One D&D, the upcoming “new generation” of Dungeons & Dragons has its first spherical of playtest guidelines up.

Last week we obtained phrase that Dungeons & Dragons can be shedding “editions” and shifting into the following technology. At Wizards Presents, WotC introduced One D&D, their codename for the D&D guidelines popping out in 2024. But you received’t have to attend for too lengthy.

In reality, you may get a glimpse of the brand new technology of guidelines proper now. D&D Beyond has launched a playtest packet for One D&D. In this One D&D Playtest, you’ll discover new guidelines for character creation. Specifically, there are new guidelines for races, backgrounds, and feats. A couple of different issues too. But as we speak we’re speaking about how One D&D will deal with PC races.

One D&D Playtest: Character Creation – PC Races

It appears becoming that the primary playtest ruleset is all about character creation. After all, it’s the factor that almost all gamers crash headlong into first. It’s the very first thing a brand new participant has to acquaint themselves with. And it’s the very first thing WotC presents. The first step in Determining Your Origin is to choose a Race.

And One D&D tackles the races within the Player’s Handbook, giving them new updates for 2024. But earlier than we get to that, some huge adjustments.

Races now not offer you a capability rating enhance. They solely offer you mechanical traits. Things like darkvision or the flexibility to teleport or getting a rush of adrenaline all to come back out of your race. As One D&D places it:

A personality’s Race represents ancestry and confers recreation traits to the character. A personality’s Background is a set of traits that characterize the place and occupation that have been most formative for the character.

Race and Background (each capitalized now) give your character their definition earlier than they even decide a category. Your Race, usually, provides you your creature sort, dimension, pace, life span, and particular traits.

In the playtest packet, we’ve a number of choices:

• Human
• Dragonborn
• Dwarf
• Elf
• Gnome
• Halfling
• Orc
• Tiefling

Plus a brand new tackle the Aasimar, the Ardling.

Note that Orcs are right here in full. Half-orcs and Half-elves are absent, outdoors of a sidebar about “the magical workings of the multiverse” which we’ll speak about in one other article.

For now, although, let’s check out the races.

One D&D Playtest Races – Humans

We begin with people. Because typically you simply gotta drink the default juice.

And people are precisely that. They’re as diverse as you and me. They do various things. They may be present in each world, they get to be pioneers and artisans, warriors and artists, bold, resourcefulness, and completely boring.

As such right here’s a take a look at what they get:

Which tells us just a few issues. Bonus feat, bonus ability, all nonetheless there. But now you acquire Inspiration on the finish of a Long Rest. Both have asterisks, however that’s simply because they reference different guidelines within the playtest doc.

Ardlings

Ardlings are supernal beings who got here from the Upper Planes. They are WotC’s third (or fourth) try at making a celestial-blooded race that individuals truly need to play, and so they might need truly succeeded this time.

The trick? Make them furry bait. If there’s one factor individuals need to do, it’s to be humanoid animal individuals. Whether it’s a fowl particular person, a cat particular person, or a hippo particular person, you identify it. And the Ardling provides you the prospect to do precisely that:

An ardling has a head resembling that of an animal, sometimes one with virtuous associations. Depending on the animal, the ardling may additionally have tender fur, downy feathers, or supple naked pores and skin.

They additionally get particular celestial energy (plus the flexibility to manifest spectral wings) from one among three celestial legacies:

These three flavors offer you completely different powers.

Ardlings are the identical dimension as people however have a life span of 200 years. And as an alternative of bonus expertise and feats, they get angelic flight which lets them fly their pace as a bonus motion (as much as their proficiency bonus instances per day).

And then they get their Celestial Legacy, which supplies them a bonus spell at 1st, third, and fifth ranges:

Dragonborn

Dragonborn are again. And as earlier than, they’re humanoid dragon people who find themselves clearly descended from one of many huge dragon sorts. No gem Dragonborn listed right here, although presumably, they’ll be “backward compatible” when One D&D goes past the playtest stage.

Dragonborn have fairly just a few traits that almost all will discover acquainted. Breath Weapon would possibly truly be value having at first stage now. You breathe a cone of vitality as much as your proficiency bonus instances per day to do 1d10 + your character stage in harm to creatures who fail their save. It’s not nice at increased ranges. Especially because it takes your entire motion, and previous stage 3, there’s a lot extra you might be doing with that.

But they’ve harm resistance primarily based on draconic ancestry and darkvision to assist make up for it.

Dwarf

Dwarves, then again, are just about precisely what they all the time have been. They are virtually solely unchanged from the PHB. The solely distinction is now they’ve an additional hit level per stage, and might acquire Tremorsense as a Bonus Action for ten minutes as much as their proficiency bonus instances per day.

Elf

Elves, then again, have barely extra adjustments. Now you decide a lineage, proper now you possibly can select from Drow, High Elf, and Wood Elf. Like the Ardling, every one provides you advantages at 1st, third, and fifth stage.

Elves all get a 1st-level energy and a Cantrip, whereas at third and fifth stage they get bonus spells as proven right here:

All the opposite stuff like Keen Senses, Fey Ancestry, and Trance are nonetheless right here.

Gnomes

Gnomes additionally get to choose a customized lineage. Pick from Forest Gnome or Rock Gnome and get bonus spells, however solely at first stage. However, you’ll additionally acquire benefit on Int, Wis, and Cha saves, because of your gnomish crafty. And Darkvision, like the remaining.

Halflings

Halflings too aren’t a lot modified. They are nonetheless Brave, they nonetheless have Luck and Halfling Nimbleness, and are proficient in stealth. The solely factor now’s that they’ve a bonus on saving throws to finish the frightened situation.

Orc

Orcs make the leap to core PC race for the primary time in D&D. They’ve come a great distance. They’re nonetheless the kids of Gruumsh, however their lore is somewhat completely different now. They comply with Gruumsh as “an unstoppable warrior and powerful leader” and use his items to battle monsters, dwarves, elves, and invaders from evil planes.

They get one of many extra lively powers, and truthfully, of all the brand new adjustments, this one sits in all probability the most effective:

And just like the Half-orc from 5E, they’ve Relentless Endurance, which lets them drop to 1 hit level as an alternative of 0 hit factors, as soon as per day.

Tieflings

These are one other group that sees some fairly substantive adjustments to each their lore and their talents. Tieflings at the moment are descended from any decrease planes related creature. Whether a satan, demon, yugoloth, or different Fiend.

Like the others, they decide a lineage: Abyssal, Chthonic, or Infernal which will get them particular powers, once more at 1st, third, and fifth ranges:

Try the One D&D Playtest

What do you consider the adjustments? The new guidelines? Let us know within the feedback

Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and from time to time eats sandwiches. You can ask him about both at [email protected]

Read the Comments (0)