Patch overview

This patch tries out some new system changes with a utility belt that limits the number of easily accessible consumables a player can bring to combat, a pathfinder style turn delay mechanic, and a bunch of new conditions (one of which is really just formalizing an effect name among a few features that share the same traits, while also preventing it from stacking in a weird way). The patch also brings some small tweaks to Barbarian and Monk’s out of combat utility, spell and maneuver balance changes, new maneuvers for the new conditions, and a bunch of back work applying the condition keywords to their appropriate sources.

Changelog key:

Normal text – Changes proposed at the beginning of the experimental patch.

Bolded text – Changes added after initial testing.

Strikethrough text – Used for crossing out initial changes that didn’t work (usually replaced by bolded text).

System Changes

Turn Delay

Functions like Pathfinder 2’s mechanic:

• You wait for the right moment to act, and may choose to do this at the beginning of your turn. The rest of your turn doesn’t happen yet. Instead, you’re removed from the initiative order. You can return to the initiative order at the end of any other creature’s turn. This permanently changes your initiative to the new position. You can’t use reactions until you return to the initiative order. If you Delay an entire round without returning to the initiative order, the actions from the Delayed turn are lost, your initiative doesn’t change, and your next turn occurs at your original position in the initiative order.
• When you Delay, any negative effects that normally occur at the start or end of your turn occur immediately when you use the Delay action. Any beneficial effects that would end at any point during your turn also end. The GM might determine that other effects end when you Delay as well. Essentially, you can’t Delay to avoid negative consequences that would happen on your turn or to extend beneficial effects that would end on your turn.

New Conditions

Bleeding

• This condition is cumulative. Each time you receive it, the source of the condition will explain how many levels of bleeding you gain. If you resist the damage type of the effect causing bleeding, you receive half as many levels of bleeding from the effect.
• A bleeding creature suffers X damage at the beginning end of each of its turns where X is equal to the level of Bleeding the target has. The target can end this condition as an action on its turn by staunching the bleeding. This can stack additively with other sources of Bleeding.
• When a creature with bleeding receives healing, the healing reduces its bleeding level by that much instead of healing the creature as normal. Any healing overflow after clearing a creature’s bleed will heal the creature as normal.

Dazed

• A dazed creature can’t take reactions, and must choose between making a move, action, or bonus action on each of its turns.

Distracted

• A distracted creature has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to perceive any creature other than the source of its distraction, and cannot take reactions against those creatures.
• The next attack roll made by a creature that is not the source of the distraction has advantage against the distracted creature.
• A distracted creature has disadvantage on concentration checks.

• If a distracted creature can neither hear nor see the source of its distraction, the effects of this condition are suppressed until it can hear or see the source of its distraction again.

Exposed

• Exposed is measured in levels, and an exposed creature has vulnerability X to incoming damage where X is the level of exposed the creature is suffering from.
• This vulnerability only applies to damage types the creature is not resistant, immune, or otherwise unharmed by.
• This vulnerability stacks with other vulnerabilities the creature may have.

Frail

• A creature with frail has a -2 penalty to its AC.

Scarred

• A creature with scarred cannot heal or receive temporary HP.

Taunted

• A taunted creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than those that are taunting it. A creature can be taunted by multiple sources, and the disadvantage on attack rolls against other creatures stacks for each active source of a taunt.

• If a taunted creature can neither hear nor see a source of its taunt, the creature is no longer taunted by that source.

Weak

• A creature with weak has a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

Utility Belt

The Utility Belt is a mechanic which limits the number of consumables you can hold on your person and quickly utilize in a fight. You have two slots in your utility belt and any potion or similar consumable item costs 1 slot. Any nonmagical consumables can stack up to 5 times in a single slot. You can restock from your backpack by using an action to place your backpack down/open it, and an action to search your inventory for the item you need (putting your backpack back on is a free item interaction).

Class Changes

Artificer

Modified Pockets

This is a new 3rd level feature that says the following: “At level 3 you learn to use your artificing skills to expand your utility belt to expand your easy access to items. You now have an additional utility belt slot.” The Armorer subclass’s Lightning Gauntlets now apply taunted instead of its usual debuff for the same duration, and you have the choice upon hit whether to apply it or not.

Barbarian

unclouded focus

This feature now also says the following at the end: “In addition when you rage, the next two times you use a skill maneuver during that you have prepared during this rage, you do not expend any superiority dice.”

Monk

Meditative Focus

This feature now reads: “As a part of your daily preparations, you may prepare an additional skill maneuver which doesn’t count against the number of skill maneuvers you can prepare each day. In addition, by spending two ki points before a skill check, you may use a relevant skill maneuver which doesn’t have a level requirement that you have prepared without expending a superiority die.

Rogue

Sneak Attack

This feature now also triggers on distracted targets.

Perfect Preparation

This is a new 3rd level feature that says the following: “At level 3 you continue to find ways to prepare better for any situation, and expand your utility belt. You now have an additional utility belt slot.”

Spell Updates

Spell Changes

Calm Emotions

This spell now also suppresses the taunted condition.

Compelled Duel

This spell now can be upcast to target multiple opponents. In addition, opponents affected by the spell can only move away from you at half speed, and the spell is not broken when you attack a creature unaffected by the spell or end your turn 30+ feet away. Finally, the spell causes you and every single creature affected by it to all be taunted by each other.

