D&D 5E Latest D&D Errata: Drow, Alignment, & More

Sage Advice is a series of articles in which Jeremy Crawford, one of the D&D Studio’s game design architects, talks about the design of the game’s rules and answers questions about them.

Book Updates | Sage Advice | Dungeons & Dragons

This Sage Advice provides updates and errata for a number of books, as well as answers to rules questions.

dnd.wizards.com

D&D books occasionally receive corrections and other updates to their rules and story. This Sage Advice installment presents updates to several books. I then answer a handful of rules questions, focusing on queries related to Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons and Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos.

Official errata has been published for the following books:

• Curse of Strahd
• Dungeon Master’s Guide
• Player’s Handbook
• Storm King’s Thunder
• Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
• Tales from the Yawning Portal
• Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
• Tomb of Annihilation
• Volo’s Guide to Monsters

Here's some of the highlights.

• Alignment is removed from the Racial Traits section of races.
• Drow have undergone lore changes which reflect the different types of drow. The 'darkness of the drow' sidebar which portrays them as only evil has been removed.
• Storm King's Thunder alters references to 'Savage Frontier' and 'barbarians'; Curse of Strahd alters references to the Vistani.
• The controversial Silvery Barbs spell has been clarified.

As a drow, you are infused with the magic of the Underdark, an underground realm of wonders and horrors rarely seen on the surface above. You are at home in shadows and, thanks to your innate magic, learn to con- jure forth both light and darkness. Your kin tend to have stark white hair and grayish skin of many hues.

The cult of the god Lolth, Queen of Spiders, has cor- rupted some of the oldest drow cities, especially in the worlds of Oerth and Toril. Eberron, Krynn, and other realms have escaped the cult’s influence—for now. Wherever the cult lurks, drow heroes stand on the front lines in the war against it, seeking to sunder Lolth’s web.

 

[HammerMan]

No, really, they don't. That's not a subject that's going to find its way into American games sold to 12-year-olds.

except this isn't 'finding it's way it' it's been here for longer then I have been alive. in 5e alone it is being removed going on the 10 year mark... what reason could possible be to remove it now?

 

[Bagpuss]

I wonder if the same people who are complaining about WotC's so-called laziness in making all the races generic and not culturally specific in each setting anymore... would respond to the question "If you need highly specific cultures for these races in these settings, why don't you just make them up yourself?" with "I'm buying a campaign setting! I shouldn't HAVE to!" Completely of course missing the irony of the potential laziness here.

Difference been I am earning my money to spend on the campaign setting they are earning their money by writing the campaign setting.

But I mean in all seriousness... if anyone REALLY needs the races in Faerun to be culturally specific and concise, with all their own picadillos and customs... you already have that for yourself. A lot of it has been given over the 35 years of FR products and none of that has gone away.

Ah so we only penalise new players to the hobby with a lack of content and support. That sounds like a odd business plan.

 

[Bolares]

It’s so funny to hear criticism to brothels becoming “american puritanism” when you live in a country where sex tourism is a very real and very predatory thing, that happens mostly in brothels. (It isn’t funny at all)

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm not sure there is a correct. The rules are not written in legalize and I understand how there reading come into it.

No, but it’s written in plain English and has a correct meaning.

(something about things that effect your skin can't change the nature of the shield or cover)

?

 

[Scribe]

It’s so funny to hear criticism to brothels becoming “american puritanism” when you live in a country where sex tourism is a very real and very predatory thing, that happens mostly in brothels. (It isn’t funny at all)

Laws, definitions, regional differences, etc.

Unfortunate the thread took this turn as it was entertaining last night.

 

[Bolares]

Laws, definitions, regional differences, etc.

Unfortunate the thread took this turn as it was entertaining last night.

You are right, let’s go back on topic…

I SAW YOU MENTIONING EBERRON AGAIN, WHEN DO I EXPECT YOU PLAY REPORT?

 

[Scribe]

You are right, let’s go back on topic…

I SAW YOU MENTIONING EBERRON AGAIN, WHEN DO I EXPECT YOU PLAY REPORT?

I held the book in my hands, I almost bought it. Baby steps.

 

[Bagpuss]

It is not the removal of presentation. It is the step away from absolutes.
While in an adventure or setting book, I could accept more narrow descriptions, a core book should not have implied setting assumptions.

D&D has always had an implied setting in the core books, and part of why settings like Dark Sun, Planescape and Eberron work is because the play against those implied assumptions. If they aren't their to react against it doesn't work as well.

 

[HammerMan]

No, but it’s written in plain English and has a correct meaning.

and as I stated before no one of us can lay claim to having the correct interpretation.

 

[J-H]

So, sounds like mostly silly changes instead of useful stuff.