Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana October 2017: Fiendish Options

So a bunch of fiendish subraces but only a point of ABS besides Charisma moved to other skills and some Legacy spells swaps, plus some cult spells and features.

It doesn't do much for my game.

 

[Morrus]

This month's Unearthed Arcana (they are on the second Monday of every month now) deals with "fiendish options". "In time for the lengthening shadows of autumn, we present a collection of fiendish options for you to playtest: new subraces for tieflings, ways to customize diabolical cults, and demonic boons that wicked NPCs can receive from the denizens of the Abyss."

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[IchneumonWasp]

I like it. It's not something huge and actually quite minor, but it is something that expands player options and makes it easier to customise your character.

I'm also going to look at this document, the next time my players will have to face an evil cult.

 

[CrimsonCarcharodon]

I like it. It's not something huge and actually quite minor, but it is something that expands player options and makes it easier to customise your character.

I'm also going to look at this document, the next time my players will have to face an evil cult.

Agreed. I'm a huge fan of tieflings, so I'm always up for having more customization options for them.

 

[jgsugden]

Demonic boons? Mostly benefits with no downside (Zuggtmoy and Jubilex aside)? Well, that is interesting. I think they need to have a downside that comes into play when the boon is taken away, and perhaps an 'upkeep' requirement (sacrifices, etc...) to keep the booned entity loyal to their master.

The Tieflings are fine, but the more versatility you offer, the less reasons there are to have anything specific in place. Why not make it: You get +2 to Charisma and +1 to an ability of your choice. You gain an appropriate cantrip at 1st level, a 1st level spell you can cast as a 2nd level spell at 3rd level, and a 2nd level spell you can cast as a 3rd level spell at 5th level, but they must be spells appropriate to the Diabolic entity from which you are descended.

 

[Parmandur]

More planar racial options, and DM monster/NPC options of a planar nature?

Eliminster' Guide to the Cosmos, 2018?

 

[flametitan]

I like the boons. Definitely might have to snag a few for the gnoll warbands plowing across the lands.

I'm still iffy on breaking up tieflings on subrace lines, rather than doing more of what the SCAG did, and providing a mishmash of options.

 

[gyor]

More planar racial options, and DM monster/NPC options of a planar nature?

Eliminster' Guide to the Cosmos, 2018?

I was thinking Nezram World Walker, but the idea is the same basically, a 5e version of the Manuel of the Planes. First Gith and Elderin and now Devil and Demon themed stuff.

 

[gyor]

Needs fewer repeated can trips and spells between Archdevil Tieflings.

 

[ChapolimX]

Spell Leech.
As a bonus action, this creature chooses one ally it can see within 30 feet of it. The target loses its lowest level spell slot, and this creature gains it.

I know this sort of thing is supposed to make a char to feel like evil but it really makes it feel like a pain in the butt, don't matter if it's a PC or NPC.

 

[Blue]

Decent flavor add, though I'm disappointed that they connected it to ability scores and racial features since that means that the flavor choice can be dictated by game mechanics needs for some players, instead of going for the choice that makes the most sense for how they envision the character. I prefer if my character concept gets described by the mechanics, not that the mechanics define my character concept.

 

[dave2008]

I'm liking the cults and boons as little templates to add to NPCs and monsters to give them an association with a devil or demon. They add to the story I think. I would use this.

 

[TheSwartz]

One of my favorite UA's so far. I can definitely use some of this already.

 

[castlewise]

No Lolth? Although I suppose Lolth worshippers already have their own section of the MM.

Color me excited about whatever planar thingie they seem to be hinting at.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I love the variant in SCAG (+2 Dex, +1 Int) for Rogues and Shadow Monks. Maybe I'm being too min-maxy for not liking +1 Dex, +2 Cha...

 

[Parmandur]

I was thinking Nezram World Walker, but the idea is the same basically, a 5e version of the Manuel of the Planes. First Gith and Elderin and now Devil and Demon themed stuff.

Well, Eliminster is a Planar Traveller, and an established NPC in the books: but something planar this way comes, anyways.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Color me excited about whatever planar thingie they seem to be hinting at.

Infernal incursion into Feywild, of course.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I was thinking Nezram World Walker, but the idea is the same basically, a 5e version of the Manuel of the Planes. First Gith and Elderin and now Devil and Demon themed stuff.

You've just named my next character, a plane-traveling Spaniard. Or maybe I'll make her a girl. "Hello, my name is Manuelle of the Planes. You collapsed my portal. Prepare to die."

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Yet another bunch of boring, lazy options. More races with spells instead of imaginative, creative or interesting differences. And yet more power creep. Dex + Cha + minor illusion/disguise self and invisibility, really? That's 10x better than just about any other option aside from winged.

 

[cbwjm]

The options in this are okay, I guess. I'm not really a fan of the changes made to tieflings in 4e and even though these expand on them giving an option to have a different archdevil as your ancestor, I would probably prefer something similar to 2e with variable abilities to depict tieflings as something fiendish in the blood but not quite sure what. I guess I could use the various bloodlines as just another option, not necessarily saying that the tiefling is descended from the archdevil but maybe has a bit of fiendish blood from a demon or devil that has similar roles.

The cult templates definitely have some good ideas, but I'm not sure how much of this I would use however I do think it is a really good idea when creating a group of common abilities for NPCs for your PCs to fight.