D&D 5E New Unearthed Arcana: Heroes of Krynn Revisited

WotC's Jeremy Crawford has announced a new Unearthed Arcana article today with redesigns from the prior Heroes of Krynn UA based on feedback, and in the following video he discusses that feedback and what's in the article:

• New iteration of Kender based on feedback survey, due to mixed response. This time is a back to basics, aiming to capture 1E AD&D fearlessness, curiosity and taunting skills. Delve into their origins from Gnomes in deep history.
• Kender are no longer fey creatures who grab objects from the Feywild
• Tweaked Feats from prior article
• Tweaked Backgrounds from prior article
• Brand new rule giving a list of free Feats for ANY Background
• Free Feat rule for Level 4 for all characters that doesn't take the ASI away, based on a curated list
• Reveals that in the Adventure, healing magic is already back.

Heroes of Krynn Revisited | Unearthed Arcana | Dungeons & Dragons

Explore updated character options from the Dragonlance setting! This playtest document presents revised races, subclasses, backgrounds, and feats.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[Maxperson]

I hope D&D continues to steer away from fantasy racism.

Excellent, because there is absolutely no racism involved with my suggestion.

I every member of this race is a petty thief? Really?

No. It's completely optional. They're just innately good at it. Many, even most of them need never use it in their entire lives. If you want to make the whole race thieves, that's on you, not my suggestion.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

People suck, and play their characters in an annoying way.

These things happen.

Kender give players an excuse to play that way. They're hated for the same reason early Paladins were hated. When their lore and mechanics encourage and/or excuse problem players, it's a badly designed character option.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Here's another question: If a Fighter Echo Knight subclass takes the Knight of Solamnia feat, does that mean my Echoes can *also use my Superiority Die/Knightly Order Maneuvers too?

Absolutely. You're the one making the attack, not the echo. You can definitely do a Battlemaster Maneuver from the position of the Echo.

 

[Weiley31]

Absolutely. You're the one making the attack, not the echo. You can definitely do a Battlemaster Maneuver from the position of the Echo.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!

 

[Scribe]

A kender culture background can grant something like a sleight-of-hand advantage in certain situations.

I actually wouldn't mind it as a culture, because I think it makes perfect sense to have a fantasy culture, where the very concept of personal property is alien.

I mean the end result we are looking at here in the revision, is the most bland 'funny hat small human' they have come up with yet.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Kender give players an excuse to play that way. They're hated for the same reason early Paladins were hated. When their lore and mechanics encourage and/or excuse problem players, it's a badly designed character option.

Kender don't just give players an excuse to play that way. They tell players to play that way - and this can also lead well meaning novices to become obnoxious players because that's what the game is telling them to do.

Paladins are also incredibly bad psychology and theology - I recommend UrsulaV's Paladin Rant for how pre-4e D&D paladins were toxic.

 

[Parmandur]

The Knight feats are good now. I like them. The two free extra feats are good, too. I really hope that 5.5e changes all backgrounds to granting specific feats, like Folk Hero granting Martial Adept, Sailor granting a Sailing feat, and stuff like that, instead of just these boring choices of Skilled, Tough, and Divinely Favored.

Yeah, I could see a lot of potential here: as it stands in base 5E with Feats, my experience is that most newer players are confused what they are even supposed to be or represent. "An ability based on your Background, as distinct from your Class" is easier to get into, and adds character (go figure).

 

[Neonchameleon]

I actually wouldn't mind it as a culture, because I think it makes perfect sense to have a fantasy culture, where the very concept of personal property is alien.

The Warhammer halflings understand personal property. But they were all raised communally - and so have about the same regard for personal property as one of my sisters did for the idea that the other sister's dresses were her dresses.

And if the concept of personal property was alien to kender the toxic little brats wouldn't then lie about it. There may be a race for which personal property was alien - but kender are not it.

 

[Weiley31]

Goodness, I was a bit worried for the Lunar Sorcerer subclass with the last feedback survey. I'm glad it survived. (Now I can have Bunny Girl Sorcerers that are on point with the theme too!) I am really hoping the souped-up backgrounds/feats make it through unscathed as well.

 

[Yaarel]

I actually wouldn't mind it as a culture, because I think it makes perfect sense to have a fantasy culture, where the very concept of personal property is alien.

A "culture" can be as small as ten people in a gang.