D&D 5E New Unearthed Arcana: Wonders of the Multiverse

WotC has posted a new Unearthed Arcana featuring the Glitchling race, the Fate domain, and a handful of backgrounds, feats and spells.

In today’s Unearthed Arcana, we explore D&D character options from across the multiverse. This playtest document presents the glitchling race; the Fate Domain cleric subclass; and the gate warden, giant foundling, planar philosopher, and rune carver backgrounds. Additionally, a collection of new feats provide links to giants and other primordial forces of the planes, while a selection of new spells highlight the power of fate and chance.

Wonders of the Multiverse | Unearthed Arcana | Dungeons & Dragons

Explore character options related to the Wonders of the Multiverse! This playtest document presents a new race and subclass and a collection of new backgrounds, feats and spells, all for use in Dungeons & Dragons.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[Parmandur]

Kinda surprised the Cartomancer feat isn't open to Bards.

Also I would totally open it to Arcane Tricksters for flavor reasons.

Yeah, I'm putting thst in the feedback. Though Bard already has a Subclass that can use a deck of cards as an Arcane Focus.

 

[Amrûnril]

Personally, I love the feats with level prereqs. If the assigned levels are accurate and reliable, it means more powerful feats come online at higher levels.

On the other hand, if feats with level prerequisites are consistently more powerful, then "normal" feats start to feel like trap choices at higher levels. I'd rather the developers try to keep feats balanced with one another* and reserve level prerequisites for narrow cases where an otherwise balanced feat would create issues in low level play.

*and ideally with ASIs, but ASIs aren't balanced with each other so that's hard t evaluate

 

[Parmandur]

On the other hand, if feats with level prerequisites are consistently more powerful, then "normal" feats start to feel like trap choices at higher levels. I'd rather the developers try to keep feats balanced with one another* and reserve level prerequisites for narrow cases where an otherwise balanced feat would create issues in low level play.

*and ideally with ASIs, but ASIs aren't balanced with each other so that's hard t evaluate

The higher level Feats aren’t more powerful strictly speaking, but they synergies with something else and build on it. The Level req isn't about power level so much as story.

 

[Seramus]

Everything is so combat focused. I want more Exploration and Social Pillar support.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Everything is so combat focused. I want more Exploration and Social Pillar support.

they have no idea how to do that let alone balance it.

 

[Jer]

Feats aren’t underutilized because they aren’t a core rule. They’re an optional rule.

They are underutilized in the rules - it's just that it's on purpose that they're not used as much as they could be. Which is why they're free right now to use for mechanics that tie into story elements that go across classes and races.

They aren’t a required element to use to play the game and they’ve indicated that it will still be that way outside of certain settings like Dragonlance.

Yes exactly - and where they've indicated that they're using feats like this is when they're tied to particular settings. Which makes them a reasonably good choice mechanically to leverage for this purpose.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

they have no idea how to do that let alone balance it.

UA are never balanced.

 

[Mind of tempest]

UA are never balanced.

I was not talking about a UA, I was talking about their inability to make mechanics for the other two pillars.

 

[DeviousQuail]

Looks like they goofed the Hit Points for the Reaper Spirit. It's a 4th level spell but the spirit gets 40 + 10 for each spell level above 3rd.

 

[Malmuria]

This is so, so, so boring to me. I don't even know if it's anyone's fault; they are clearly out of "design space" in 5e. Some of the descriptions are flavorful, but when you get to the mechanics, it's translated into some combination of doing extra damage, imposing advantage/disadvantage within range, or getting a cantrip or low level spell that's on half the party's list anyway. For example, Planar Philosopher, in which having a specific philosophical grounding is translated into resistance to psychic, necrotic, or radiant damage plus a cantrip. Bleh.