by DM JAKE
WHAT IS UNEARTHED ARCANA?
A PDF of add-on playtest material for potential future publication in the official 5th edition collection by Wizards of the Coast. A lot of this stuff has made it into the books since it began in 2015. As a supernerd, I've been following along closely. A lot of this stuff has made it into the books since it began in 2015. As a supernerd, I've been following along closely.
"Folk of the Feywild" by the D&D design team introduces four new playable races themed after the Feywild. The Feywild is a fantastic fairy-tale world that mirrors the material plane and works its way into pretty much every D&D setting. Our first season was set mostly in the Feywild of the Roll For It universe.
Before I begin, it's also worth noting that these races (and future 5e D&D races) no longer include ability score Increases, alignment, languages, or other traits that are purely cultural. The intention here is to move away from the idea of D&D racial stereotypes, that many would say are originally rooted in the prejudices and stereotypes present in the real life human race. Changes are being made in the language of 5th edition texts. I personally don't think they've "solved" all of the issues yet, but I'm a dude who thinks that pretty much all change is welcome. If you're interested in sharing, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how WotC and other RPG companies are progressing.
Anyway, back to fairytales!
THE FOUR NEW RACES
Fairy. Fairies are "small" (I'm picturing gnomes) with widely varying physical characteristics. The article presents a d8 list of choose-your-own random cute little fairy thing thing... The can fly, cast druidcraft and faerie fire, AND (oddly) can squeeze through spaces as narrow as 1 inch wide. Honestly, if you'd like to play a Fairy, I'd say you're looking at an easily underestimated powerhouse. The only thing you're missing is darkvision.
Hobgoblin (of the Feywild). Taller than goblins, shorter than bugbears, hobgoblins have a special connection to the Feywild's "rule of reciprocity" a magical bond related to gift-giving. In gameplay that translates to using Help as a bonus action (WOAH) with additional benefits for doing so starting at 3rd level. A few times a day, you also get a bonus to any missed saving throws as long as you're near your buddies. Who knew hobgoblins were such team players?
Owlfolk. I didn't even read more because I'd already decided this will be my next character. But just for you... Owlfolk are Medium or Small with arms and legs and functional wings. They can SEE the magic of their surroundings, casting detect magic freely as a ritual. They also have sneaky feathers (which apparently is a real life owl thing) for a stealth skill proficiency. Confirmed, I'm an owlfolk now.
Rabbitfolk. Again, I feel like it's just what you pictured except maybe with opposable thumbs. Choose Small or Medium (god, I feel like a man-sized rabbitfolk would be more terrifying than cute), and prepare to get lucky. Add a d4 to any failed Dex saves! And you get a free "Rabbit Hop" once per turn. It's 1d12 of extra movement. To be blunt... I hate it. I don't want to track 2 or 8 or 11 extra feet. It's hard enough with nice intervals of 5.
Are these new races broken or OP? Maybe. My personal DM style is to present everything possible to my players. I want them to create a character exactly like whatever it is they picture in their head. So if my buddy
wants to be an 8 foot tall rabbit... Hop on, friend.
To find official unofficial content Wizards has been putting out, check here. https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana