9 Prestige Classes and Rune
This contains optional rules for "prestige classes", secondary classes that can be worked into if an existing meets the requirements. It then gives the Rune Scribe prestige class as an example. Some of the "runes" have been retooled into simple items, but it otherwise remains active and unused.
#8 Ranger
This was one of the now outmoded early attempts to "fix" the ranger class.
#7 Modern
This contains new rules and spells for playing 5e in a modern or futuristic setting. It also includes 3 technology themed subclasses, the City Domain cleric, the Ghost in the Machine , and the Technomancy .
#6 Awakened Mystic
One of the many failed and outmoded mystic reworks.
#5 Variant Rules
This contains several alternate rules for some of the fundamentals of the system, such as saving throws and hit points.
#4 Waterborne Adventures
Active / Outmoded / Implemented
The only active portion of this article is the alternate "" mariner which remains unused. It also contains the minotaur race which would later be replaced, and the Swashbuckler and the Storm Sorcery subclass which would both be later implemented in to Everything .
#3 Modifying Classes
This contains alternate rules for creating your own subclasses, it uses a variant of the outmoded Favored Soul as an example of a finished new subclass, but the rules themselves remain active.
#2 When Armies Clash
This contains an earlier version of what would become the mass combat rules.
#1 Eberron
This contains racial rules for shifters, warforged, and dragonmarks , as well as rules for the , all of which would be completely replaced in later revisions.
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