D&D 5E New Unearthed Arcana: Wonders of the Multiverse

WotC has posted a new Unearthed Arcana featuring the Glitchling race, the Fate domain, and a handful of backgrounds, feats and spells.

In today’s Unearthed Arcana, we explore D&D character options from across the multiverse. This playtest document presents the glitchling race; the Fate Domain cleric subclass; and the gate warden, giant foundling, planar philosopher, and rune carver backgrounds. Additionally, a collection of new feats provide links to giants and other primordial forces of the planes, while a selection of new spells highlight the power of fate and chance.

Wonders of the Multiverse | Unearthed Arcana | Dungeons & Dragons

Explore character options related to the Wonders of the Multiverse! This playtest document presents a new race and subclass and a collection of new backgrounds, feats and spells, all for use in Dungeons & Dragons.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[DEFCON 1]

I mean, abilities are abilities. Feats, Classes, and Races in 5E have always been built on the same underlying point buy logic.

Exactly. A Racial trait is no different than a Class feature is no different than a Feat--

--they are all just a small, individual piece of game mechanic.

The only real differences between then are the various power levels they each have, so you have to be a bit more careful substituting one for another. But there is absolutely no reason you can't give something like the Halfling's 'Lucky' trait-- re-roll any 1s-- to a Class as a subclass feature if you wanted to. Or change the 'Lucky' feat to match the Halfling's trait if you thought it was better than 3 free advantages between long rests. They are all just little pockets that require a game mechanic, and what you put in there can be anything you want.

Now granted... the more times you redistribute game mechanics over lots of different game chassis, the less special they individually become. I don't disagree with that at all. The more classes and subclasses and races and feats that cast spells, the less special spellcasting is (unless you as the DM purposefully restrain it.) But I don't automatically decry Feats just because they are extra mechanics a PC can have... I don't feel they are any better or worse than a Class feature, they're just acquired differently.

 

[Demetrios1453]

The six planar philosopher personality traits directly map into six of the Planescape factions. #2 is obviously the Sensates for example. I wonder if the final product will have a d12 for choices there (although that would mean a few would be skipped or merged), or even a d20.

I'm still guessing the giant stuff is indeed for a Fizban's-style giant book, which would be very nice indeed.

 

[Yaarel]

The feat Scion of Elemental Air Winds Glide puts some thought into how much flight is worth.

Here, the feature is to fly ones walking speed for one round but fall at the end of it, and only pro bonus times per long rest.

It is available at level 1.

This very limited flight is worth more than a half feat but less than a full feat. (Where a full feat is worth about 8 points, this limited flight is worth about 5½ points.)



This limited flight seems balanced. But in comparison, how certain races like fairy and aarakocra have wings and full flight remains extraordinarily powerful.

 

[kenmarable]

3 themes Giants, Deck of Many Things, and Planescape.

The Giants are most likely for a new First World setting next year and Planescape is clearly the setting revisit for 2023.

But the Deck of Many Things stuff suggests something very different, perhaps a splat book? Outside chance of it relating to a setting, but what setting would focus on the Deck of Many Things so much?

Yep, in the video Crawford outright says something to the effect of "there are multiple things bubbling away that we decided to lump together for this UA" which is about as blatant as he gets in confirming any sort of unannounced projects. So this is definitely from at least 2, or more likely 3, different products as you point out.

The Deck/Card theme is going to definitely lead to A LOT of wild speculation for the next several months at least.

 

[teitan]

It makes sense to me if a) there are elements of a character that cross races and classes but b) they didn't make Backgrounds robust enough back in 2014 to hold the mechanical pieces of those elements and c) they're trying really hard to not add another layer to the game or radically change Backgrounds to be that extra layer.

Feats already exist and are underutilized as a 5e mechanic, so feats are what they're trying to use to put in the elements they want to tie to these story elements. (These new UAs are showing a real tension between the game designer's natural tendency to want to keep adding things to games and make them more complex and a desire to keep the complexity level steady because they don't want to break something that's working for them right now).

Feats aren’t underutilized because they aren’t a core rule. They’re an optional rule. They aren’t a required element to use to play the game and they’ve indicated that it will still be that way outside of certain settings like Dragonlance.

 

[Undrave]

Crawford covered this a few UAs ago: they are looking sat Feats as free-floating Class or Race features, and are treating them as such.

Some of the recommended feats as 'bonus' are 'Skilled' and 'Tough'. 'Skilled' doesn't feel like a fair trade for many of them... but again, many of them feel verbose for very little gain.

Rune Carver Apprentice is essentially a weaker (but more versatile) Magic Initiate. It's kinda boring.

Cartomancer one's pretty fun.

 

[Parmandur]

Yep, in the video Crawford outright says something to the effect of "there are multiple things bubbling away that we decided to lump together for this UA" which is about as blatant as he gets in confirming any sort of unannounced projects. So this is definitely from at least 2, or more likely 3, different products as you point out.

The Deck/Card theme is going to definitely lead to A LOT of wild speculation for the next several months at least.

I mean, he knows that we know that there are future products always in the works. Crawford is very good at not tipping his hand. I would dread playing poker with him.

 

[Parmandur]

Some of the recommended feats as 'bonus' are 'Skilled' and 'Tough'. 'Skilled' doesn't feel like a fair trade for many of them... but again, many of them feel verbose for very little gain.

Rune Carver Apprentice is essentially a weaker (but more versatile) Magic Initiate. It's kinda boring.

Cartomancer one's pretty fun.

Feats are pretty well balacross the board. One Feat is one Feat, how useful it is depends on how you use it.

 

[Parmandur]

Feats aren’t underutilized because they aren’t a core rule. They’re an optional rule. They aren’t a required element to use to play the game and they’ve indicated that it will still be that way outside of certain settings like Dragonlance.

They've been hinting at a change to Feats in the 2024 Core. Which is why they are all over UA now.

 

[Shardstone]

Hopefully Glitchlings don't need to look JUST like Modrons. I'd like to do a clockwork person that looks more human but is clearly not, would be fun with that trait table imo.