Unearthed Arcana [5E] Unearthed Arcana: Races of Eberron (July 2018)

[AmerginLiath]

https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/723UA_EberronRaces7232018.pdf

Amidst all the news today, this month’s UA dropping seems to have gotten lost. It was delayed from the usual date as it’s an article of updated races for Eberron by Keith Baker (I imagine it’s the same version of races that appear in the new DM’s Guild product, but have t bought that yet). I figured that it’s worth a thread of its own for discussion (but the moderators can tell me otherwise — pardon the lack of fancy parsing and graphics).

Included within are updated rules for Changelings, Kalashtar, Shifters, and Warforged.

 

[AmerginLiath]

As noted in the main thread on the Eberron announcement, D&D Beyond has also released a video on YouTube to accompany this (as is usually the case):

https://youtu.be/Cawc3IKPzKM

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think the Changling rules are a bit too "loose" to me. I can see players trying to abuse RAW.

The "Swiftstride" Shifter looks mechanically superior to the other subraces, especially Longtooth. "Wildhunt" is a bit rubbish if your class gets wisdom save proficiency by default.

 

[NaturalZero]

I think the Changling rules are a bit too "loose" to me. I can see players trying to abuse RAW.

Without looking at the wildshape mechanics, I was immediately thinking about a druid wildshaping into a large animal and then taking the shape of a giant (or whatever).

The "Swiftstride" Shifter looks mechanically superior to the other subraces, especially Longtooth. "Wildhunt" is a bit rubbish if your class gets wisdom save proficiency by default.

I was thinking that Longtooth was clearly the best. A free 1d6+Str bonus action attack, at-will, is awesome for greatweapon users that want bigger damage dice without messing with the polearm nonsense or any build that uses the bladesinger cantrips.

As much as I love warforged and am glad they brought back resistances to poison + disease, their AC is waaay to good. Envoy is also clearly the most optimal subrace in almost every case considering you can still get that sweet 22 AC heavy armor AC without having to choose the lame juggernaut abilities.

 

[gyor]

Juggernaughts unarmed attack should have a 5 feet push effect when someone is hit by it, that way it still has value if they go Monk, and that there is a reason to use it, instead of just using regular weapons that deal more damage. It'd really fit the Juggernaught theme as well.

 

[CapnZapp]

Can someone summarize the changes.

Things like "Warforged used to have Speed 20, now Speed 30" stuff.

 

[CapnZapp]

I was thinking that Longtooth was clearly the best. A free 1d6+Str bonus action attack, at-will, is awesome for greatweapon users that want bigger damage dice without messing with the polearm nonsense or any build that uses the bladesinger cantrips.

Think there's some misunderstanding here. You can't use your weapon with the bonus fang attack.This kind of ability is the poor man's monk, and isn't desirable to most minmaxers (who'd rather attack with their regular weapon than what effectively is a non-magical shortsword)

Same for Warforged Juggernaut Iron Fists (and many others): it's mostly a ribbon ability rather than something to build a power character on.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Without looking at the wildshape mechanics, I was immediately thinking about a druid wildshaping into a large animal and then taking the shape of a giant (or whatever).



I was thinking that Longtooth was clearly the best. A free 1d6+Str bonus action attack, at-will, is awesome for greatweapon users that want bigger damage dice without messing with the polearm nonsense or any build that uses the bladesinger cantrips.

As much as I love warforged and am glad they brought back resistances to poison + disease, their AC is waaay to good. Envoy is also clearly the most optimal subrace in almost every case considering you can still get that sweet 22 AC heavy armor AC without having to choose the lame juggernaut abilities.

I missed the bonus action bit. It doesn't stack with monks/duel wielding/frenzy/polearm master though, so it's rather variable. Stacking badly with some classes seems to be a bit of a thing with shifters generally. Temp hp don't stack with Armour of Agthys/False Life/Samurai etc; Swiftstride duplicates a Scout ability. I was wrong about Wildhunt though, I misread advantage as proficiency.


I think it should deal explicitly with the interaction between Warforged armor and Barbarians, monks, and other alternative forms of AC. I would normally rule best AC applies, but it would help to spell it out. And does a Warforged who has acquired heavy armour proficiency using it's "Heavy Plating" ability still count as unarmoured for the purpose of other monk abilities? Again, I would rule yes, but it should be spelled out.

 

[CapnZapp]

Swiftstride gets 5+5 bonus Speed, and they also get "move away 10 ft" as a reaction, which can be useful in lots of situations.

The language is wonky though: "when an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of you." By RAW, you move when the enemy ends its turn. After it has made all its attacks (or other actions) against you.

I read the ability to be able to dodge away, and to fulfil that function the reaction needs to trigger on when an enemy comes within 5 ft of you. (This would mean that if the enemy has enough movement left, he could pursue you the ten feet to still strike at you, but that's fair).

By RAW all the ability does is grant you a reposition between two turns; after the monster's and before the next creature's. Not sure where that will be useful, and it feels a lot more abstract and "boardgamey" than if you react right away to the movement.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's the same wording as Scout, it lets you use your reaction to disengage, rather than your bonus action. Nothing like as good as it sounds at first though.