One D&D Cleric and Revised Species: Rule Changes

For a while now, the term “race” has been a topic of heated debate among the TTRPG community. Not just D&D, but other gaming franchises have also looked at moving away from using the term due to many real-world social issues. The Unearthed Arcana playtest released December 1st, 2022 introduces WotC’s plan for addressing this issue moving forward. In addition to removing the term ‘race’ from the game and replacing it with the term ‘species’, The new One D&D playtest also gives us the first look at Wizards of the Coast’s changes to the Cleric class and introduces a handful of rules changes. We’re almost finished with reviewing this UA release so let’s get to it!

What’s In It?

This third and final review focuses on the Rules Glossary section of the new playtest document. For my reviews of the rest of this release, check out One D&D Cleric and Revised Species: Cleric Class and Feats, and One D&D Cleric and Revised Species: Species. In this Unearthed Arcana, we see a number of additions to the Rules Glossary, most centered around magic and most of them being new versions of old spells. As with the other reviews, I’ll focus primarily on the changes introduced in these new rules, comparing them to their original versions, and any updates they may have seen since being introduced in previous One D&D playtests. If you want to see the entirety of the new rules glossary, there is a link to the original document at the bottom of this page.

Rule Changes

Change Log

WotC has added a nifty little sidebar in the Rules Glossary section for a change log. This allows you to see what items in the glossary are new additions or feature changes from previous entries. This will come in very handy when trying to see exactly what’s new since the last release.

Aid (Spell)

This is a new version of the Aid Spell

Aid

2nd-Level Abjuration Spell (Divine)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a tiny strip of white cloth)
Duration: Instantaneous
Your spell bolsters creatures, filling them with resolve. Choose up to six creatures within range. Each target gains 5 Temporary Hit Points.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the number of Temporary Hit Points increases by 5 for each slot level above 2nd.

• This functions very similarly to the version in the Player’s Handbook with some important wording changes.
  • You now grant a creature 5 temporary hit points rather than increasing their maximum hit points by 5. This is simpler wording and less to keep to track of, but it no longer helps with effects that can reduce a character’s maximum hit points like it used to.
• It can now target six creatures instead of only three which is quite an upgrade.

Attack (Action)

When you take the Attack action, you can make one attack with a weapon or an unarmed strike.

Equipping Weapons

You can equip or unequip one weapon before or after each attack you make as part of this action, even if the attack is with an Unarmed Strike

Moving Between Attacks

If you move on your turn, you can use some or all of that movement to move between the attacks of this action if you have a feature, such as Extra Attack, that gives you more than one attack as part of the Attack action.

• The difference between this entry and the one in the Expert Classes UA is subtle and could easily be missed.
  • The wording has been changed from “You can equip or unequip one Weapon before or
    after any attack you make” to “You can equip or unequip one Weapon before or
    after each attack you make”.
  • This difference ensures that characters using a weapon in each hand can draw them both during a single turn instead of just one.

Banishment (Spell)

Banishment

4th-Level Abjuration Spell (Arcane, Divine)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (an item distasteful to the target)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You attempt to send one creature that you can see within range to another plane of existence. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be transported to a harmless demiplane for the duration. The target can willingly fail the save.
While in the demiplane, the target is Incapacitated. At the end of each of its turns, the target can repeat the save, ending the spell on itself on a success. When the spell ends on the target, it reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.
If the spell lasts on the target for 1 minute and the target is an Aberration, a Celestial, an Elemental, a Fey, or a Fiend, the target doesn’t return. It is instead transported to a random location on a plane associated with its creature type.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this Spell using a Spell Slot of 5th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 4th.

• This spell has been updated with more concise wording but otherwise functions the same as it used to other than for one big difference.
  • For some reason, they’ve added the limitation that spell can only banish certain kinds of creatures. With the restrictions provided, this spell no longer allows you to banish any of the following creature types back to their home plane: beasts, constructs, dragons, giants, humanoids, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead.
  • This seems a bit limiting to me, I feel like the list of things it can’t banish should be shorter than the ones it can. An angel or a demon can be banished back to their home plane but a human can’t be? Seems strange to me.

