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

 

[Gammadoodler]

My money is now on "Started as modrons but encountered a glitch that transformed them into a new shape that's humanoid enough to use all the standard armor and magic items instead of needing completely custom gear". Because for better or worse that's more how 5e rolls.

If they're based on modrons, doesn't that mean their basic physical shape ranges from geometric to humanoid? Seems like that would make them some of the easiest creatures in the world to make armor for..

"So you're a cube..with two arms, two legs, and some cute little wings..yeah, think I can make something that'll work for you..might be a little plane<snorts back a laugh> though"

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Agreed. It's a cool mechanic when there is one prof. per day feature that you track for your subclass. Tracking them for a race and a feat as well would be needlessly fiddly. It might not be a big problem in practice since they're all opt in, but its definitely inelegant.

I had not thought of that...

Imagine a race ability a class ability and a feat ability each being 3/day at 5th level now 1 total of 9 to keep tract of is easier then 3 groups of 3... but spell casters have been doing it for years 4 1st level 3 2nd 3 3rd 24th and a 5th level slot.

 

[Undrave]

ah the support classes dilemma

I LIKE to play support characters, but the Cleric is the most BORING version of that. It doesn't even get a cantrip that lets them do support thing.

Aside from Guidance, which you should always have because it's the best thing ever... And in the PHB you only have Sacred Flame as an Attack Cantrip so if you want one you gotta take that one. So, out of the PHB, you basically have 1 Cantrip choice to flex your character if you don't want to end up without a ranged offensive action.

And when picking your spells you really want that Emergency Healing Word, and Bless is just generally good, right? Oops, that's half your level 1 load out, and you only have 2 spell slots so be careful.

 

[bedir than]

do you mean a complete image or the basic overview as the latter could be described in five minutes and I could do right now, do you want it? mechanics get difficult, but some of it is helped by the psionic subclasses taking away from the all-encompassing psion they tried to make.

It doesn't matter, because there are so many competing desires. Every edition had a different take on psionics, so satisfying a vast majority via older systems will be impossible.

They got positive feedback from a vast majority using a system you don't like. That doesn't mean there's no system.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Absolutely not, and in retrospective I don't think it ever had an effect.

Which pretty clearly signals to me that I am off the rail with the mainstream. I will probably skip next revision/edition like I did with everything between 3.0 and 5.0, and stick with my tradition of "only odd-integer-numbered editions".

yeah, the more I hope for more the more I fear we will get less... even number editions seem to be my fav (2 and 4e) so I hope 6e will be more like those.

 

[dave2008]

you know what is desired and so do I the full caster and the sorcerer do not scratch the itch unless you only ever want to play it once.

They have provided close to what I desire for psionics. But I have no idea what others want from it.

doing the concept in a now-shut-up way is just insulting, it is like giving a man pig slop and telling him to be happy he gets to eat.

That is how you feel, but there is no indication, IMO, that is how WotC feel. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean the intent is simply to shut people up. I am pretty sure the intent of every product is to make money. Shutting people up probably is something that is never considered.

 

[Parmandur]

you know what is desired and so do I the full caster and the sorcerer do not scratch the itch unless you only ever want to play it once.

WotC spent years testing different approaches to Psionics. What finally passed muster with the public was what is in Tasha's. That's the reason there isnmore: because it wasn't "what is desired."

 

[grimslade]

Pretty much psionics is what we got in Tasha's. I doubt they will even create more subclasses. I think Mearls was the only champion for psionics, the rest of the design crew is not interested (not haters just not enthused by it). They did several iterations of psionics in UA and consistently got negative feedback no matter how they approached it. There is not a common idea of what psionics entails in the player base, so we have our sub-classes and the GOO warlock. I imagine if they do wild powers in a Dark Sun reboot, they will be like the background feats we see here.

 

[Shardstone]

So, now that my heart has had time to rest.

The Glitchlings are great. I interpret this as having more humanoid forms, which makes them more interesting to me.

Fate Cleric is much needed, but is a little boring. I'd still play it, but its as conservative as the rest of WotC's design.

The feats are cool, and really flavorful, but they offer very little. Also, the lack of a free feat at 4th level makes the feat tree idea really fall flat for me. Unless feats are free, which they should be AT LEAST at 4th level, then having to have requirements for other feats just means they'll almost never get taken due to the ASI space.

The feats are also very boring mechanically. The non-spell actions I like, but most of them are like, make a earth shield for cover, etc, and most of them are spells, and boring spells at that. I mean, I can get misty step from feats, races, and classes now like its nothing. Who wants misty step that bad? lmao

The Planar Wanderer feat is the best one on there. Actually makes Planescape a feasible idea by giving this feat for free at level 1 to my party.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Pretty much psionics is what we got in Tasha's. I doubt they will even create more subclasses. I think Mearls was the only champion for psionics, the rest of the design crew is not interested (not haters just not enthused by it). They did several iterations of psionics in UA and consistently got negative feedback no matter how they approached it. There is not a common idea of what psionics entails in the player base, so we have our sub-classes and the GOO warlock. I imagine if they do wild powers in a Dark Sun reboot, they will be like the background feats we see here.

Not really a fan of psionics, but this is my impression also. All the UA psionic efforts seems to get a very and strongly divided response.