Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Feats for Races

I find this line mystifying: "These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign."

What are they trying to say here? Do these feats become unbalanced when combined with multiclassing?

Also, some of the feats significantly alter a character's body. Barbed Hide, for example, endows a Tiefling with a barbed hide. That's not the sort of thing that you can acquire through training. Which gives rise to the question, "Why couldn't the Tiefling do this at level 1?" It's not like Pole Arm Master, where you can explain the acquisition of the new ability through practice and training. Either you were born with a barbed hide or you weren't.

Same with Dragon Wings: "You sprout draconic wings." I'm not well-versed in Dragonborn lore, but is that really something that just... happens during their adult life?

 

[TwoSix]

I find this line mystifying: "These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign."

What are they trying to say here? Do these feats become unbalanced when combined with multiclassing?

Standard disclaimer that just because you use one option from Chapter 6 doesn't mean you're required to use both options.

Also, some of the feats significantly alter a character's body. Barbed Hide, for example, endows a Tiefling with a barbed hide. That's not the sort of thing that you can acquire through training. Which gives rise to the question, "Why couldn't the Tiefling do this at level 1?" It's not like Pole Arm Master, where you can explain the acquisition of the new ability through practice and training. Either you were born with a barbed hide or you weren't.

Same with Dragon Wings: "You sprout draconic wings." I'm not well-versed in Dragonborn lore, but is that really something that just... happens during their adult life?

Magical creatures undergoing some kind of transformation or metamorphosis later in life is a pretty standard fantasy trope.

 

[Corwin]

My dwarf monk is going to rule!!!

 

[schnee]

They're definitely fully on the 3.x bandwagon of 'if it's something cool, it's a SPELL'.

Like Oprah with her damn cars

You get a spell! You get a spell! Everyone gets SPELLS!!!!

Instead, why not:

Wood Elf
- Stealth skill for free
- If you have Stealth, get expertise
- Advantage on Stealth rolls in the woods

or something like that?

(Note: please do not spend twelve paragraphs dissecting this, I pulled it out of thin air as something I think is cool that is NOT A SPELL for once)

 

[TwoSix]

What? You've never had a Pokémon that evolved when it hit a certain level before? :cheesysmile:

Heh. I'm tempted to put a group of 3 NPCs in my game; a kobold, a dragonborn, and a dragonborn with this feat, and name them Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I find this line mystifying: "These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign."

What are they trying to say here? Do these feats become unbalanced when combined with multiclassing?

Adding options of any kind increases the chances that the new options will combo with eachother or existing options in unforseen ways, even if it's all very neatly-done, it increases opportunities to apply system mastery. A DM may or may not want to deal with that.

So, feats & MCing are optional and new material is optional, so a DM could well opt into feats, but not MCing, and into one set of new feats in one UA and not those in another.

Consider it a warning label. Not of the 'use only as directed' kind, but of the 'use at your own discretion' kind.

Also, some of the feats significantly alter a character's body. Barbed Hide, for example, endows a Tiefling with a barbed hide. That's not the sort of thing that you can acquire through training.[/quote] Feats are the kind of thing you acquire with experience. With a diabolical heritage, who knows what you could get yourself into...

Same with Dragon Wings: "You sprout draconic wings." I'm not well-versed in Dragonborn lore, but is that really something that just... happens during their adult life?

Yes. If they were exceptional (high level) enough.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

These seem okay when viewed next to the skill feats.

 

[Corwin]

Now, I want to houserule giving every PC one free skill feat and one free racial feat!

 

[Volund]

Off the cuff, after first read through these look like some of the best:
Dwarf Resilience - Self healing while in combat is pretty rare. Nice for dwarf casters who Dodge a lot while maintaining concentration spells. A fighter could use Action Surge to attack, dodge and heal, and then use a bonus action for second wind.
Human determination - ability increase and essentially one inspiration die per short rest.
Orcish Fury - ability increase, essentially one auto -crit per short rest, and a reaction attack when you almost get knocked out.
Flames of Phlegethos - for evoker wizards, fiendish warlocks and draconic sorcerers. Who is Phlegethos? Elemental Adept is still probably a better choice?
Elven Accuracy - like double advantage for rogues to pile on the sneak attack dice. Interesting that it doesn't require a ranged attack or even a weapon attack. Half elf warlocks can work the faerie fire/eldritch blast combo for big damage.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

'Critter Fiend?'

*double take*

Ah. No, ok. Well, that's less exciting, but it does make more sense..

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

So for the cost of a feat, any High Elf can be an Eladrin ...

..and a Dragoborn can fly!