Grappled (Condition)

While Grappled, you experience the following
effects:

Speed 0. Your speed is 0 and can’t change.
Attacks Affected. You have disadvantage on attack rolls against any target other than the grappler.
Movable. The grappler can drag or carry you when it moves, but the grappler suffers the Slowed condition while moving, unless you are Tiny or two or more Sizes smaller than the grappler.
Escape. While Grappled, you can make a Dexterity or Strength saving throw against the
grapple’s escape DC at the end of each of your turns, ending the condition on yourself on a
success. The condition also ends if the grappler is Incapacitated or if something removes you from the grapple’s range.

• The first change to this condition was presented in the first One D&D playtest that focused on Character Origins. Since, it has been updated in each of the One D&D releases. It has functioned the same way in each version but with small changes to the wording as it gets refined to be more concise.

Guidance (Spell)

This is a new version of the Guidance spell.

Guidance

0-Level Divination Spell (Divine, Primal)
Casting Time: Reaction, which you take in response to you or an ally within 10 feet of you failing an ability check
Range: 10 feet
Component: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You channel magical insight to the creature who failed the ability check. That creature can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the check, potentially turning it into a success.

• The first revision of this spell was presented in the previous One D&D playtest that focused on the Expert Classes.
• This latest version of the Guidance spell comes with two changes.
  • The first change is to the spell’s range which has been lowered down to 10 feet from its original 30 feet.
  • The second change is in the description. The paragraph presented here hasn’t changed since its introduction but it’s now missing the second paragraph which used to limit a creature to being able to receive the benefit of this spell only once per day.

Influence (Action)

With the Influence action, you can try to influence another creature to do one thing or course of action that you request or demand.

This Action can be used only on creatures controlled by the DM, and it isn’t mind control; it can’t force a creature to do something that is counter to the creature’s alignment or that is
otherwise repugnant to the creature.

This Action has three main parts: Attitude, interaction, and a Charisma Check.

Attitude

A creature’s attitude determines how a character can influence that creature. Each DM-controlled creature has one of the following attitudes toward the player characters:

Indifferent. This is the default Attitude for DM-controlled creatures. An Indifferent creature might help or hinder the party, depending on what the creature sees as most beneficial. A creature’s indifference doesn’t necessarily make it standoffish or disinterested. Indifferent creatures might be polite and genial, surly and irritable, or anything in between. A successful Charisma check is usually necessary when the adventurers try to influence an indifferent creature to do something.

Friendly. A friendly creature wants to help the adventurers and wishes for them to succeed. For tasks or actions that require no particular risk, effort, or cost, friendly creatures often help happily, with the Charisma check succeeding automatically. If an element of personal risk is involved, a successful Charisma check is usually required to convince a friendly creature to take that risk.

Hostile. A hostile creature opposes the adventurers and their goals but doesn’t necessarily attack them on sight. The adventurers need to succeed on one or more Charisma checks to convince a hostile creature to do anything on the party’s behalf; however, the DM might determine that the hostile creature is so ill-disposed toward the characters that no Charisma check can sway it, in which case the first check fails automatically and no further Influence attempts can be made on the creature unless its attitude shifts.

Interaction

When you take the Influence action, either roleplay how your character interacts with the
creature or describe your character’s behavior—focusing on your character’s request or demand. If the interaction is especially suited to the creature’s desires and outlook, the DM might temporarily shift a hostile creature to indifferent or an indifferent creature to friendly.

Similarly, if the interaction is particularly irksome to the creature, the DM might temporarily shift a friendly creature to indifferent or an indifferent creature to hostile.

