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

 

[Faolyn]

Can't handle a tea hater?

No. You hate tea, you're outta here!

(I like tea and coffee. Although I prefer both of them iced to hot.)

 

[Maxperson]

No. You hate tea, you're outta here!

(I like tea and coffee. Although I prefer both of them iced to hot.)

So does my wife. I can't remember the last time she ordered hot tea or coffee.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

This was in 95 using a novel as a vehicle for a setting reboot. You are kind of missing the forest for the trees.

This wasnt just some Chaotic entity, it was the primordial Chaos, the daddy of them all, come to break it all down into the star dust that formed the universe before 'a thing' was 'a thing'.

Beyond Good and Evil.

I don't know any of that but (i think) that would have been saga system right...

 

[Scribe]

I don't know any of that but (i think) that would have been saga system right...

Not sure, but I remember rules for the evil knights.

 

[Mecheon]

lemme just. wake up from my post root canal haze and drag up a post from like, ten pages ago

Just saying, it’s not a fantasy made up thing. People have been “good people” and still looked down on other races “for their good” etc. “We are the stewards and must run their lives to protect them” in the real world.

The thing is, that's determinalistic good or evil, not 'cosmic forces good and evil'. And y'know what? "The Kingpriest thought he was doing good but it was actually evil", that's not only a simple fix, but that's good writing, points out how good intentions can lead to bad, and still works

But, no. That's not how Dragonlance works. Apparently mind controlling the populace and doing fantasy Minority Report is as good as the angels on Mount Celestia

You can't have 'moral quandries' alongside 'good and evil are two sports teams fighitng one another', but Dragonlance decided it'd go with the second while trying to have the first so, here we are

I haven't been following DnD as much lately, but what is up with the push to make everything Fey?

Fey have been historically underutilised. But, moreso, the Kender's history is tied to what they exist for. In trying to make 'A class that can steal but be morally okay with it', you've got these children-ish things that never grow up. Like, say, some sort of fairy. Beings that exist on a different moral scale to humanity and therefore do things their own way. Like fairies famously are about. Beings that are very close to humanity, but different in alien, strange ways. Just like, say, elves, the fey-est of fey races

Plus, well, they have elfy ears. Fey is so ingrained in the Kender's blood, there's no removing it. You honestly saying you couldn't see one of these being a sidekick in an 80s kid movie about a mystical otherland that's a metaphor for growing up?

 

[Hussar]

Well, I have to say, that new UA certainly succeeded. No more kender discussions. Success!

All they had to do was turn Kender into straight up halflings and everyone is happy. It works I suppose.

 

[Faolyn]

Plus, well, they have elfy ears. Fey is so ingrained in the Kender's blood, there's no removing it. You honestly saying you couldn't see one of these being a sidekick in an 80s kid movie about a mystical otherland that's a metaphor for growing up?

They'd likely be as annoying as Jar Jar Binks, though.

 

[Raunalyn]

Essentially, yes. I seem to think the line he uses is 'let there peace, the peace of the jailhouse' or something along those lines.

It was the rise of the Lawful Evil forces and actually (@Paul Farquhar ) this is a character shift in Takhisis as she realized she was losing before because her forces were Chaotic Evil, and had no self control/discipline, and it was better for the planet.

Or something.

Oh, it gets better (if you can call it that).

Big, gigantic alien dragons from another world take over Ansalon, magic goes bye bye, so then Palin Majere starts learning how to use the ambient magic of the world, multiclassing into a Sorcerer. Goldmoon finds a new magic called the Magic of the Heart (yes...that is actually what it is called, I kid you not), multiclassing into a Sorcerer. This was all part of the Dragonlance Saga Fifth Age rules. While I despised the lore associated with the rules, I actually enjoyed the rules themselves.

Kendermore was utterly destroyed by one of the giant alien dragons named Malys, and an offshoot of the Kender race was born. These are known as Afflicted Kender because they have learned what fear is.

It only goes downhill from there. The War of Souls...don't even get me started on that. Let's just say that there are now two Gods that are no more...one is dead, and one gave up their godhood to keep the balance, and there is a "New" goddess that doesn't have any worshippers or answer any prayers.

I think the golden age of Dragonlance was the War of the Lance and the 30 years after that.

 

[Scribe]

Oh, it gets better (if you can call it that).

Big, gigantic alien dragons from another world take over Ansalon, magic goes bye bye, so the Palin Majere starts learning how to use the ambient magic of the world, multiclassing into a Sorcerer. Goldmoon finds a new magic called the Magic of the Heart (yes...that is actually what it is called, I kid you not), multiclassing into a Sorcerer. This was all part of the Dragonlance Sage Fifth Age rules. While I despised the lore associated with the rules, I actually enjoyed the rules themselves.

Kendermore was utterly destroyed by one of the giant alien dragons named Malys, and an offshoot of the Kender race was born. These are known as Afflicted Kender because they have learned what fear is.

It only goes downhill from there. The War of Souls...don't even get me started on that. Let's just say that there are now two Gods that are no more...one is dead, and one gave up their godhood to keep the balance, and there is a "New" goddess that doesn't have any worshippers or answer any prayers.

I think the golden age of Dragonlance was the War of the Lance and the 30 years after that.

Yeah, I got one or 2 of the 'main' books after Summer Flame, but I dont believe I ever finished any of the series and certainly didnt keep up with it.

 

[Hussar]

/snip

I think the golden age of Dragonlance was the War of the Lance and the 30 years after that.

Now, for all we may disagree, here is something I whole heartedly agree with.

I kinda got out of the novels after the first ten or twenty and that was a long time ago. Did they ever do much with the setting in the, say, 30 years before the War of the Lance?