Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Feats for Races

I find this line mystifying: "These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign."

What are they trying to say here? Do these feats become unbalanced when combined with multiclassing?

Also, some of the feats significantly alter a character's body. Barbed Hide, for example, endows a Tiefling with a barbed hide. That's not the sort of thing that you can acquire through training. Which gives rise to the question, "Why couldn't the Tiefling do this at level 1?" It's not like Pole Arm Master, where you can explain the acquisition of the new ability through practice and training. Either you were born with a barbed hide or you weren't.

Same with Dragon Wings: "You sprout draconic wings." I'm not well-versed in Dragonborn lore, but is that really something that just... happens during their adult life?

 

[Mistwell]

I love how the trend in D&D is that Humans are these incredibly versatile beings... Well most of the Humans I know can barely tie their own shoes... Where does this come from?

What, you hang out in Kindergarten or something that the humans you know can barely tie their own shoes?

 

[Henry]

I love how the trend in D&D is that Humans are these incredibly versatile beings... Well most of the Humans I know can barely tie their own shoes... Where does this come from?

I believe it's a Tolkien-ism, where in the books men were both fecund and could learn skills in short time that elves spent centuries perfecting, but I could be wrong. I just know it's a D&D staple from the beginning.

Speaking for myself, I'm not liking these new feats either - some of the things (like the human advantage, the halfling group luck, and the flight for dragonborn) remind me too much of some of the breakable parts of 4e, and in some cases are so good I don't know why I wouldn't take them. (Dragonborn flight especially!)

 

[ddaley]

I haven't read the document yet, so don't have all of the details. But, I could see some of these things being racial mutations/anomalies that some members of the race experience. Having them be feats seems a little odd though. I do agree with that.

I am all for racial feats, so I'm keen on this. Also, Blink Elves are back!

I assume this line: "These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign.", means that the two playtest documents were developed separately and haven't been checked for compatibility. Without feedback from the playtests, they don't know which, if any, they'll move forward with.

As for feats that cause physical changes, I think it depends on the race. Stories abound of demons unlocking further power that alters their physical form. I'm comfortable with such feats for deeply magical races like Tieflings or Dragonborn. But I do agree that it can come across as strange and might need a little more lore to back it up.

 

[Jester David]

Oof. A lot of these feats use the same design space as my feats book on the DMsGuild. That's cool for me (my ideas were worthy of inclusion in a book) but man does it devalue something I wrote.

 

[Dualazi]

I like a lot of these, despite sharing similar misgivings about PCs suddenly sprouting wings and thorns and whatnot, but my complaint from the skills UA is just as true here; these should be options you can pick for your race/subrace from the beginning and not tied to a feat. I'm actually not as opposed to the spell additions this time around since they seem to mostly be tied to races with strong fey/magic connections and so kind of make sense.

Mechanically speaking elven accuracy and dwarven resilience are really good, elven in particular since it's basically a power-creepy way of getting double advantage.

It also amuses me how much they used 4e material for this, like at least half are just ports of the old racial abilities.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I believe it's a Tolkien-ism, where in the books men were both fecund and could learn skills in short time that elves spent centuries perfecting, but I could be wrong. I just know it's a D&D staple from the beginning.

Speaking for myself, I'm not liking these new feats either - some of the things (like the human advantage, the halfling group luck, and the flight for dragonborn) remind me too much of some of the breakable parts of 4e, and in some cases are so good I don't know why I wouldn't take them. (Dragonborn flight especially!)

Idk, flight is cool, but it's less powerful than the phb weapon user feats. Or Magic Initiate, etc. it's pretty slow, comes with armor restrictions.

Honestly, I am thinking I will suggest tuning it up a little. Even if the speed increases at a later level, but honestly...I wouldn't take this feat for most DB characters, without a tune up.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I would like the return of parangon classes from 3.5 Unearthed Arcana.

 

[Li Shenron]

What next? Class-based feats?

