Unearthed Arcana [5E] Unearthed Arcana: Races of Eberron (July 2018)

[CapnZapp]

I don't know about other groups but we frequently use flanking.

Ah.

That explains it.

Best not view general rules through the lens of using house or variant rules.

Regards

 

[Bitbrain]

*reads document*

It's a real pity that my sister wholeheartedly despises D&D, because with this new UA, she could role play some of her favorite characters from the Fullmetal Alchemist manga.

CHANGELING (Envy) - not a fan of the advantage on Deception checks, but I understand why they gave it to them.

KALASHTAR (Greedling?) - seems okay, Dual Mind might need to be scaled back to once per short rest.

SHIFTER (Chimera) - Swiftstrider already gets 35 movement speed. I think giving them a 40 foot speed while shifted is too much.

WARFORGED (Alphonse) - Envoy seems just a little too versatile compared to the others. Drop the bonus tool proficiency but keep the Integrated Tool trait. Maybe have the Juggernaut's fists force a Strength saving throw against being knocked prone?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

*reads document*

It's a real pity that my sister wholeheartedly despises D&D, because with this new UA, she could role play some of her favorite characters from the Fullmetal Alchemist manga.

CHANGELING (Envy) - not a fan of the advantage on Deception checks, but I understand why they gave it to them.

KALASHTAR (Greedling?) - seems okay, Dual Mind might need to be scaled back to once per short rest.

SHIFTER (Chimera) - Swiftstrider already gets 35 movement speed. I think giving them a 40 foot speed while shifted is too much.

WARFORGED (Alphonse) - Envoy seems just a little too versatile compared to the others. Drop the bonus tool proficiency but keep the Integrated Tool trait. Maybe have the Juggernaut's fists force a Strength saving throw against being knocked prone?

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks Eberron is an animie setting.

 

[Leatherhead]

It's been quite some time from the last UA, and supposedly this content matches the stuff in the new Eberron guide that they are selling right now (which will be tweaked and peaked with this)

Changelings
The not quite dopplegangers.
I once played a Changeling that somehow manged to only use their shape-change ability once in the entire campaign. It was quite the reveal. However, it looks like this take is going to make such a character much less appealing to pull off.
Stats:
A healthy dose of Cha, everyone's second favorite stat, backed up by your choice of either a smattering of Dex or Int. Those stats come out of 4e, for those that are wondering. Though it seems a bit excessive to have a full Cha boost on top of everything else they get below.
Change Appearance:
There are a lot of words here, but mechanically it is just advantage on Cha(Deception) checks, and only if they would have reason to suspect you. Also you can't do anything crazy like grow a tail, or wings, or gills, or eyes that work in the dark, or a jaw that is strong enough to deliver a bite attack. So there isn't any real utility other than being really damn good at looking like any human you have come across (which can cause no end to troubles in most campaigns.)
Changeling Instincts:
On the off chance you aren't trained in Deception, you can get it here for no additional cost. Also your pick of Intimidation, Insight or Persuasion. So you can better [-]dominate[/-] participate in your social encounters.
Unsettling Visage:
The Combat shape-change. Because you have to be shape changing all the time. It's worth noting there is absolutely no fluff in this power, and it does not require the enemy to see you to activate it. Which means you might not be making a scary face like the power implies, you could simply be performing some boneless contortionist act. Also, if you are a sniper of somekind, there won't be anyone nearby to figure out that you are made out of jelly.
Divergent Persona.
"Hello there group of people I totally haven't met before! My name is Theif Toolman, and I am here at Jane Doe's (who is taking a powder room break) request to pick this lock. Don't be alarmed when I suddenly disappear after I fulfill this singular task. I will undoubtedly, and coincidentally, show up again should you ever need a similar service in the future."

Seriously. It's Expertise in whatever tool you want, and which tool is that actually useful for? It's either going to be something like this or bypassing any kind of RP altogether by appending it to the primary face of the character. Other than that, it's an ok ability.

Thoughts:
Changelings used to have a bit of resistance to mental attacks. That got the axe. I can't think of a way to break Change Appearance off the top of my head right now. And Unsettling Visage does provide an interesting combat option for a shape changer, though the name is ill-suited.

