Dungeons and Dragons seems to be continuing its research and planning for some sort of upcoming Underdark-themed campaign or gameplay expansion with the release of five additional species for players to test.
Unearthed Arcana: UnderDark Options 2 INcludes 5 New Species
Dungeons and Dragons is back with another Unearthed Arcana to expand on what began in the August playtest materials. The new update features three additional Underdark-inspired subclasses and a brand-new list of playable species.
An Underdark-themed campaign or adventure can certainly feature characters from the surface heading underground, but it’s also fun to give players the option to have the Underdark be a part of their origin story. Players have already had access to Drow, Duergar, and Deep Gnomes for a while, but the new Unearthed Arcana: Underdark Player Options 2 brings five more species to the table.
- Deep Imaskari
- The Deep Imaskari are descended from humans, so some features (such as Resourceful) reflect this.
- Most features, however, focus on their connection to Unlight. While most Underdark species have Darkvision or some other means of seeing in the dark, the Deep Imaskari instead create light wherever they go.
- Drider
- There are two parts to the Underdark expression of the Drider fantasy: the spider and the drow, who combine seamlessly into one deadly hunter. This drider’s abilities allow them to lure in and trap their prey. How they finish it off is dependent upon the rest of the character build.
- Driders are a staple of the Underdark, but they’re a tough concept to bring to the player-facing side of the game due to their typical size and many legs. The designers took inspiration from the Centaur in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse for the mechanical expression of this concept.
- Illithidkin
- An Illithidkin is a victim (or willing participant) of mind flayer experimentation. They have access to a small selection of psionic abilities. This contrasts with the Ceremorphosis feat path from the previous UA, which requires more build investment and provides the full mind flayer experience. This species and that feat path weren’t designed to be used together, but rather represent two different ways one might run afoul of mind flayer activity.
- Kuo-toa
- One aspect of the kuo-toa that has captured the design team’s imagination is their relationship to their gods. They create idols out of disparate pieces (statues, body parts, household objects, etc), and sometimes those idols come to life. If you play as a kuo-toa, you’ll get access to the Find Familiar spell, but you can mix and match features of the available familiars to create your own delightful abomination.
- Myconid
- Like their fungal inspiration, myconids come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They have appeared in many D&D adventures (including Baldur’s Gate 3), and the designers thought it would be fun to imagine myconid adventurers. What does it look like for a plant to uproot and embark on a journey?
- When a myconid leaves their circle for adventure, their party becomes their new circle. Myconid abilities are all about building rapport with your team and sharing knowledge, often without needing to exchange even a word. Because of that, this species is a real “team player.”
Specific details about rolling a character from one of these new species can be found in the full Underdark Options 2 playtest materials. Just like with the subclasses, players should definitely run any character ideas using these materials by their DM before going too far into planning.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates.
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