D&D 5E Unearthed Arcana: Travelers of the Multiverse

New free content from WotC - the latest 4-page Unearthed Arcana introduces six new races: astral elf, autognome, giff, hadozee, plasmoid, and thri-kreen.

News Archive | Dungeons and Dragons

Read the full archives of Dungeons & Dragons news, Sage Advice, Unearthed Arcana, and D&D Studio Blogs.

dnd.wizards.com

Looks like Spelljammer and/or Planescape is back on the menu!

 

[Charlaquin]

If you built a bladelock with Armor of Shadows and Improved Pact Weapon, you'd be able to get away with it reasonably well.

Nice. I like that a lot.

But I think it's overall fine. You can't just go anywhere you want; you can sneak into places if you're willing to only bring small stuff with you - something you might be able to take advantage of with a bit of planning/creativity.

Yeah, you’re probably right. I still think fast don/doff and a natural weapon would be good additions.

 

[dave2008]

Excited about the potential spelljammer.

Gutted about the new playable species format. The things which make them unique and interesting are just being thrown out.

Funny, when I read it I thought the things that make them interesting and unique where actually highlighted by the new format. I was a bit unsure of the change until I read this UA. It really made me feel like this change is the way to go and I wasn't so sure before.

 

[dave2008]

Things such as lifespan have a massive effect on worldbuilding, and how a species sees the word and interacts with it. A creature like a thri-keen which struggles to make it to 30 will have a completely alien worldview and society even compared to humans, let alone longer lived species.

Their size and weight also chance how a species lives and interacts with the world. Those are just the tip of the iceberg.

Sure, maybe as the player you only care about which fancy ability they get and nothing else. But some of us want more detail than which quick gimmick a PC gets.

Just to be clear, the new format doesn't exclude any of what you're suggesting.

 

[Mordhau]

Well it's good to see they're finally addressing the paucity of options for more kinds of elves.

 

[overgeeked]

Hmm… Alright, I’m sold. The ability to don or doff any armor or clothing as an action would be a much more thematic solution than natural armor.

The wording seems to imply that there's no action required to change from formless goo to bipedal. If that's granting the ability to doff and don armor, it would be a free action. Doff I could see being a free action, but I think donning armor would still take time, even if only an action. Gotta make sure you're not putting a "foot" through the neck hole and all that.

 

[Charlaquin]

The more I think of it, the more I think getting read of racial ASIs make it easier to design creatures where their features are what defines the race. You don't have to balance them with ASIs in mind, and can put all the heavy lifting in representing them in the features. That's why I feel the Giff are a fail (for me). They seem like an option that would really benefit from +2 STR and +2/+1 CON, but the designer still haven't figured out how to make impactfull big strong races without ASIs

Agreed. They just feel like a generic “big race” but without the Str and Con bonus to help sell their bigness. They need a bit more oomph, and a bit more identity apart from being big and strong. But I think that has always been true of such races, it’s just more obvious now.

 

[Charlaquin]

A pseudopod is not a disconnected mass under your control, it’s an extension of your body. You can form a tentacle up to 10 ft long. If it’s holding something you’re carrying it.

Right, which is why I said if your DM wants to be a stickler for the wording, you can’t even hold a weapon/arcane focus on the other side of the opening because you’re still technically holding something and therefore can’t use amorphous to squeeze.

 

[Mort]

Just to be clear, the new format doesn't exclude any of what your suggesting.

Right,

And without having to worry about ability score balance - there is much MORE room for other interesting stuff that might otherwise be deemed a bit powerful, but now won't be. For ex. It's quite interesting to allow mending to trigger a hit die of healing (they snuck in healing surges!) How's that not unique and different!?!

 

[dave2008]

Agreed. They just feel like a generic “big race” but without the Str and Con bonus to help sell their bigness. They need a bit more oomph, and a bit more identity apart from being big and strong. But I think that has always been true of such races, it’s just more obvious now.

The Giff stood at to me as well. I don't really have any knowledge or history with Giffs, but I have to think they can come up with some interesting features.

 

[overgeeked]

Right, which is why I said if your DM wants to be a stickler for the wording, you can’t even hold a weapon/arcane focus on the other side of the opening because you’re still technically holding something and therefore can’t use amorphous to squeeze.

Well, if the options are fantasy superheroes who can do anything, rules be damned, or "sticklers for the wording," I'll err on the side of stickler. The PCs already have way too many toys. Restrictions are written into things for a reason, usually balance. I see no reason to toss those restrictions out just to give the players even more toys...when their toy chest is already overflowing.