Kalashtar
The Psionic Race that isn't Psionic anymore.
Stats
Going with the Triton Model for stat boosting. That means they think the abilities make up for having low stats. Though you can pick your third stat, so it will always be something useful.
Dual Mind
Advantage VS Wisdom saves at the cost of your reaction. Of note, there is no cooldown for this ability. Wisdom is one of the more debilitating saves to target, so anyone would like this.
Mental Discipline
Resistance VS Psychic damage. A rare choice. But notable for one quirk, it's the only damage type a Bear-Totem Barbarian is normally damaged by. Between this an the previous skill, near-unstoppable Kalashtar Barbarians should be all the rage~
Mind Link.
Talking with telepathy, but better! Because the target can talk back to you mind for the low low cost of a bonus action.
Psychic Glamour
Advantage on the social skill (other than deception) of your choice. Insight is very tempting here, as it's the skill that is most likely to be used passively, which means a free +5 bonus when your guard is down!
Severed from Dreams
Immunity to anything that uses dreams, but not sleep.

Thoughts:
The Psionic-Barbarians are coming, be prepared.

Shifters
I can't believe it's not Lycanthropy!
This one has subraces, so it's a bit more complex.
Stats
A free dex point for everyone!
Darkvision
This is the only race to have it from this bunch. That's quite unique.
Keen Senses
Free Perception skill.
Shifting
Bonus Action temp hp+ some other stuff, once per rest. Surprisingly, this isn't good for a significant number of front-line characters, as they are already Bonus Action starved.
Subraces
They get one skill, two stat points, and a flavor for Shifting.
Beasthide
Get more Con, more Temp HP, and +1 ac. Good for casters, Ok for melee frontliners, but it is so boring, and there is a far cooler option.
Longtooth
Not quite the runt of the litter, but close. Sure you get STR, and a "bite" attack (which is actually an Unarmed Strike), but the "bite" attack is a bonus action, and you are already starved for those. You can't even bite and shift on the same turn or use the bite as a normal attack action, or have it synergize with monk powers properly. Why not a real bite attack when races like Lizardfolk have such a thing? Who knows? Maybe there is some obscure power that makes bites really good somehow. It can't possibly be to benefit monks, because it really doesn't.
Swiftstride
Full of style and of grace.
You get dex, Cha, a walking speed boost, and the ability to "withdraw" as a reaction. Clearly the best one if you aren't trying to be in melee combat. And perhaps still the best one if you are trying to get into melee combat.
Wildhunt
Do you like tracking things? Because you get all the bonuses possible to tracking things. Unfortunately, you have to be 10' away from your quarry to even get those bonuses, so it's totally useless unless they can somehow teleport and/or turn invisible! Couldn't they have at least let you act like a bloodhound and track Via a smelly shirt or something?
Oh, also +2 wis as if that alone could make up for being the best-worst tracker in all of the land.

Thoughts:
Bonus Action Scarcity hits this race like a truck to the face. Only two of the subraces are actually worthwhile (meaning they actually work), and of the two, one is clearly superior.

Warforged
They are the best of Eberron, they are the worst of Eberron. But either way they are clearly one of the most iconic parts of the setting.
Stats
+con, because they are the robots. They also have subraces, so don't fret if you think that isn't enough yet.
Warforged Resilience
The quality of robot life means you get to ignore the pesky requirements of eating, or sleeping, or getting sick. Though you can be poisoned, just a bit.
Sentry’s Rest
I case you were wondering how to get a long rest without sleeping. Just remember nobody needs to sleep to get a long rest. Or you can just stand still in the corner for 6 hours so that your DM doesn't blow a gasket trying to homebrew up some sleep deprevation rules for the rest of your group.
Integrated Protection
Ok, we may have a problem here.
You get to add your proficiency bonus to your AC. And also sometimes your Dex mod. And a shield. That is a lot of AC.
Also you can freely switch between what kind of armor your skin counts as during a long rest. Which is significantly different than how it used to be, seeing as how you used to physically add or remove a suit of armor to the warforged in order to make such a change.
Subraces
Noticeably missing are the psiforged. And also the Reforged. For Obvious Reasons.
Envoy
This one is new. Or at least new to me. You get +1 to two stats you want. Your pick of skill, tool, and language, and expertise in your tool. A bit boring, but it's a solid choice if you really want to get some casting stats (or just even more Con)
Juggernaut
I think this is supposed to be the normal combat model, despite using the advanced combat model's name.
You get STR, powerful build, and your unarmed strikes do more damage. Somehow more boring than the Envoy despite being more "iconic." The extra unarmed strike damage isn't doing it any favors, perhaps it should be replaced with a way to negate a crit? That was something that warforged used to be infamous for, and would give it some bite compared to the other options.
Skirmisher
Is this supposed to be an updated Scout? If so, why aren't they small sized?
Anyway, you get Dex, bonus walking speed (which means you can be a 35' moving heavy armored unit, wow), and something that makes it so you can move normally when you are by yourself and sneaky (which is almost never).

