Dungeons & Dragons testing out even more Underdark subclasses and species

Another new Unearthed Arcana featuring Underdark options was just released, this time highlighted by three new subclasses and several interesting new species options. The new Underdark Options 2 PDF was just released, featuring three new subclasses – a Freedom Domain Cleric, a Circle of Spores Druid, and a Faerzress Sorcerer. Additionally, five new species were presented for playtesting: the Deep Imaskari, Drider, Illithidkin (creatures experimented on by illithid), kuo-toa, and myconid.

The Freedom Domain cleric is a high-Dexterity Cleric with a spell list full of movement related spells. The Freedom Domain Cleric’s Channel Divinity ends various conditions on all allied creatures within 30 feet and additionally allows those creatures to move up to their Speed by using their Reaction without provoking Opportunity Attacks. The Circle of Spores Druid is reworked from 5th Edition and includes buffs to the Halo of Spores, Fungal Infestation, and Fungal Body abilities, as well as a new feature called Explosive Burst, which causes the fungal zombies the player animates to blow up when they die. The Faerzress Sorcerer is a sorcerer mutated by faerzress, a radiation created by Lolth to shape the Underdark. These sorcerers can create Faerzress zones and can eventually laces their spells with faerzress, which prevents targets from teleporting and prevents them from casting Divination spells.

Of the five new species, the most interesting are the drider (which drew heavy inspiration from the Centaur species) and the Myconid. The drider is a Lolth-associated monster that’s a combination of a drow and a spider, while the Myconid is a sentient mushroom person. The Myconid, notably, is the first Plant species playable in 5.5E, while this marks the first time that a drider has been a player character race in official D&D books (at least from my cursory research.)

You can check out the full playtest here.

 

[Tigris]

In PF2 you get an Ancestry feat at level 1 and every 4 levels afterward. That's in addition to class and skill feats. I don't know that I was suggesting quite that many, but 1 feat per Tier of play, on top of everything else, would be a solid design choice to me. But that ship has sailed until 6E

I know but you get other feats at the other odd levels.


The odd level feats are just split betwrrn general feats, skill feats and race feats, while even level give class things.

I think making feats into several categoriws with several different peogression just make things way more complicated.


Its a lot easier when a race just gives you access to lets say 5 more meaningfull feats and at odd levels youg et a feat which can be a race feat or a general one.

 

[SteveC]

My last word on the issue: I'm not arguing for tons of other feats, but Species granting a list of level appropriate feats at the rate of 1/Tier, with the intention that they wouldn't be from a common list, is a way to make the Species choice relevant to a character across levels. And also let more powerful abilities like flight be a part of a Species at the appropriate time. I think that would have been a good design choice.

As of now, I've just finished a 1-20 campaign as an Aasimar, and I almost forgot my abilities at high levels (resistances were nice!), and in our current game, I got a feat and darkvision and ... nothing, so the choice barely seems to have mattered.

I am arguing for more choice being a good thing. For Species and Backgrounds both if truth be told. But that's a thing we can talk about when 6E is a thing.

 

[Tigris]

My last word on the issue: I'm not arguing for tons of other feats, but Species granting a list of level appropriate feats at the rate of 1/Tier, with the intention that they wouldn't be from a common list, is a way to make the Species choice relevant to a character across levels. And also let more powerful abilities like flight be a part of a Species at the appropriate time. I think that would have been a good design choice.

As of now, I've just finished a 1-20 campaign as an Aasimar, and I almost forgot my abilities at high levels (resistances were nice!), and in our current game, I got a feat and darkvision and ... nothing, so the choice barely seems to have mattered.

I am arguing for more choice being a good thing. For Species and Backgrounds both if truth be told. But that's a thing we can talk about when 6E is a thing.

But you can have the species stay relevant also in simpler ways. Especislly dince in PF2 these feats dont being s lot of power to the class.


In 13th age species mostly just get 1 active ability at level 1, but that actice ability is per encounter and scales well into lategame. So you will still use it at max level. (DND 4e did the same but also gave racial feats to choose).

I tgink this is a lot cooler and differentiate playstyles of different races a lot more than a bunch of minor features like in PF2.

 

[Zardnaar]

I suspect 6Ewill be simpler design again. Seems to be a pattern.

3.0 theoretically simpler than AD&D, ended up more complicated. Easier to learn harder to run.

3.5 doubled down on complication.

4E streamlined the mechanics like 3.0. Inadvertently more complicated playsyle. Easier to learn, kinda harder to run (for different reasons)

5.0 simplified, brought in new players. Optional complexity

5.5 more complicated, harder for new players

6E?

Clue might be when 5.5 runs out of gas. If its soon simple. Later more complex. Imho of course

 

[Mecheon]

According to FR lore Lolth renders driders "sexless", presumably meaning they can't reproduce.

They've had genders back in basically all of the artwork that's ever been produced of them. I think the only edition they were sexless in was all the way back in 1e, I don't even think it lasted until 2E

Plus, well, frankly 'the horrific monstrosity can re-produce and threatens to overwhelm those who did this to it in the first place' is always a good plot point

 

[Marc Radle]

Kobold Press underdark adventures just launched on KS. Coincidence?

Underworld would certainly work well with this!

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Cool to see Driders being considered as a PC species, even though I already added a homebrew version of them to my own world. The abilities for mine are a bit different though, as I de-emphasize the Lolth origin and made two different subspecies for them.

Still, nice to see them trying to add more monstrous species options.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Spoiler: they all look like Gollum.

Man that's just even weirder: we effectively have examples of "dark hobbits" that predate duergar and drow!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Kobold Press underdark adventures just launched on KS. Coincidence?

Just saw what species the Kobold Press book has in it, which are a different group of critters. So it's fortuitous timing, but not a UA for what Kobold Press is self-publishing.

 

[Weiley31]

The thing is Large PCs cause practical difficulty in game, they don't fit in narrow hallways or rooms where stuff is supposed to happen.

This+Increased Aura range+Oversized Weapons seem to be the reasons why WoTC refuses to give us large size races or we get playable runt versions only.