Most of D&D’s top feats involve magic in some way. Free spells, improved spells, or something that feels an awful lot like spellcasting. Knowing how game-changing spells can be for any character, I was naturally pretty excited to see the feats list in D&D’s next spellcasting-focused sourcebook, Arcana Unleashed.
I picked up an early review copy at Gen Con. And boy, has Arcana Unleashed delivered in the feat department. They’re not all smash hits, but there’s some incredibly interesting new options. Here are my favorites:
Arcane Eloquence
It’s nice to see new Origin feats that actually feel worth taking. Arcane Eloquence gives you access to the Vicious Mockery cantrip, so sassy Sorcerers are absolutely on the table. More importantly, though, any time you make a Charisma check, you add 1d4 to your results. It’s free, and there’s unlimited usage. It’s very appealing for a party Face that doesn’t want to play a Bard.
Arcane Omens
Arcane Omens is similar in structure to the last Origin feat, but your free cantrip is Guidance. Everyone benefits from regular Guidance. Plus, when you see a creature within 30 feet (including yourself) fail a save, you can spend a reaction to add 1d4 to its total, potentially turning it into a success. Usage per day equals your proficiency bonus, but it could be a life-saver on crucial rolls.
Familiar Friend / Warlike Familiar
Arcana Unleashed has really changed the game for companion classes. This Origin feat means you always have the spell Find Familiar prepared, and it’s castable for free once a day. Your summon gets a boosted HP maximum and can give you advantage on ability checks you’re proficient in when nearby – neat!
What’s even neater is how this feat branches out into higher-level feats. There are four General feats you can take when you have Familiar Friend, each improving your summon’s powers further. Some give them healing power, improved manueverability, or new ways to deal damage.
My favorite option by far is Warlike Familiar. You always have the new spell Battle Familiar prepared (which, in my spells roundup, I called one of the best spells in the entire book). You can cast it once a day without a spell slot, and the familiar gets a new reaction that lets it add its armor class to an incoming attack against a nearby friend. That’s frankly ridiculous value, given how strong the original Battle Familiar is.
Abjuration Adept
I mentioned feats that give you more spells are pretty great, right? Well, what if those spells were really good and came with an extra benefit. Abjuration Adept is one of those. You already need to be able to cast spells to use it, but if you can, it’s worth a look.
You get a spell list that, once you have high enough spell slots for each entry, means they’re always prepared. There’s no free casting, but it frees up your spell preparation significantly. This feat gives you Shield, Lesser Restoration, Protection from Energy, Banishment, and Mass Cure Wounds. Honestly, even just easy access to shield on all spellcasting DnD classes is a win.
Things get better, because when you cast an Abjuration spell with a spell slot, you or a creature within 30 feet gain temporary HP equal to twice the level of the spell slot spent. Even Wizards, with their seemingly endless spell lists, will find this one appealing. Oh, and you get a +1 stat boost!
Evocation Adept
This does the same thing as Abjuration Adept, except you get access to Chromatic Orb, Shatter, Fireball, Vitriolic Sphere, and Wall of Force. And, when you cast an Evocation spell and deal damage, you can roll up to two Hit Dice and add their results to the damage.
This has a once per turn limit, and it requires you spending a resource you might otherwise need elsewhere. That’s not as impressive as free temporary HP – but, on the other hand, Fireball.
Magic Connoisseur
Magic Connoisseur is an extension of Magic Initiate, a longtime D&D staple. I mean this literally – you can only take this feat if you already have Magic Initiate. In exchange, you get a +1 stat pip, and you choose a level-one and level-two spell from the same list you used for Magic Initiate. Those spells are always prepared, and you can cast them without a spell slot once a day. More spells, yay!
The most interesting thing going on here is that, when you level up, you can swap this feat’s spell’s. That’s a nice bit of added flexibility that all these ‘Adept’ feats don’t offer. Plus, you don’t need to be a casting class to take this one.
Transmutation Adept
The Adept feats are just a really fun idea, okay? This one gives you Jump, Spider Climb, Slow, Polymorph, and Animate Objects, which is a mighty arsenal. When you cast a Transmutation spell on your turn with a spell slot, you also increase your Speed by five times the value of the spell slot spent. It only lasts ’til the end of your turn, but you could put this sudden burst of zoomies to very good use.
Boon of Magic School Mastery
Epic Boons are, I think, a tricky thing to design. I’m yet to see many from supplementary sourcebooks that outmatch those from the original Player’s Handbook. When you’re working at such high levels, it’s tough to offer something satisfyingly strong without breaking everything else.
I don’t think Boon of Magic School Mastery is going to break the game, but I would seriously consider it for a caster character. You pick a school of magic, and you get one level-one spell from its list that you can always cast for free. No spell slots or components. Just infinite Shield.
Plus, you can choose a level-seven or lower spell from that school. You always have it prepared, and you can cast it without a spell slot once a day. Choose wisely, and this could be a seriously impactful freebie.
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Source: Wargamer
