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?

 

[Gradine]

Agreed. There's a big difference between powergaming your damage and powergaming your capability. Well chosen feats open up brand new options, which are usually more important than boosting average damage 10-15% or so.

Yeah, my understanding of the old 3.X "class tiers" lists were that tiers were defined by versatility first and efficacy second. The most powerful D&D characters have always been the most versatile, and versatility is what feats in general tend to add.

 

[OB1]

I really, really don't like Bountiful Luck. Not even because of its power level. But it's just kind of a mechanic, imo.

The Halfling uses their reaction to allow someone to reroll a bad roll.

What exactly is the metaphor, here? It can't be that the halfling's luck is rubbing off on other people, because that should take absolutely zero effort. If any kind of action economy is being used, the Halfling isn't passively lucky, they are actively or reactively manipulating luck. That really bothers me, because I always thought of halflings as one of the less magical races.

Perhaps think of it like taking the Help action as a reaction, but only on a crit fail. The Luck part of it is in seeing the failure before it happens and then reacting to it to give your companion a better chance at success.

 

[Colder]

Perhaps think of it like taking the Help action as a reaction, but only on a crit fail. The Luck part of it is in seeing the failure before it happens and then reacting to it to give your companion a better chance at success.

That's not Bountiful Luck, that's Bountiful Reactions or Split-second Assistance. And that'd be fine if that was the concept they end up going for, but currently the concept is someone who has just so much good luck that it spreads to those around them.

 

[OB1]

That's not Bountiful Luck, that's Bountiful Reactions or Split-second Assistance. And that'd be fine if that was the concept they end up going for, but currently the concept is someone who has just so much good luck that it spreads to those around them.

It's being lucky that allows the reaction in this way to help others, whereas usually being lucky only helps yourself. You are using your luck to help others, thus spreading it around to them.

I'm thinking of a "Boba Fett? Where?" situation where Han spins around with the staff and just so happens to ignite Boba Fett's jetpack before he would have shot Luke.

 

[Colder]

It's being lucky that allows the reaction in this way to help others, whereas usually being lucky only helps yourself. You are using your luck to help others, thus spreading it around to them.

I'm thinking of a "Boba Fett? Where?" situation where Han spins around with the staff and just so happens to ignite Boba Fett's jetpack before he would have shot Luke.

I don't think that scene matches the mechanic at all. I'm totally alright being the weird one, though.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I really, really don't like Bountiful Luck. Not even because of its power level. But it's just kind of a mechanic, imo.

The Halfling uses their reaction to allow someone to reroll a bad roll.

What exactly is the metaphor, here? It can't be that the halfling's luck is rubbing off on other people, because that should take absolutely zero effort. If any kind of action economy is being used, the Halfling isn't passively lucky, they are actively or reactively manipulating luck. That really bothers me, because I always thought of halflings as one of the less magical races.

So much this. My single biggest beef with 5E is how WotC keeps writing rules in terms of action economy and rules jargon, with no consideration for what those rules mean in roleplaying terms. Every time I see an ability like Bountiful Luck I cringe.

Not in my game, no thank you!

 

[Colder]

So much this. My single biggest beef with 5E is how WotC keeps writing rules in terms of action economy and rules jargon, with no consideration for what those rules mean in roleplaying terms. Every time I see an ability like Bountiful Luck I cringe.

Not in my game, no thank you!

I remember seeing one of your posts on the subject and I think it bothers me way less than you, but this particular case is extremely egregious.

 

[Oofta]

I have a whole lot of "meh" for these feats. I do think it's funny that you can have teleporting elves with super advantage while dwarves get a watered down version of second wind and mobility.

It seems like another UA pulling 5E more towards a 4e play style, which may be ok for some people. Just not my preference.

 

[OB1]

I don't think that scene matches the mechanic at all. I'm totally alright being the weird one, though.

I admit it's a stretch but I tend to try and find justification for a mechanic. The SW analogy may not have been the best. Really, it's about seeing a complete disaster right before it happens and being lucky enough to be able to react to it. That's why it only works on a 1.

 

[Colder]

I admit it's a stretch but I tend to try and find justification for a mechanic. The SW analogy may not have been the best. Really, it's about seeing a complete disaster right before it happens and being lucky enough to be able to react to it. That's why it only works on a 1.

I just don't see what luck has to do with reaction time and critical decision making skills.