D&D (2024) D&D species article

[MonsterEnvy]

Once again 2024 falls flat on its face...

Eh in my opinion not really. The changes are not that big.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Eh in my opinion not really. The changes are not that big.

But are they demonstrably better? If not, "fall on their face" is still a viable opinion.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Players: “We want more shades of grey so we aren’t pigeon holed in our character builds!”

WotC: “Here you go.”

Players: “Not like that!”

 

[Remathilis]

Did they replace it with anything? It seems a lot of these initiatives just remove stuff.

Nothing that we know of. It seems they are very much minimizing the mechanical effect on species. One or two signature abilities, and that's it.

 

[Remathilis]

Players: “We want more shades of grey so we aren’t pigeon holed in our character builds!”

WotC: “Here you go.”

Players: “Not like that!”

Monsters of the Multiverse hit that sweet spot. This feels too far in the opposite direction.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I hate Pass Without Trace. Way too big a bonus, so it becomes another way to ignore the exploration pillar.

I this is pretty sweet. Curious was spells high elf got. Maybe you pick from the Wizard list?

The article is not mentioning every ability with a class, and where it's silent I presume that what we saw in the playtest UAs is going to stand. My reason for thinking so is the Aasimar (see below).

TL/DR: This is all pretty much what we knew form the Unearth Arcana. Changes underlined below.

Human, Halfling, Goliath are all as we last saw them in the UA.
Aasimar were not in the UA, and are based on MotM. Celestial Revelation now ets you choose the form each time and always do damage. No mention of Celestial Resistance, Darkvision (60'), healing, or the Light cantrip. I cannot believe all of these have been taken away, and so I presume that the article linked in the OP is incomplete/faulty. Assuming that's so, the change to Aasimar is the biggest change in the ten species from the last version we've seen; everything else is pretty much a wash.
Dragonborn is as we last saw them in the UA, with no mention of damage resistance (which I presume will stay)
Tiefling is as we last saw them in the UA, with no mention of Darkvision (60') or the Thaumaturgy cantrip.
Elf is as we last saw them in the UA, but Keen Senses now gives a choice of three skills. This is a choice since (according to the video) race choice comes after background, and background may have given you skills already. (No mention of Fey Ancestry and Trance, which I presume will stay).
Orc is as we last saw them in the UA (and MotM), but it loses Powerful Build and gains 120' Darkvision.
Gnome appears to be as last seen in the UA, but many things are not mentioned: Darkvision (60'), Gnomish Cunning, and Minor Illusion for Forest Gnome. All three of those are pretty important to the gnome, and I hope they're still there.
Dwarf is as we last saw them in the UA, but Darkvision is now 120'. No mention of Dwarven Resilience (resistance/adv vs poison) and Forge Wise (two free tool profs).

Also, according to the video, there's a sidebar in the PHB on using previously published species (yay), but different background guidelines are only in the DMG. If I am right that all of the above features not mentioned in fact do stay, I think MotM should be able to be used as written for all the speces that have not been updated, which is what I'd like.

There is in fact a mention of the Thaumatuary Cantrip


Elves and Tieflings Get Spells

Each of the three main 2024 Elf lineages and the three new 2024 Tiefling lineages gain access to a unique spell at level 3 and level 5. For example, the Wood Elf now gains Longstrider at level 3 and Pass Without Trace at level 5. Similarly, a Chthonic Tiefling gains False Life at level 3 and Ray of Enfeeblement at level 5. The three Tiefling lineages also gain resistance to an appropriate damage type, and the Thaumaturgy cantrip. Each of the three Elf and Tiefling variants also gain a unique cantrip."

 

[Charlaquin]

I this is pretty sweet. Curious was spells high elf got. Maybe you pick from the Wizard list?

Assuming it’s the same as they got in the playtest, drow still get faerie fire at 3rd and darkness at 5th, wood elves get longstrider at 3rd and pass without trace at 5th, and high elves get detect magic at 3rd and misty step at 5th.

 

[Remathilis]

Assuming it’s the same as they got in the playtest, drow still get faerie fire at 3rd and darkness at 5th, wood elves get longstrider at 3rd and pass without trace at 5th, and high elves get detect magic at 3rd and misty step at 5th.

I wonder what spells sea elf, astral elf, eladrin and shadar-kai will get?

I resisted the urge to type "be reduced to"

 

[Kobold Stew]

I wonder what spells sea elf, astral elf, eladrin and shadar-kai will get?

In MotM (and Astral adv guide) they get none. Why would that change?

 

[Remathilis]

In MotM (and Astral adv guide) they get none. Why would that change?

Because they are now OP compared to the 24 elf and no longer conform to the design standards.