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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[TheSword]

Stormbringer!

Ice wasn’t good enough apparently.

 

[cbwjm]

See the front of the document. Ability score increases are now independent from race.

Problem with that though, is that they did add stat increases for the dragonborn. They need to pick something and stick with it.

I misread it, thought those were for the dragonborn, probably conflated the start which is talking about the races as part of the dragonborn entry.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

One of them is Biter.

It’s totally wacky to say that Biter is fine but Icingdeath or Twinkle are bad.

And Beater.

 

[Jer]

In EGG's defense, back in the mid 1970s, it was hard to get a lot of this information easily. I don't know how much of a world mythology section the Lake Geneva library had. A lot of times, you were limited to what novelists had done, Bullfinch's Mythology and the D'aulaire's books of Greek and Norse myth.

But given that he also put his groups up against Nazi tanks, doing an accurate simulation of mythology likely wasn't on the top of his list.

And the kobolds back in the 70s weren't really the kobolds of today - Chainmail basically uses Goblins and Kobolds interchangably, the white box makes them weaker goblins, and neither gives them a description. It's in the Monster Manual where we get the scaly dog-faced kobolds and even there it's the picture that makes them dog-lizard-men, the description in the text doesn't mention scales or dog faces (horns and hairlessness yes, scales and dog faces no). It's really that art choice that diverged them away from being "smaller goblins" and into being "lizard people" and eventually "dragon people".

 

[Chaosmancer]

Small thing. The word 'gyp' is kind of divorced from its origins, at least in America, but in Europe it is based in still-ongoing discrimination against the Romani, often called gypsies. It's considered a slur (as is the term 'gypsy'), so if I'm about to use it, I try to swap out 'cheat,' which isn't tied to an ethnic group.

I did not know that, as you guessed, American. I just knew it as an alternative word for shortchanged.

My apologies,

Edit: And, if I had known how to spell it, it probably would have been more obvious

 

[Chaosmancer]

So, I never saw any responses to the question, but I am curious.

I think the phrasing of the Dragon Breath weapons prevents the use of them multiple times a turn, but would anybody allow that anyways? It could be kind of epic to have an 11th level fighter send off three blasts while surrounded by a horde.

 

[darjr]

I would consider it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So, I never saw any responses to the question, but I am curious.

I think the phrasing of the Dragon Breath weapons prevents the use of them multiple times a turn, but would anybody allow that anyways? It could be kind of epic to have an 11th level fighter send off three blasts while surrounded by a horde.

It specifically says "you can replace one of your attacks". The intent is clear, and I agree with it, I wouldn't allow it.

If you where hasted, or used an action surge, then you could use it more than once in a round.

 

[Nikosandros]

It's in the Monster Manual where we get the scaly dog-faced kobolds and even there it's the picture that makes them dog-lizard-men, the description in the text doesn't mention scales or dog faces (horns and hairlessness yes, scales and dog faces no). It's really that art choice that diverged them away from being "smaller goblins" and into being "lizard people" and eventually "dragon people".

I've always thought that the "scales" in the AD&D 1e Monster Manual picture of a kobold represent some kind of armor, not the skin of the creature.

 

[Parmandur]

Problem with that though, is that they did add stat increases for the dragonborn. They need to pick something and stick with it.

No, they didn't. One of the Feats, the Gem Dragon one, is a half-Feat with a stat bump, but the base Races are +2 and +1, assign as you wish.