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

 

[MonsterEnvy]

As morbidly curious as I am to say how they've "updated" Dragonlance, I can't wait to see how they gut and change Planescape.

It will probably be good, the Dragonlance UA showed good stuff.

 

[Parmandur]

Are we also going to get a bonus feat at 4th level or was that only for one UA?

Going back to review, so far this year we have had:

Heroes of Krynn
Heroes of Krynn Revisited
Giant Options
Wonders of the Multiverse

Krynn 1.0 introduced Background Feats along the lines of Strixhaven, along with limited Feat trees. Krynn 2.0 floated a free Level 4 Feat, but this was not repeated in the Giant Options or Multiverse UAs here. Giant Options had Feats that looked like they were setups for Backgrounds, but we didn't get matching Backgrounds until the Feat revisions today.

So, on a supposition, free Background Feats are being well received, as are limited Feat trees, but a free Feat at 4 may have been too much.

 

[Malmuria]

I use this term advisedly, but I find these mechanics increasingly disassociated. After watching the video, it seems like they are trying to associate them thematically, but just don't have a lot of tools to do that. For example the Outlands Envoy feat chain will give your outlands-themed planar philosopher resistance to psychic damage and the ability to misty step. Um, ok? Or, damage type resistances seem flavorful until you see how many sources of damage resistance there are in the game. Or, what is a "strand of fate" and how is different from bardic inspiration or paladin auras or etc? Why can my Glitching only hop 3 times per day? And are you really playing with putting constructs in the game if you immediately make them "living constructs" for game balance reasons?

Also, so many things to keep track of now. Once per day spells, prof bns per day abilities, extra damage per action, or using a bonus action, or a reaction, situational advantage/disadvantage granting, temporary hit points, summoned creatures. I mean:

Frigid Retaliation. Immediately after a creature you can see within 30 feet of you hits you with an attack roll and deals damage, you can use your reaction to retaliate with a conjured blast of ice. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + the modifier of the ability increased by this feat). On a failed save, it takes 1d8 + your proficiency bonus cold damage, and its speed is halved until the end of its next turn. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

It almost requires a digital character sheet, and even then the player has to remember to use it and track uses. I get tired just reading things like this.

 

[cbwjm]

I’ll just throw my voice in as another who doesn’t think Bariaurs will show up in this. Even back in 2e they were just, there, plus with centaurs already around and working like any other race there’s not as much push

You could probably have fine version a bariaur now just by changing the centaur's hoof attack to a horn attack and, I guess, changing the creature type.

 

[Yaarel]

Going back to review, ao far this year we have had:

Heroes of Krynn
Heroes of Krynn Revisited
Giant Options
Wonders of the Multiverse

Krynn 1.0 introduced Background Feats along the lines of Strixhaven, along with limited Feat trees. Krynn 2.0 floated a free Level 4 Feat, but this was not repeated in the Giant Options or Miltiverse UAs here. Giant Options had Feats that looked like they were setups for Backgrounds, but we didn't get matching Backgrounds until the Feat revisions today.

So, on a supposition, free Background Feats are being well received, as are limited Geat trees, but a free Feat at 4 may have been too much.

I think the idea is, you can access a feat at level 1 via a background. Or you can get the same feat later without a background.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It will probably be good, the Dragonlance UA showed good stuff.

It will cause just as much controversy as every lore nod they've released since VRGtR. Some will like it, some will hate it, a few will be in-between, and no one will understand anyone's else's point of view.

 

[Parmandur]

I think the idea is, you can access a feat at level 1 via a background. Or you can get the same feat later without a background.

Yeah, not 100% clear.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I'd assume that if the backgrounds become tied to feats, a significant section of the playerbase will feel compelled to optimise and certain background/class combos become "mandatory."

 

[MonsterEnvy]

It will cause just as much controversy as every lore nod they've released since VRGtR. Some will like it, some will hate it, a few will be in-between, and no one will understand anyone's else's point of view.

More likely most will like it, a small amount will hate, and the rest will be in between.
I can guess where you will be.

 

[Yaarel]

I'd assume that if the backgrounds become tied to feats, a significant section of the playerbase will feel compelled to optimise and certain background/class combos become "mandatory."

A background can be tailored for a specific setting. So it is still a "setting feat", but the background adds narrative context for it.