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

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I agree that there isn't much of a difference between long rest and short rest abilities in terms of tracking. However, I can look at these options and see that, for my table, it would lead to a slow and overly complex game. Any individual feature is not too much to track, but when you add it all together it becomes laborious. By mid levels, players have a fairly extensive menu of options (from race, background, class, and feats), all of which key on different types of actions (action, bonus, reaction), have different ranges and conditions, last for varying amounts of time, and give benefits to others in the party that they have to keep track of. Meanwhile there's that much more to track and resolve each turn in combat.

If you are comfortable with more crunchy systems it's all manageable, even with pencil and paper, but many people are not. I've introduced players to the game who, 3-4 years in, still struggle with knowing what a spell save DC is. That said, there's clearly a market for people who want more tactical, deep combat (pathfinder 2e, flee mortals, etc), so if they are deciding to go that route, it makes sense.

But everything you mention has absolutely nothing to do with prof bonus per long rest. I think it actually streamlinrs everything a bit.
I do agree, that you have to be careful not to overload a vharacter with active options and I think, not every feat should give such an ability.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I suspect because the developers have more of a vision for the barbarian as a rage fighter and nature warrior. But they also have the mentality that there needs to be a martial class that is "just a guy with a weapon" with no real special mechanics or story or other elements that the other classes have. The baseline class that all other classes are differentiated from. And since the fighter is the class with the most generic name, the fighter is the one that gets to be the "just a guy with a weapon" class.

basic weapon guy is more a design philosophy as barbarians being simple and martial would both fit them and let fight become something worth having, the problem of just a guy with a weapon is it would only realistically be 3 levels as much past that and you start having to become a master at something to keep up with every other class, also how is press rage and smash people not super simple?

The Wizard bias is real and annoying...

As for the Mystic, I think it tried to do too much too quickly.

Their goal should have been to introduce the concept of Psionic to the new generation of players in a way that made sense to them, and made Psionic more than just 'themed spellcaster' and not worry about the grognards so much. Their favorite mechanic could be found in third party material.

I agree it tried to do too much should have stuck to a mix of support and blasting as the base idea with maybe one summon class or something.
the psi blade going to the rouge was odd but a decent option.

Again I don't know that anyone in the design group actually likes psionics. From what has been released they enjoy the wizard class and spell slots. Sorcerer is a bit underwhelming as a class and poor warlock has a bunch of half-baked ideas pushed into it to fill out. Why is Mystic Arcanum? Why are the Invocations all over the place in power and usefulness? Pact of the Blade needed another subclass to save it. I love the warlock but it was not ready for publishing.
All the iterations for psionics in UA have been rough drafts in entirely different directions. The Mystic stole the Wizard's spot for being better at being than every class. The Psionic Die was a good idea but it needed to be expanded greatly. The subclasses in Tasha's went the reskin for flavor route. They have ideas to push 5E further but they do not want to scare any player away with a new system.

honestly, sorcerer needs to go back to the drawing board and maybe make it the caster for noobs if nothing else really sells it to other people.
I would be okay with wizards being king if I got a full psionic caster.
warlock should just eat the present sorcerer and make itself a full caster.

they do not seem to understand complete noobs stick to the player handbook as most are not invested sufficiently to buy everything yet, I like the simplicity and ease of 5e but they should at least try to make interesting ideas for sub and full classes if just so it does not feel like they are scraping the bottom of the safe barrel of ideas, you know flex some design muscles and live a little.

I mean, the designers can't force people to like stuff, and they only want to make stuff that people broadly like, so...

true but we are burning out of nice safe stuff for them to do and give they want to solve everything with spell slots it just feels like they a slumming it for a paycheck at this point, plus the new audience can be told what to like or do you not know how pop music works?

 

[Parmandur]

true but we are burning out of nice safe stuff for them to do and give they want to solve everything with spell slots it just feels like they a slumming it for a paycheck at this point, plus the new audience can be told what to like or do you not know how pop music works?

I mean, yeah, the game runs on Spell slots. Pop music is very much about identifying what people want and designing to meet those desires.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I mean, the designers can't force people to like stuff, and they only want to make stuff that people broadly like, so...

That's the problem. They should have made something they liked, published it, and then saw what people thought. Caring too much about public opinion leads to indecisiveness and bland mechanics.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I mean, yeah, the game runs on Spell slots. Pop music is very much about identifying what people want and designing to meet those desires.

they might as well bite the bullet a rebecome 4e just with everything running of spell slots instead given how much they love them, could they try something else if just to break the monotony.

That's the problem. They should have made something they liked, published it, and then saw what people thought. Caring too much about public opinion leads to indecisiveness and bland mechanics.

you build mechanics you like first get the base level in before you even need a public beta then just start nerfing or buffing as needed.

 

[Parmandur]

That's the problem. They should have made something they liked, published it, and then saw what people thought. Caring too much about public opinion leads to indecisiveness and bland mechanics.

But their goal was to make something that sold, that is, that people like.

 

[Parmandur]

they might as well bite the bullet a rebecome 4e just with everything running of spell slots instead given how much they love them, could they try something else if just to break the monotony.

Don't hold your breath about it, this UA probably represents about how adventurous D&D will get with mechanics in the future.

 

[CleverNickName]

True, but to be honest every historical precedent should have told us what was going to happen. So now we have the first edition of D&D since 1e without a psionic class.

Instead, 5E has multiple psionic subclasses in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: the fighter's Psi Warrior, the monk's Way of the Astral Self, the rogue's Soul Knife, the sorcerer's Aberrant Mind...

Does 5E really need a dedicated psionics class? It seems like all the bases are covered.

 

[darjr]

Instead, 5E has multiple psionic subclasses in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: the fighter's Psi Warrior, the monk's Way of the Astral Self, the rogue's Soul Knife, the sorcerer's Aberrant Mind...

Does 5E really need a dedicated psionics class? It seems like all the bases are covered.

for Darksun I think so.

 

[vecna00]

Instead, 5E has multiple psionic subclasses in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: the fighter's Psi Warrior, the monk's Way of the Astral Self, the rogue's Soul Knife, the sorcerer's Aberrant Mind...

Does 5E really need a dedicated psionics class? It seems like all the bases are covered.

Yes please!