Ability Check

To determine whether your request or demand is successful, you make a Charisma check. You have Advantage on the check if the creature is friendly, and you have disadvantage if the creature is hostile.

Choosing a Skill. The Influence Skills table suggests which skills are applicable when you
make the Charisma check, depending on the interaction that precedes the roll.

Influence Skills

Setting the DC. The minimum DC for the check is 15 or the creature’s Intelligence score, whichever is higher

Outcome. If your check succeeds, the creature does as asked. If your check fails, you must wait to make the same request again. The default wait time is 24 hours, which the DM may shorten or extend depending on the circumstances.

• This action was first introduced in the previous One D&D playtest that focused on the Expert Classes and the idea is still the same there are a few differences.
• Most of the changes that have taken place are clean up the wording and make everything a bit more concise.
  • The first one is that some wording has been cleaned up and shortened under the description for a hostile creature.
  • Under the Ability Check entry of this action, they really got rid of a lot of unnecessary words and just allowed the accompanying table to display the information.
• They’ve added the Setting the DC and Outcome sections to make the information easier to digest.
• The addition of this action really shows how much they are trying to gamify every aspect of roleplaying experience.

Light (Weapon Property)

When you take the Attack action on your turn and attack with a light weapon in one hand and have a light weapon in the other hand, you can make one extra attack as part of the same Action. That extra attack must be made with the light weapon in the other hand, and you don’t add your ability modifier to the extra attack’s damage. You can make this extra attack only once on each of your turns.
For example, if you take the Attack action on your turn and have a shortsword in one hand and a dagger in the other—each of which has the light property—you can make one attack with each weapon, but you don’t add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the damage roll of the second weapon.

• The first revision of this weapon property was presented in the previous One D&D playtest that focused on the Expert Classes.
• This is another rule that has only been updated with slight changes to the wording for ease of understanding.

Long Rest

A long rest is a period of extended downtime—at least 8 hours long—available to any creature. During a long rest, you sleep for at least 6 hours and perform no more than 2 hours of light activity, such as reading, talking, eating, or standing watch.

Benefits of the Rest

To start a Long Rest, you must have at least 1 hit point. When you finish the rest, you gain the following benefits:

Regain All HP. You regain all lost hit points.
Regain All HD. You regain all spent hit dice.
HP Max Restored. If your hit point maximum was reduced, it returns to normal.
Ability Scores Restored. If any of your ability scores were reduced, they return to normal.
Exhaustion Reduced. If you are exhausted, your level of exhaustion decreases by 1.

After you finish a Long Rest, you must wait at least 16 hours before starting another one.

Interrupting the Rest

A Long Rest is stopped by the following interruptions:

• Combat
• Casting a spell other than a 0-level spell
• 1 hour of walking or other physical exertion

If the rest was at least 1 hour long before the interruption, you gain the benefits of a short rest. You can resume a Long Rest immediately after an interruption. If you do so, the rest requires 1 additional hour to finish per interruption.

• The revision of this ruling has been present in each One D&D playtest so far, and each one is different. For the most part long, rests still work the same with the formatting being its biggest change, but there are a few others.
• The first change we see is that you now regain all hit dice when you finish a long rest instead of the usual total of half your maximum hit dice.
• They’ve added clear rulings on restoring ability scores and reducing exhaustion levels.
• If your rest is interrupted in some way, you can now restart your rest by only adding an hour to the time needed to finish it instead of having to start it over.

Magic (Action)

When you take the Magic action, you cast a spell that has a casting time of an Action, or you use a feature or a magic item that requires a magic action to be activated.

If you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 minute or longer, you must take the Magic action on each turn of that casting, and you must maintain concentration while you do so. If your concentration is broken, the spell fails, but you don’t expend a Spell Slot.

• Since it’s introduction in the previous playtest focusing on the Expert classes, this action’s description has been updated with the distinction that some class features may require the use of this action.

Prayer of Healing (Spell)

This is a new version of the Prayer of Healing spell.

