D&D 5E Unearthed Arcana: Draconic Options

The latest Unearthed Arcana from WotC is called Draconic Options. It includes three variant Dragonborn races and a new kobold race, as well as a handful of new spells and feats. Dragonlance fans might do a double-take when they see Fizban's platinum shield (two Forgotten Realms dragons are referenced in the spells, too -- Icingdeath and Raulothim -- as is the FR god of fey dragons, Nathair).

Harness the power of dragons in this installment of Unearthed Arcana! This playtest document presents race, feat, and spell options related to dragons in Dungeons & Dragons.

First is a trio of draconic race options presented as an alternative to the dragonborn race in the Player’s Handbook, as well as a fresh look at the kobold race. Then comes a handful of feat options that reflect a connection to draconic power. Finally, an assortment of spells—many of them bearing the names of famous or infamous dragons—offer a variety of approaches to manifesting dragon magic.

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[jmartkdr2]

I suspect they think less resistances is balanced by less vulnerabilities? But there aren't many vulnerabilities in the game anyway.

They don't consider the different types any better or worse than any other, and I'd say that in practice, they mostly have a point.

Even fire resistance, the most common resistance, isn't actually common in most games. You simply don't fight multitudes of fire elementals and red dragons - the big categories are humanoids, undead, and beasts, IME and skimming published adventures. Fire resistance might mess up your sorcerer's day once in a while. Even though it's more common than, say, psychic resistance, both are unusual (and therefore often engaging) challenges.

The big exceptions are high-level campaigns featuring a lot of fiends (who resist a lot of stuff) - a problem generally solved via feat, and poison. Because undead - one of the most common creature types - are almost all immune to poison. Not just resistant either.

Thus, IME, poison is the only damage type that stands out for how resisted it is.

 

[cbwjm]

They don't consider the different types any better or worse than any other, and I'd say that in practice, they mostly have a point.

Even fire resistance, the most common resistance, isn't actually common in most games. You simply don't fight multitudes of fire elementals and red dragons - the big categories are humanoids, undead, and beasts, IME and skimming published adventures. Fire resistance might mess up your sorcerer's day once in a while. Even though it's more common than, say, psychic resistance, both are unusual (and therefore often engaging) challenges.

The big exceptions are high-level campaigns featuring a lot of fiends (who resist a lot of stuff) - a problem generally solved via feat, and poison. Because undead - one of the most common creature types - are almost all immune to poison. Not just resistant either.

Thus, IME, poison is the only damage type that stands out for how resisted it is.

This has been my experience as well. I run a game with a fire sorcerer in it, I don't balance around it and only a few times has his fire magic been less effective. Often he has other targets that make up for it like in the last fight there were targets with fire immunity, but also some with no resistance against fire so he could pick his targets.

 

[Weiley31]

And a dire wolf is not a wolf.

It's a big pupper!

 

[darjr]

Survey is up.

here is a direct link.

D&D UA Survey 56 (Draconic Options)

D&D UA Survey 56 (Draconic Options).

survey.alchemer.com

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[Parmandur]

Survey is up.

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So, just noticed at this point that this article was written by Ben Petrisor, Taymoor Rehman, Dan Dillon, James Wyatt, and Jeremy Crawford. The Draconic Subclasses article was written by Dan Dillon, with Jeremy Crawford, Ben Petrisor, Taymoor Rehman, and James Wyatt.

On the other hand, Gothic Lineages was written by F. Wesley Schneider, Ben Petrisor, and Jeremy Crawford with input from the rest of the D&D design team, and Gothic Subclasses was written by Ben Petrisor, with Jeremy Crawford, Dan Dillon, and Taymoor Rehman. Folk of the Feywild was written by By Taymoor Rehman, Ari Levitch, and Jeremy Crawford with input from the rest of the D&D design team.

F. Wesley Scneider is one of the book leads now for the D&D Studio, and he worked on the Ravenloft options. James Wyatt worked on both of the Draconic options, but none of the others. Wyatt is one of the other book leads now. Ergo, I conclude that the Draconic options are meant for a book different than Folk of the Feywild, being overseen by James Wyatt, with Folk of the Feywild being...something else.

 

[darjr]

Now that you say that.... huh? I wonder if a review of what they’ve been saying, even tangentially or crypticly, on the inter webs would shed any clues?

 

[Parmandur]

Now that you say that.... huh? I wonder if a review of what they’ve been saying, even tangentially or crypticly, on the inter webs would shed any clues?

Probably not, they have gotten pretty tight lipped these days. Actually increasing their output has probably helped that, as they can focus fire on the next known thing pretty well.

 

[darjr]

Probably not, they have gotten pretty tight lipped these days. Actually increasing their output has probably helped that, as they can focus fire on the next known thing pretty well.

I dunno. In hindsight they have laid out some blatant clues. Recently too.

 

[Parmandur]

I dunno. In hindsight they have laid out some blatant clues. Recently too.

What are you thinking?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Is the survey back down? It's not showing for me.

And now it's back up. Weird.