Wizards of the Coast has showed off new ideas for the next phase of Dungeons & Dragons, and rather than a new edition, it's something they've named One D&D. There are new ideas for character creation, with changes on how to use races, backgrounds and feats, as well as how some basic rules will work. Here, you'll see what has changed when it comes to the races.

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Keep in mind that this is all subject to change. Their goal is to see our feedback concerning these changes, and some things can be altered before One D&D's actual release.

9 General Changes

Dungeons And Dragons Human Orc Drow Elf Half-Elf Dwarf Halfling Cleric Fighter Caster Group Party
Forgotten Realms: Characters by Aaron H.

As far as changes that apply to every race, the biggest is that they no longer offer you increases in your ability scores. These increases now come from your background, rather than race. The same goes for languages — where some are free, and others come from backgrounds. Subraces are no longer a thing, so no more Mountain and Hill Dwarves. However, some races have a similar concept, called Lineages — more on that later. Everyone now has 30ft of movement as well, so being a small race no longer hinders your speed.

Another big change is that hybrid races are no longer present, so you don't have Half-Elfs or Half-Orcs. Instead, you have Elves as usual, with Orcs taking the Half-Orc spot. Still, if you want to be a hybrid race, for example Half-Elf, Half-Orc, you'll choose either Elves or Orcs to give you the mechanical abilities, and you can just choose how your appearance is going to be from there.

8 Humans

Delver's Torch by Bram Sels
Delver's Torch by Bram Sels

The whole Human and Variant Human difference is essentially gone, and One D&D's Human resembles the latter. The first curious change is that you can choose to be medium-sized (four-to-seven feet tall) or small-sized (two-to-four feet), a type of choice Humans never really got before.

They still get one free skill to become proficient with and one free feat, just like Variant Humans. However, you can only choose feats available for the first level, since now feats will have level limitations. There's one more thing that is unique here though; whenever you finish a long rest, you get Inspiration. One D&D has quite a few rules that give players Inspiration, compared with it only being given when the DMs feel like it, and this is one of these cases.

7 Dragonborns

D&D MTG Wandering Troubadour By Rudy Siswanto
D&D MTG Wandering Troubadour By Rudy Siswanto

Dragonborns won't change a lot. They're pretty much the same, with only a neat little perk and a few changes to their Breath Weapon. The first change is that your Breath Weapon will always be a 15-foot cone attack, that costs one action. Though the action part is the same as in the books, some expansions changed it. You won't choose the radius either. The damage is a d10 plus your level, and enemies still take half the damage when case they pass a saving throw.

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Finally, you can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, with a long rest required to reset it. The other neat change mentioned is that Dragonborns get Darkvision, at long last. They're still born knowing Draconic somehow, so they're the only race who still gets a language rather than relying on backgrounds, but that isn't different from 5e's Dragonborn.

6 Dwarves

Dwarf female warrior with axe using shield
Dwarfhold Champion by Miguel Mercado 

Though the subraces are gone, you still get some powerful abilities as a Dwarf. With that said, some things have still been removed. Dwarves no longer come with specific weapon proficiencies, and with the Mountain Dwarf gone, you no longer have light and medium armor proficiency just for being a Dwarf. The advantage of Investigation from stonework is also gone, as well as brewer's tools being an option from tool proficiencies.

Now, every Dwarf gets +1 to their HP for every level, like Hill Dwarves. You now obtain two tool proficiencies rather than one between Jeweler’s, Mason’s, Smith’s, or Tinker’s Tools. The most unique ability is Stonecunning. With it, you can use your bonus action to give yourself Tremorsense, as long as you're using it on a stone surface. You can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you recover these uses with a long rest. Tremorsense is essentially an ability to sense creatures through vibrations, so you can "see" everyone around you — even if you were blinded, for example.

5 Elves

Dungeons And Dragons White Haired Elf Male In The Mountains Snow
The Companions Cover Art by Tyler Jacobson

The basic Elf traits are all still here, from Darkvision to Trance, so there isn't much to discuss in this regard. What's changed are the Lineages, which are the new version of subraces. You still have the big three; High Elves, Wood Elves, and Drows.

None of them give you weapon proficiencies anymore. Instead, they give you spells when you reach certain levels. High Elves give Prestidigitation (which can be changed), Detect Magic at level three, and Misty Step at five. Drows give you Dancing Lights, Faerie Fire at level three, and Darkness at five, while still increasing your Darkvision from the start. Wood Elves give you Druidcraft, Longstrider at level three, and Pass Without Trace at five, as well as still increasing your movement speed to 35 feet from the start.

4 Gnomes

A gnome wizard and their pseudodragon familiar
Wizards & Spells Cover Art by Conceptopolis

Gnomes have received a similar adjustment to Elves. The basic traits are the same, but their Lineages suffered alterations.

Forest Gnomes still get a free Minor Illusion, but you can choose (during character creation) whether you want to use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to cast the cantrip. They also get Speak With Animals, which can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus (with a long rest required to refill), or you can use spell slots (if you have any) to cast the spell.

Rock Gnomes get Mending and Prestidigitation cantrips, but with a plus. You can use Prestidigitation for ten minutes (and some materials) to create a small device, whose function you get to choose, and you (or someone else) can activate it during combat by touching it with your bonus action. This trait essentially replaces Tinker from 5e.

3 Halflings

goldmeadow stalwart halfling rogue art
Goldmeadow Stalwart by Wayne Reynolds

Haflings no longer has subraces, and unlike the previous two entries on this list, don't have Lineages either. They all get the same thing, similar to how Dwarves have changed.

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You can still move through spaces occupied by creatures larger than you, but it now specifies you can't stay in the space — ending debates on whether they could do that in the first place. With the subraces and their specific traits gone, you get an extra new trait, giving you proficiency in Stealth. Everything else is the same, unless you count the things mentioned in the General Changes entry.

2 Orcs

The Orc image featured in Dungeons and Dragons' Monster's Manual
Orc Art via Wizards of the Coast

Orcs have become very powerful by having the best of both worlds — their traits are a mix between The Player's Handbook Half-Orc and Volo's Playable Orc, as well as having an improved version of a previous trait. Instead of being able to move towards a target with your bonus action, you can now Dash in whatever direction you choose with said bonus action. Doing this also gives you temporary Hit Points equal to your proficiency bonus. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus before needing a long rest.

You also get the trait of having a greater carrying capacity, as with Volo's Orcs, and the Half-Orc ability to endure on one health if it's decreased to zero but you don't die, making it a better Orc overall than both Volo's Orc and 5e's Half-Orc.

1 Tieflings

Dungeons And Dragons Tiefling Red Fire Storm Holding Knife Sword
Artwork via Wizards of the Coast

Interestingly, Tieflings get the Lineage treatment, giving them three "subraces" rather than having them all be the same. What they all have in common are Darkvision and the free Thaumaturgy cantrip. They're divided into three Lineages; Abyssal, Chthonic, and Infernal.

Abyssal gets poison damage resistance, the Poison Spray cantrip, Ray of Sickness at level three, and Hold Person (for free!) at five. Chthonic gets necrotic damage resistance, Chill Touch, False Life at level three, and Ray of Enfeeblement at five. As for Infernal, they get fire damage resistance, Fire Bolt, Hellish Rebuke at level three, and Darkness at five, making them similar to the Tiefling of 5e. You choose which ability score you use for spellcasting when creating the character.

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