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?

 

[Bobolink]

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?

Maybe WotC is telling us that all things change over time. I don't find the growth of wings, spines, or any other physical feature more or less strange compared to other class features like channelling divinity or spontaneously knowing a spell. Maybe after a second puberty triggered by stress Tieflings do undergo a change. Maybe in the game world, enough time passes over a campaign that a large physical change makes sense. The Barbarian is said to take on animalistic aspects after certain class features. And, a Tiefling does expand their magical powers at certain levels already, so something is growing and changing over time already. Are spines less believable than casting magical darkness with no training? Why should a character's body not change as they level up? If they increase their strength or charisma, or constitution doesn't the body not look different?

 

[tglassy]

Was really hoping for Genasi Feats...kinda disappointed they weren't there...

 

[Mistwell]

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.

You bump into people, kick a rock by accident, burp in a distracting way, kick up some dust, or accidentally do something which just ever so slightly changes the foes ability to hit your ally or see them clearly or focus on your ally. So yeah, you react to a 6th sense that something is about to happen by simply causing the situation to alter slightly with your luck.

 

[Colder]

You bump into people, kick a rock by accident, burp in a distracting way, kick up some dust, or accidentally do something which just ever so slightly changes the foes ability to hit your ally or see them clearly or focus on your ally. So yeah, you react to a 6th sense that something is about to happen by simply causing the situation to alter slightly with your luck.

And you have to do it on purpose, both mechanically and metaphorically, because of the nature of reactions. That's not luck, that's manipulation. What you're describing is more like a limited precognition feature for Mystic than just having an abundance of dumb luck.

 

[Blue]

Still waiting on the re-balance of existing feats...

Honestly, if they haven't errata'd it already, I wouldn't expect them to make changes. They seem really gunshy about changing anything in published books. Look how long it took before they would even look at redoing the ranger.

Not saying that the feats don't need rebalancing, just that I *really* don't expect them to touch them.

 

[CapnZapp]

Show me anything indicating they think otherwise? We've seen them hold back on other errata for "balance" reasons, so show me why you think this will be the exception to their well laid rule so far? We're two and a half years in, and you seriously think they're going to nerf feats that have been around this whole time even after they've repeatedly said they don't want to do that sort of thing with this edition?

Yes.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[Ath-kethin]

Generally I like these feats, even though most of them apply to races I don't allow in my campaign. I think I'd allow most of the feats on the of chance somebody wanted to take them, without the race restrictions

 

[Mistwell]

And you have to do it on purpose, both mechanically and metaphorically, because of the nature of reactions. That's not luck, that's manipulation. What you're describing is more like a limited precognition feature for Mystic than just having an abundance of dumb luck.

No it doesn't have to be described as "on purpose". The nature of reactions is they happen in response to something, not that there must be some known intent behind what you're doing. You see your friends in trouble and the intensity of that emotion causes you to move or burp or twitch or kick in some fashion which causes a chain reaction that accidentally results in your ally being helped. There is no reason I can think of in the rules that it cannot be described that way.

 

[Mistwell]

Yes.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

Show me anything indicating they think otherwise? That was the thesis of my response. I know what you think but I am asking you what evidence supports your position.

 

[cbwjm]

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 don't even try and justify these sorts of situations, I just go "Okay, your halfling can use their reaction to allow an ally to reroll a 1." and be done with it.