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!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I dunno, that's one of the most radical things in the test, as it looks like a next generation wholesale replacement for existing Elves.

Once you apply the Tasha's rules to the base elf, that's what you get.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

They still have the core abilities to hit things real good and avoid being hit or hurt. The math works out better in play than in theorycrafting.

No, it doesn’t. It’s frustrating as hell in play because the ki does not last and you’re generally better off hitting things than using the disciplines. The base class abilities don’t salvage the subclass. Other Monk subclasses actually co tribute meaningfully to the character being effective.

 

[vecna00]

There isn't really anything in astral elves sufficiently radical that needs testing. They are just another minor variation on the 1001 flavours of elf already in the game. They are just along to pad out the numbers.

Sometimes, they just want to test if people like a thing!

Sometimes.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

No, it doesn’t. It’s frustrating as hell in play because the ki does not last and you’re generally better off hitting things than using the disciplines. The base class abilities don’t salvage the subclass. Other Monk subclasses actually co tribute meaningfully to the character being effective.

The problem with the 5e monk is having stun in the base class. That ability is so effective that using ki for anything else is a waste. Ergo any ki powered subclass abilities may as well not exist.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The problem with the 5e monk is having stun in the base class. That ability is so effective that using ki for anything else is a waste. Ergo any ki powered subclass abilities may as well not exist.

I disagree. I’ve never seen any monk played in a way that tracks with that. Every monk I’ve ever seen uses their other abilities more than they use Stunning Strike.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I disagree. I’ve never seen any monk played in a way that tracks with that. Every monk I’ve ever seen uses their other abilities more than they use Stunning Strike.

Then you have players who are happy to use suboptimal choices. Which is nice, but doesn't fix the problem.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

That's driving me crazy. 4E is Fourth Edition dad gummit! Now get off my lawn!

Lol. I spent a little while earlier in the thread trying to remember what people might not have liked about the 4E monk. (And wondering why it was an issue in a thread about a 5E UA). Then I realized that they were talking about the 5E 4E monk and not the 4E monk at all. Makes more sense to me now, if that makes any sense.

 

[Mecheon]

Although, the kreen's inclusion could be WotC's way of saying "You can have a little Dark Sun, as a treat!"

I reckon they're just to fill in for Spelljammer's own mantis people who were, always mentioned as being relatives of the Kreen.

Just roll 'em both together into one mantis people because the Kreen are a lot more popular

 

[Demetrios1453]

I reckon they're just to fill in for Spelljammer's own mantis people who were, always mentioned as being relatives of the Kreen.

Just roll 'em both together into one mantis people because the Kreen are a lot more popular

Spelljammer's "mantis people" were the thri-kreen. Specifically and explicitly.

 

[teitan]

I’m going with the multiple products here idea just based on the multiverse title. Dark Sun, Spelljammer and… quite possibly Star Frontiers as a D&D 5e setting.