Dungeons & Dragons recently released another supplement of its playtesting publication, Unearthed Arcana. This month’s Unearthed Arcana, Folk of the Feywild, takes a look at creatures of the wonderful and terrible world of the fey, and offers players four new races they can play as.
Folk of the Feywild includes fairies, hobgoblins of the Feywild, owlfolk, and rabbitfolk for characters to choose from. Fairies gain a flying speed, some natural fairy magic, and the ability to squeeze through small spaces. Hobgoblins of the Feywild take a departure from D&D’s previous treatment of hobgoblins, instead focusing on concept of Fey gift-giving etiquette, offering new ways to use the Help action and benefits for doing so. Owlfolk have a flight speed as well, along with abilities relating to owls’ natural keen sight and stealth. Rabbitfolk are quick and observant, and can hop for extra distance when they move.
While Folks of the Feywild is focused on the eponymous Feywild, only one of the races—fairies—is actually a fey creature. It builds off of the rules for player creature types listed in the previous Gothic Lineages Unearthed Arcana. This signals a departure from the previous races in D&D, which tended to stick to the humanoid creature type with very few exceptions. It also includes more Small races than usual—fairies are small, although still larger than the Monster Manual’s Tiny sprites and pixies, and rabbitfolk and owlfolk can choose whether to be Small or Medium.
A fey-focused Unearthed Arcana could signal a potentially fey-focused D&D supplement coming out in the future. The previous Unearthed Arcana, Gothic Lineages, was soon followed by the announcement for the upcoming Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, a setting book for the gothic horror world of Ravenloft. It could be that a Feywild book is in the works, or even a larger planar supplement.
No official announcements have been made, however, and Unearthed Arcana remains a playtesting publication. Nothing is set in stone, and everything is subject to change. If any players want to test out the new material should try it out in their games, as long as they ask their DM first.