D&D 5E Unearthed Arcana: Gothic Lineages & New Race/Culture Distinction

The latest Unearthed Arcana contains the Dhampir, Reborn, and Hexblood races. The Dhampir is a half-vampire; the Hexblood is a character which has made a pact with a hag; and the Reborn is somebody brought back to life.

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Perhaps the bigger news is this declaration on how race is to be handled in future D&D books as it joins other games by stating that:

"...the race options in this article and in future D&D books lack the Ability Score Increase trait, the Language trait, the Alignment trait, and any other trait that is purely cultural. Racial traits henceforth reflect only the physical or magical realities of being a player character who’s a member of a particular lineage. Such traits include things like darkvision, a breath weapon (as in the dragonborn), or innate magical ability (as in the forest gnome). Such traits don’t include cultural characteristics, like language or training with a weapon or a tool, and the traits also don’t include an alignment suggestion, since alignment is a choice for each individual, not a characteristic shared by a lineage."

 

[jasper]

Cool Extra damage on a smite agains Dhampir. I can see a chaotic group casting cure wounds, and the the paladin smiting your local friendly neighborhood vampire. And if I add dhampir lineage to a vampire I not longer have to grapple you to bite. It also improves movement by 5. It should just be 30 feet like the rest.
Hexblood needs a possible rewording. Fey Resilience should be "You have advantage on charmed conditions." Hex magic. This will cause me to check your log sheet. As I can see some people switching which modifier they use once they take an ASI.
Reborn. another freaking Trance race like elf. Great an always on d6 bump to your saving throws. 1 to 5 times a day. Make it a d3 and I will be happy.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Or Innistrad. WotC does love their M:tG settings. Though, I do think that we're more likely to get Ravenloft this year than Innistrad, as we got a M:tG setting just last year.

They've also explicitly said there were two products with Vistani coming soon. It seems like the deluxe Strahd boxed set was number one, but a book that has Ravenloft material (even if it's not a Ravenloft setting book per se) seems likely as well, with this UA.

 

[Birmy]

I see a lot of us are thinking Ravenloft, though it's pretty well represented in this edition so far, and recently. Maybe a Van Richten's Guide to [Synonym for Supernatural]? I think I might side with those thinking these are for Innistrad--do these archetypes fit the lore of that world at all? (I don't play Magic--I know Innistrad is cut from the same cloth as Barovia, but that's it).

 

[Morrus]

It's very difficult to me to consider Ability Score Increase as CULTURAL. I strongly believe it is physiological. These are aberration of common sense twisted to... ok I stop myself. But truth is more important than... ok stop.

I think that’s a good idea. You have enough warning points already.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

They've also explicitly said there were two products with Vistani coming soon. It seems like the deluxe Strahd boxed set was number one, but a book that has Ravenloft material (even if it's not a Ravenloft setting book per se) seems likely as well, with this UA.

Number one was TCoE. The ravenloft boxed set wasn't a "book", so I don't think it counts. This is almost definitely Ravenloft, but they could throw Vistani as a planeswalking race into Innistrad.

 

[Weiley31]

That could be interesting—but unless I’m misreading, that’s not the path they’ve chosen. If you’re a dwarf, and you become a dhampir (or any lineage), mechanically you stop being a dwarf for all purposes.

That's no fun either!

 

[Weiley31]

I mean Stefano has a point with some points.

 

[Blue Orange]

It does allow for fun RP ideas like dwarves raised by elves or something similar.

 

[Scribe]

It does allow for fun RP ideas like dwarves raised by elves or something similar.

I mean...the RP around that is fine. Its still a stocky, thick limbed, short, powerfully built Dwarf.

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

Number one was TCoE. The ravenloft boxed set wasn't a "book", so I don't think it counts. This is almost definitely Ravenloft, but they could throw Vistani as a planeswalking race into Innistrad.

If in CM we will see Vistani, all our hopes to see Ravenloft CS or AP will be abandoned. Personallyif they do Innistrad and not Ravenloft I will be VERY UPSET.