D&D 5E New Unearthed Arcana: Heroes of Krynn Revisited

WotC's Jeremy Crawford has announced a new Unearthed Arcana article today with redesigns from the prior Heroes of Krynn UA based on feedback, and in the following video he discusses that feedback and what's in the article:

• New iteration of Kender based on feedback survey, due to mixed response. This time is a back to basics, aiming to capture 1E AD&D fearlessness, curiosity and taunting skills. Delve into their origins from Gnomes in deep history.
• Kender are no longer fey creatures who grab objects from the Feywild
• Tweaked Feats from prior article
• Tweaked Backgrounds from prior article
• Brand new rule giving a list of free Feats for ANY Background
• Free Feat rule for Level 4 for all characters that doesn't take the ASI away, based on a curated list
• Reveals that in the Adventure, healing magic is already back.

Heroes of Krynn Revisited | Unearthed Arcana | Dungeons & Dragons

Explore updated character options from the Dragonlance setting! This playtest document presents revised races, subclasses, backgrounds, and feats.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[Yaarel]

I view alignment as part of the personality section next to ideal and flaw.

 

[Hussar]

Heh, read through the thread now.

So, being a fey-adjacent race with the quasi-magical ability to pull random stuff from your pockets was totally unacceptable as a new version of Kender, but, a Kender with no mention of one of their most defining features - not understanding personal property - and specifically calling them out as "professional thieves", something no kender would ever call themselves previously - is perfectly fine.

People are strange. I get those who fight to maintain tradition and the past. I might disagree with it, fair enough, but, at least I can understand it. But, just accepting this? This is a HUGE change to how Kender were presented in the game and the books. A far larger change than giving them a fey ancestry. And that's no problems at all.

 

[Parmandur]

Then I'd like for alignment to have much greater mechanical oomph. I like alignment in AD&D (sue me ), but I don't like it as mere descriptor.

I actually like it largely as a mere descriptor, as in base 5E...but sometimes having an impact, like this, makes sense.

 

[Nikosandros]

Fair enough. I will survive this version even though I don't love it.

 

[Scribe]

Heh, read through the thread now.

So, being a fey-adjacent race with the quasi-magical ability to pull random stuff from your pockets was totally unacceptable as a new version of Kender, but, a Kender with no mention of one of their most defining features - not understanding personal property - and specifically calling them out as "professional thieves", something no kender would ever call themselves previously - is perfectly fine.

People are strange. I get those who fight to maintain tradition and the past. I might disagree with it, fair enough, but, at least I can understand it. But, just accepting this? This is a HUGE change to how Kender were presented in the game and the books. A far larger change than giving them a fey ancestry. And that's no problems at all.

Yeah agreed. I didnt like the Fey thing, because it was unnecessary and a change, and I didnt like the bag of holding thing, because, just let them be thieves.

Now? Its gotta be one of the most boring races, and certainly the most boring 'new' race, they have released?

 

[Parmandur]

Heh, read through the thread now.

So, being a fey-adjacent race with the quasi-magical ability to pull random stuff from your pockets was totally unacceptable as a new version of Kender, but, a Kender with no mention of one of their most defining features - not understanding personal property - and specifically calling them out as "professional thieves", something no kender would ever call themselves previously - is perfectly fine.

People are strange. I get those who fight to maintain tradition and the past. I might disagree with it, fair enough, but, at least I can understand it. But, just accepting this? This is a HUGE change to how Kender were presented in the game and the books. A far larger change than giving them a fey ancestry. And that's no problems at all.

I was fine with the magic pocket thing, thought it was pretty funny and flavorful. But being Immune to fear in a Draconic Campaign? Having the ability to force Disadvantage onto a Dragon? Huge.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Heh, read through the thread now.

So, being a fey-adjacent race with the quasi-magical ability to pull random stuff from your pockets was totally unacceptable as a new version of Kender, but, a Kender with no mention of one of their most defining features - not understanding personal property - and specifically calling them out as "professional thieves", something no kender would ever call themselves previously - is perfectly fine.

People are strange. I get those who fight to maintain tradition and the past. I might disagree with it, fair enough, but, at least I can understand it. But, just accepting this? This is a HUGE change to how Kender were presented in the game and the books. A far larger change than giving them a fey ancestry. And that's no problems at all.

The magic kender were going to be fun. Who cares if the original version wasn't magic? People hated that version, anyways. Giving them magic pockets is way more interesting and fun for a player than . . . whatever this is.

I was geniunely excited to play a Kender Creation Bard that summons random junk from the Feywild and animates them to fight in their battles while yelling insults at enemies. That would have been awesome. Now that cool character option isn't going to be legal. That, to me, is extremely disappointing. I already dislike Halflings, I don't want a boring copy of them that are slightly more annoying and fearless than the average Hobbit.

 

[Parmandur]

The magic kender were going to be fun. Who cares if the original version wasn't magic? People hated that version, anyways. Giving them magic pockets is way more interesting and fun for a player than . . . whatever this is.

I was geniunely excited to play a Kender Creation Bard that summons random junk from the Feywild and animates them to fight in their battles while yelling insults at enemies. That would have been awesome. Now that cool character option isn't going to be legal. That, to me, is extremely disappointing. I already dislike Halflings, I don't want a boring copy of them that are slightly more annoying and fearless than the average Hobbit.

Actually, I've already put more thought into making a Kender PC with this version than the fun magic pockets take.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Yeah agreed. I didnt like the Fey thing, because it was unnecessary and a change, and I didnt like the bag of holding thing, because, just let them be thieves.

Now? Its gotta be one of the most boring races, and certainly the most boring 'new' race, they have released?

Given that WotC is, with good reason, not going to let them be a race of thieves (and the most hated race in D&D history) which, or something else, would you prefer?

 

[Scribe]

Given that WotC is, with good reason, not going to let them be a race of thieves (and the most hated race in D&D history) which, or something else, would you prefer?

Non-Fey, with an unexplained ability to find something small in their pouches. Leave it up to the player to determine how it gets there and stop sanitizing the game.