D&D 5E Unearthed Arcana: Draconic Options

The latest Unearthed Arcana from WotC is called Draconic Options. It includes three variant Dragonborn races and a new kobold race, as well as a handful of new spells and feats. Dragonlance fans might do a double-take when they see Fizban's platinum shield (two Forgotten Realms dragons are referenced in the spells, too -- Icingdeath and Raulothim -- as is the FR god of fey dragons, Nathair).

Harness the power of dragons in this installment of Unearthed Arcana! This playtest document presents race, feat, and spell options related to dragons in Dungeons & Dragons.

First is a trio of draconic race options presented as an alternative to the dragonborn race in the Player’s Handbook, as well as a fresh look at the kobold race. Then comes a handful of feat options that reflect a connection to draconic power. Finally, an assortment of spells—many of them bearing the names of famous or infamous dragons—offer a variety of approaches to manifesting dragon magic.

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[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So they're doing Gem Dragonborn.....but we have no stats for Gem Dragons still...

Look at the list of gem dragons you can be related to. They will be in the same book.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Amethyst, crystal, emerald, sapphire, and topaz are the classic five gem dragons types to match the classic five metallic and chromatic types, ever since their first appearance in Dragon #37. They had the same line-up in 2e and 3e as well...

Right, and as I said, it doesn't include the Mystara line-up, which had ruby and some others. And Mystara has been plundered for core D&D since 3rd edition, so it would hardly be out of left field for a ruby dragon to show up in 5E.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As it is I'm feeling more a book of various monsters and character power sources (Dragons, Fey, probably celestial, elemental, fiendish, and shadowfell forces too).

Based on what? We have three UAs of player-facing content that haven't showed up in a book yet: One fey and two dragons. No celestial, elemental, fiendish or shadow stuff.

Anything is possible, but the smart money is on a draconic book at this point, based on available evidence.

 

[pukunui]

Right, and as I said, it doesn't include the Mystara line-up, which had ruby and some others. And Mystara has been plundered for core D&D since 3rd edition, so it would hardly be out of left field for a ruby dragon to show up in 5E.

It seems like there is now just one ruby dragon, Sardior, who was created by Bahamut and Tiamat and I guess fills the same role as they do for their respective dragon families.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

It seems like there is now just one ruby dragon, Sardior, who was created by Bahamut and Tiamat and I guess fills the same role as they do for their respective dragon families.

He actually lives with a council of powerful Gem Dragons in a floating space island/palace called the Ruby Palace (even though it is actually gold . . .). I don't like a lot of FR lore, but I do really like this bit of it. A psionic floating castle filled with gem dragons that can travel the planes? Yes please! That's just an awesome location for the PCs to go to in a campaign.

 

[Demetrios1453]

He actually lives with a council of powerful Gem Dragons in a floating space island/palace called the Ruby Palace (even though it is actually gold . . .). I don't like a lot of FR lore, but I do really like this bit of it. A psionic floating castle filled with gem dragons that can travel the planes? Yes please! That's just an awesome location for the PCs to go to in a campaign.

That's not Forgotten Realms lore - Saridor (as well as his home and courtiers), like most things concerning gem dragons, originates from Dragon #37, which was published in 1980.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Right, and as I said, it doesn't include the Mystara line-up, which had ruby and some others. And Mystara has been plundered for core D&D since 3rd edition, so it would hardly be out of left field for a ruby dragon to show up in 5E.

There is a ruby dragon, and he's even mentioned in the UA in the gem dragonborn section. That's Saridor, the Ruby Dragon, who is the gem dragon equivalent of Bahamut and Tiamat.

 

[Parmandur]

There is a ruby dragon, and he's even mentioned in the UA in the gem dragonborn section. That's Saridor, the Ruby Dragon, who is the gem dragon equivalent of Bahamut and Tiamat.

Yeah, a god like the Platinum Dragon.

 

[Dire Bare]

I'm kinda weird in that I like dragons to be rare and a bit mysterious. Even 10 colours of dragons feels a bit too much to me (like my worlds don't even have 10 dragons, let alone 10 types). Adding in yellows and purples and gems and astrals and stuff, just makes dragons less special in my mind. When there's more types of dragons than I feel there should be actual individual dragons in a world, it's kinda drifted quite a long way from my personal tastes. But different strokes for different folks, and all that.

Haven't got around to it yet, but in my next homebrew setting, each color of dragon will be a unique creature. Red Dragons won't be a species, but there will be THE Red Dragon. Even then, with all of the different kinds of dragons in D&D's long history, that's plenty of legendary beings right there!

 

[Parmandur]

Based on what? We have three UAs of player-facing content that haven't showed up in a book yet: One fey and two dragons. No celestial, elemental, fiendish or shadow stuff.

Anything is possible, but the smart money is on a draconic book at this point, based on available evidence.

The more I think about it, a completion of a trilogy of monster books starting the Wizards Three appeals to me, particularly with

Spoiler

the last member of the Wizards Three who has narrated a rulebook being the supreme deity of dragons slumming it out as a "divine fool" Gandalf style. The wandering wizard avatar of Bahumat was actually references twice in the Draconic Subclass document, IIRC, as a possible inspiration for either Subclass.