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

 

[Cadence]

No, they were a proto race called the Smiths. The smiths chased down the Graygem of Gargath, and they were split into Dwarves, Gnomes, and Kender.

The tentative update...

 

[Raunalyn]

It depends on the version. I believe the Tales of Krynn box from 2nd ed tells it like you say. In the original 1e Dragonlance Adventures book, however, gnomes turned into kender and dwarves, and gnomes themselves were transformed by Reaorx.

Yes, mine was from Tales of the Lance. Dragonlance Adventures calls the Smiths "Tinkerers," so your comment agrees with the gnome theory. I kind of prefer the Tales of the Lance history, though.

 

[Faolyn]

I think one of the major issues is that many people can't see the difference between "no concept of personal property" and "kleptomania." It's a perception problem that's been present since the kender first appeared, both in-world and IRL.

Except...

1. The kender take, but they don't give. If they had no concept of personal property, they'd be giving the things they take to other people (or at least the good ones would) because they wouldn't feel the need to keep them. Kender would be known as givers and takers, not as thieves.

2. The kender lie about what they take. Constantly and canonically. They don't just say "Sure, I took it because nobody else was using it" or "I thought it might come in handy later." Why would they lie? People like because they fear the consequences, but kender are fearless and "innocent," so they shouldn't fear people getting angry with them.

 

[Maxperson]

It depends on the version. I believe the Tales of Krynn box from 2nd ed tells it like you say. In the original 1e Dragonlance Adventures book, however, gnomes turned into kender and dwarves, and gnomes themselves were transformed by Reaorx.

Yep.

"circa 3100

Greystone Released: The gnomes pull the Greygem from the skies, and it floats across the face of Krynn, leaving disruption and chaos in its wake. Through the gem, magic is brought to the world. Some gnomes are changed by the gem, creating the kender and dwarven races."

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Except...

1. The kender take, but they don't give. If they had no concept of personal property, they'd be giving the things they take to other people (or at least the good ones would) because they wouldn't feel the need to keep them. Kender would be known as givers and takers, not as thieves.

yeah funny how you never hear of the kender giving his items away at random... not in story or in games

2. The kender lie about what they take. Constantly and canonically. They don't just say "Sure, I took it because nobody else was using it" or "I thought it might come in handy later." Why would they lie? People like because they fear the consequences, but kender are fearless and "innocent," so they shouldn't fear people getting angry with them.

oh don't forget that "I forgot" is the legal way to avoid charges of lying under oath... since even if you are found to have done it, you can't prove they REMEMBER doing it... not only liers but practiced smart liers

 

[Maxperson]

Except...

1. The kender take, but they don't give. If they had no concept of personal property, they'd be giving the things they take to other people (or at least the good ones would) because they wouldn't feel the need to keep them. Kender would be known as givers and takers, not as thieves.

Generous thieves!

2. The kender lie about what they take. Constantly and canonically. They don't just say "Sure, I took it because nobody else was using it" or "I thought it might come in handy later." Why would they lie? People like because they fear the consequences, but kender are fearless and "innocent," so they shouldn't fear people getting angry with them.

Do they lie? Or do they just truly not remember where they got stuff from. I mean, they're basically ADHD kids. ADHD is something I've had all of my life and sometimes I can't remember what I went into a room to get, because something distracted me. I can totally see a Kender saying, "Ooh, that's neat looking" and stuffing something in his pouch, then getting distracted and forgetting he ever took it.

 

[Dire Bare]

Except...

1. The kender take, but they don't give. If they had no concept of personal property, they'd be giving the things they take to other people (or at least the good ones would) because they wouldn't feel the need to keep them. Kender would be known as givers and takers, not as thieves.

2. The kender lie about what they take. Constantly and canonically. They don't just say "Sure, I took it because nobody else was using it" or "I thought it might come in handy later." Why would they lie? People like because they fear the consequences, but kender are fearless and "innocent," so they shouldn't fear people getting angry with them.

Not quite.

There is no kender "giving" mechanic, but the kender in the stories give and take with equal ease. A kender will gladly give you anything it has in their possession, unless they think you might use it to hurt someone.

The kender don't lie about stealing . . . . they don't see what they do as stealing and get offended when accused of thieving. When Tasslehoff angrily defends himself, "I didn't steal your thing, I just picked it up somewhere, I'm not a thief!" He's not lying, he just sees the situation differently.

In the real world, we are more apt to notice when people do things that harm us, truly or in perception, than notice when they do things to help us. It's no different on Krynn. Folks focus on kender thieving more than they focus on the kindness and generosity of the average kender.

 

[Kalashtar]

intresting... what did they do that wasn't good? the ideals of good and neutral are do unclear I am not sure I could judge it....

heck I can justfy some outright evil behavior by a good character and I always end up doing some good as evil ones.

During the Test, the PC was confronted by a spirit of the an innocent victim he had slain in the campaign. Showing remorse for the deed equates to "Good/Paragon" while indifference is the "Not Good/Renegade" option. Grudgingly offering a half oppology got him sorted to the Red Robes.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

During the Test, the PC was confronted by a spirit of the an innocent victim he had slain in the campaign. Showing remorse for the deed equates to "Good/Paragon" while indifference is the "Not Good/Renegade" option. Grudgingly offering a half oppology got him sorted to the Red Robes.

wait I must be misreading this... he killed an innocent, then didn;t feel bad and that is neutral?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

wait I must be misreading this... he killed an innocent, then didn;t feel bad and that is neutral?

That sounds pretty neutral to me, assuming they killed them accidentally. Evil requires a bit more intent than that, I'd say, not just being a jerk/lacking as much remorse as one might hope. If it wasn't an accident though I'm with you lol.