Conjure Barrage

Range changed from Self (60 foot cone) to 60 feet (30 foot cone, 30 foot tall 15 foot radius cylinder). Damage boosted from 3d8 to 5d8. The caster can now choose to either fire a straightforward cone emanating away from them at a point they can see within range, or fire the arrows in an arcing volley from above which creates a 30 foot tall cylinder with a radius of 15 feet coming down at a point you can see within range.

Enthrall

No longer is auto-saved by creatures with Charm immunity. Now no longer gives advantage to creatures in combat with you. Now distracts instead of its usual effect on failed save. They are distracted again by you at the beginning of each of your turns, but if they take damage they have the opportunity to try and save again against your spell save DC.

Flame Arrows

This spell is now a bonus action, and the damage has been increased to 1d10. Creatures within 5 feet of another creature that was hit by ammunition enchanted by the spell also suffers fire damage equal to what the target took from this spell. The radius of this effect increases by 5 feet for every 2 spell levels above 3 this spell is cast at.

Grasp of the Grave

Now applies Scarred on hit for the usual duration of its debuff.

Grasping Vines

Slight name change. This spell now also knocks enemies prone when they fail their save and can target up to 3 creatures upon cast/bonus actions.

Hail of Thorns

No longer concentration, and doesn’t last for 1 minute with the usual activate first problem. Now you can use your bonus action immediately after hitting an enemy on your turn with a ranged weapon attack to trigger the effect.

Life Transference

Now heals for triple the damage you take instead of double.

Lightning Arrow

No longer concentration, and doesn’t last for 1 minute with the usual activate first problem. Now you can use your bonus action immediately after hitting an enemy on your turn with a ranged weapon attack to trigger the effect. Now doesn’t replace your weapon damage and instead reads “the weapon’s damage for this attack is 4d8 lightning”, allowing players to add their Dex mod to that damage.

Ray of Enfeeblement

Now applies Weak alongside its other effect. Can be upcast to target more creatures for each level it is upcast above 2nd.

Ray of Sickness

Now applies scarred for the same duration as its usual debuff, regardless of whether the target succeeds or fails the save.

Tasha’s Mind Whip

Now applies dazed instead of its usual debuff for the same duration upon a failed save.

Swift Quiver

This spell now allows you to take its free two bonus action attacks immediately after casting it.

Maneuver Updates

Maneuver Changes

Brace

Now you activate brace with a bonus action on your turn, which enables you to take the reaction attack when an enemy steps into reach.

Call of the Hunt

Both dice now go into the damage roll, but you can move up to your full speed now.

One of the dice goes into the damage roll as usual, while the other goes into your ac while using your movement from this maneuver. You can now move up to your full speed, but you need to take the most direct path to the target of the maneuver.

First Aid

Now also cleanses Weak, Frail, Bleeding, and Scarred.

Follow Up

Now is a reaction when you see an ally attack a creature within your melee reach, making the creature Exposed to your next attack and letting you add your superiority die to the damage roll.

Goading Attack

Now forces a Wisdom save instead of an Intelligence save. Now applies Taunted instead of its usual debuff. Now must be applied with a melee weapon attack.

Menacing Attack

Now costs 2 superiority dice to use, but lets you add both to your damage roll.

Provoke

Now forces a Wisdom save instead of an Intelligence save. Now applies Taunted instead of its usual debuff.

Raptor’s Watch

Now applies Exposed 1 to the creature if you hit it, lasting until the beginning of your next turn.

New Maneuvers

Repartee – level Zero maneuver

As a bonus action, pick a creature you can see within 60 feet and mouth off a clever distracting quip to it. That creature, if it can understand the language you speak, must make an intelligence saving throw or be distracted by you until the end of your next turn.

Flashy slash – Level Three Maneuver

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to distract the target. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, it is distracted by you until the end of your next turn.

Crowd Work – Level Five Skill Maneuver

When attempting to distract creatures around you with a performance check, you may expend two superiority dice and add the result to the check. If the check is successful, each creature you are trying to distract that can see or hear you within 60 feet is distracted by you for the next minute until they are attacked or affected by a hostile spell.

Center of Attention – Level Eight Maneuver

As a bonus action you may expend two superiority dice and attempt to distract all the nearby enemies. When you do so, any number of creatures of your choice within 30 feet must make an Intelligence saving throw or be distracted by you until the end of your next turn. You may then roll your superiority dice twice and gain temporary hp equal to the result.

Bleeding Strike – Level Five Maneuver

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to attempt to cause severe bleeding on the target. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it is bleeding equal to the number you rolled on your superiority die.

Dazing Attack – Level Eight Maneuver

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend two superiority dice to attempt to daze the target. You add the superiority dice to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Scarring Attack – Level Five Maneuver

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a superiority die to attempt to daze the target. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it is scarred until the end of your next turn.

Set Up Blow – Level Five Maneuver

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a superiority die to attempt to set up the target for followup attacks. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, at the end of your turn it is exposed 1 until the end of your next turn.

Sunder Armor – Level Five Maneuver

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend two superiority dice to attempt to make the target frail. You add the superiority dice to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it is frail until the end of your next turn.

Weakening Blow – Level Five Maneuver

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend a superiority die to attempt to make the target weak. You add the superiority die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it is weak until the end of your next turn.