Thoughts:
Scaling AC is potentially a problem. The Juggernaut just isn't as appealing as the other subraces. The Skirmisher should really be small, firstly because small warforged are cool. Secondly, because they are just that much better than Juggernauts if they are medium sized.

 

[Aldarc]

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks Eberron is an animie setting.

When you speak of "animie" [sic] with that tone to describe Eberron, then I would say that's a pretty good indicator that it's not.

 

[kbrakke]

To clarify:
I am complaining that even though it is using your reaction, you still can't use it during the enemy's turn.

You need to use it while the monster is still moving if you are to be able to use it to actually move away from its attack.

I am not sure what purpose moving after the monster's turn serves, but perhaps the fact the ability is not new means that this has been discussed previously and useful use cases have been thought of?

Edit: simultaneous posting.

The use case is for ranged characters, or melee characters that want to move past a front line. So, if you are an archer, the enemy moves next to you, makes its attacks, then you can move 10 feet away, and not have to worry about taking an AOO or getting disadvantage to attack on your turn.

Alternately if your goal is to move up to their back line as a melee character, their frontline moves to engage you, they attack you, then you move past them without provoking, and perhaps next round you can get up to their ranged characters or the like.

If that's worth it for you, I don't know, but it does have uses.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think the Changling rules are a bit too "loose" to me. I can see players trying to abuse RAW.

The "Swiftstride" Shifter looks mechanically superior to the other subraces, especially Longtooth. "Wildhunt" is a bit rubbish if your class gets wisdom save proficiency by default.

Hiw does will save proficiency interfere with wildhunt? Did I overlook something?

 

[Larrin]

In the envoy sidebar it talks about "Masque" a warforged with a built in disguise kit. Is anyone else picturing a warforged wearing lipstick and a fake mustache trying to pass itself off as human? What is a disguise kit to a warforged? You aren't going to pass as anything other than a warforged, unless your disguise kit is actually just a big hooded cloak. And if you're disguising your-self as a different warforged, what on earth is in that kit?

Obviously, purely game-rule-wise there is no reason a disguise kit is less effective for warforged, but the imagery it evokes in my mind is not one of believable success...

 

[kbrakke]

In the envoy sidebar it talks about "Masque" a warforged with a built in disguise kit. Is anyone else picturing a warforged wearing lipstick and a fake mustache trying to pass itself off as human? What is a disguise kit to a warforged? You aren't going to pass as anything other than a warforged, unless your disguise kit is actually just a big hooded cloak. And if you're disguising your-self as a different warforged, what on earth is in that kit?

Obviously, purely game-rule-wise there is no reason a disguise kit is less effective for warforged, but the imagery it evokes in my mind is not one of believable success...

Two options, one boring, one that sounds sweet to me.
1) It's really good at looking like other warforged. It can pass off as a dock worker warforged, a cook warforged etc. Give it that Hitman vibe. Meh.
2) It's like a replicant or the T-1000, has a skin layer and understands some of the basics of displaying humanoid emotions. It can pass as most human like things, but will sometimes struggle with things like empathy. I'm sold (Blade Runner//Cyberpunk biases aside).

 

[NaturalZero]

Think there's some misunderstanding here. You can't use your weapon with the bonus fang attack.This kind of ability is the poor man's monk, and isn't desirable to most minmaxers (who'd rather attack with their regular weapon than what effectively is a non-magical shortsword)

It's a bonus action, so why wouldn't you be able to use it with weapons? I make all my greatsword attacks at 2d6+Str and then get a bonus attack for 1d6+Str. Useless on a monk, but great for any greatweapon or sword and board combatant.

Same for Warforged Juggernaut Iron Fists (and many others): it's mostly a ribbon ability rather than something to build a power character on.

The WFJ ability actually IS garbage because it takes an action to use. Free bonus action attacks are potentially great though.

If I understand it correctly, you're talking about getting skill, tool and language proficiencies (plus "Tool expertise") in place of Iron Fists and Powerful Build.

Sure it is better, but not by a huge amount.

You get a skill, a built-in tool, AND double prof bonus on using that tool. Compare that to a useless unarmed attack and a extra carrying capacity and the envoy is definitely better. The skirmisher is a ridiculously bad though.

However, since Changelings can't change size I don't understand what abuse case you are discussing?

Wildshape. It's not really that much of an abuse since you don't gain the stats, but you could turn into something large and masquerade as something that's not a large animal.