Prayer of Healing

2nd-Level Abjuration Spell (Divine)
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 30 feet
Component: V
Duration: Instantaneous
You utter an extended prayer of restoration. Choose a number of willing creatures equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of 1). Each of those creatures who remains within range for the spell’s entire casting gains the benefits of a short rest and also regains 2d8 hit points, and a creature can’t be affected by this spell again until that creature finishes a long rest.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this Spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot above 2nd.

• The spell’s school of magic has changed from Evocation to Abjuration.
• This spell used to be able to target up to six creatures but will now be incapable of doing so without having a spellcasting ability modifier that is 22 or higher.
• in addition to restoring hit points, this spell now grants the recipients the benefits of a short rest but only allows a creature to benefit from this spell once per long rest.

Priest’s Pack (Equipment)

A Priest’s Pack costs 33 GP, and it contains the following items: Backpack, Blanket, Lamp, Holy Water, Rations (7 days), Robe, and Tinderbox.

• The cost of this pack has increased from 19 GP to 33 GP.
• It still contains a backpack, blanket, and rations.
• It lost 10 candles, an alms box, 2 blocks of incense, a censer, vestments, and a waterskin.

Resistance (Spell)

This is a new version of the Resistance spell.

Resistance

0-Level Abjuration Spell (Divine, Primal)
Casting Time: Reaction, which you take in response to you or an ally within 10 feet of you failing a Saving Throw
Range: 10 feet
Component: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You channel magical protection to the creature who failed the saving throw. That creature can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the save, potentially turning it into a success.

• This spell functions the same as it originally did but has seen changes similar to the changes we’ve seen to the new version of the Guidance spell.
  • Instead of using an action and giving someone a d4 they can use in the next minute, you now just use your reaction in the moment that someone needs it. This is a good change, reactions being used for spells like this will give character’s a boost to their turn economy.
• The range of the spell has been adjusted from touch to 10 feet.
• This version drops the need for a miniature cloak as the material component.

Spiritual Weapon (Spell)

This is a new version of the Spiritual Weapon spell.

Spiritual Weapon

2nd-Level Evocation Spell (Divine)
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You create a floating, spectral force that resembles a weapon of your choice and that lasts for the duration. The force appears within range in a space of your choice, and you can immediately make one melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the force. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier.
As a bonus action on your later turns, you can move the force up to 20 feet and repeat the
attack against a creature within 5 feet of it.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for every slot level above 2nd.

• This spell has been rewritten, but still functions the same way it normally did with one major change.
  • The only change to this spell is that you must now maintain concentration on it while it’s active. This may upset some cleric players but I think it’s a good move and doesn’t make this spell any less great.

Truesight

A creature with Truesight has enhanced vision within a specified range. Within that range, the creature’s vision pierces through the following:

Darkness. The creature can see in normal and magical darkness.
Invisibility. The creature can see invisible creatures and objects.
Visual Illusions. The creature notices visual illusions and automatically succeeds on saving throws against them.
Transformations. The creature discerns the true form of any creature or object it sees that has been transformed by magic.
Ethereal Plane. The creature can see into the Ethereal Plane.

Summary

• The Rules Glossary of this One D&D playtest introduces a change log to make picking out the revisions to rules much easier for readers.
• The following spells have been revised for use in the One D&D system:
  • Aid
  • Banishment
  • Guidance
  • Prayer of Healing
  • Resistance
  • Spiritual Weapon
• We’re given updates to the wording of the following actions:
  • Attack
  • Influence
  • Magic
• There’s been a small update to the wording of the Grappled condition.
• We get a small adjustment to the rules of the light weapon property and taking long rests.
• Priest’s Packs have been updated with a new list of included equipment.
• Truesight still works the same but has been rewritten for conciseness.

If you’d like to get the full details of the Cleric Class and Revised Species Unearthed Arcana you can find it with this link right here!