Even if I didn't like this latest set of UA feats, I think racial feats makes a lot of sense. That's because (with very few exceptions) all racial benefits are gained at 1st level. Racial feats give you the option of adding some race-based advancement to your character, along the class-based advancement and background-based advancement (the latter is only in the form of proficiency bonus increase). Racial feats also have a history, and don't forget that a long time ago there were also racial classes. Yes it definitely makes sense to have racial feats in the game, even if these UA examples are not of my tastes.

Class-based feats are not needed. You are already supposed to have options and choice points within your class. Although of course there could be also class-based feats that offered some improvements to class specific features. For example, I would be in favor of a Sorcerer-only feat that granted more known metamagic abilities and/or more spell points. But I would prefer if they didn't go overboard with these, just a very few selected class-specific feats to target a couple of class mechanics that feel a bit too restrictive.

 

[SmokeyCriminal]

I like a lot of these Feats and how there's batches of them playing with different themes and angles. If nothing else I think they're heading in the right direction for the majority of these race feats.

Using Feats to expand on already existing race features; with Bountiful Luck, Critter Friend, Wonder Maker, and Drow High Magic feels like a good space to toy with and gives players a chance to lean into their specific race.

Using Feats to touch on class and sub-class features but in a way that's thematic to the race; with Orcish Aggression/Cunning Action: Dash, Second Chance/Cutting Words, and Fey Teleportation/Mysty Escape, Everybody's Friend/Beguiling Influence, is a fun idea to be able to double down on a class feature. For example a lvl 6 High Elf Feylock with the Feat will be poofing all over the place, none stop, with 2 short rest teleports. That sounds like fun. But if a Half-Orc with Orcish Aggression goes Rogue and gets Cunning Action then hes basically stepping on his own toes. Normally I don't mind overlap with general Feats and features but I think that specifically Race Feats need to be mindful of the difference between overlapping and doubling down. So maybe make Orcish Aggression give you 90 ft to move towards an enemy, essentially a Bonus Action Double Dash. And now the Half-Orc has the option to run 90ft towards an enemy or 60ft away from an enemy for a Bonus Action.

I also like the idea of taking general Feats and tweaking them to be race specific; Lucky/Human Determination, Skilled/Prodigy, Magic Initiate/Wood Elf Magic. But it brings up interesting balance questions. "Is two cantrips, and a 1st level spell from any class more/equal/less then a cantrip, a specific 1st level spell, and a specific second level spell?" "Is three Luck Points per long rest more/equal/less then one free advantage every short rest?" "Is three tools/skills worth more/equal/less then a +1, a skill, a tool, and a language?"

Also it brings up the question "Should Racial Feats be stronger then General Feats since they have a prerequisite?" Which I don't think we've even started to discuss yet.

Concerning Barbed Hide and Dragon Wings. I don't have an issue with the sudden change, who among us hasn't looked in the mirror and thought "When the hell did THAT get there?!" Freakishly long single back hair, or Giant bat wings, its all the same really. Plus the reveal can be fun. 'Tiefling sits, starts eating breakfast...sneezes...SPIKES..."AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"'

I also don't mind Dwarf Resilience even if they can heal HD without a rest. It's already balanced with the HD and the fact that he'll have a party to force him to short rest. Actually sounds really thematic for a Dwarf "What do you mean you want to take another rest?!? We just had one 6hrs ago!... That axe barely nicked your head, that bastard monster ATE me and you don't hear ME complaining...I expect this nonsense from the Elf, but from you? You're a Bloody Dragonborn...Fine,fine babies let's take a rest, want me to kiss your wittle ouchies too?"

Also, now i want to play a Half-Elf Thief with Everybody's Friend, Skilled, and Prodigy. That's like 12 Skills, 6 Expertise, 3 languages, a couple tools, and Reliable Talent, would make a fun little Skill Monkey.

 

[Aldarc]

I would not mind many of these racial feats as much if non-human races could get feats at 1st level. I see that as a (minor) design flaw of 5e.