Wizards of the Coast has released new Unearthed Arcana for Dungeons and Dragons called Wonders of the Multiverse. This playtests material for the world's most popular roleplaying game not just allows players to give feedback to the developers, but provides hints at what official material may be in production. This happened before with Heroes of Krynn just before the studio announced a return to Dragonlance, As for this new playtest material, it might mean the return of Planescape.
What Is In Wonders of the Multiverse?
According to an official post on the Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana page, Wonders of the Multiverse aims to explore character options that draw inspiration from other areas of the D&D multiverse. The most notable of this material includes the following:
- Glitchling Player Race: These are living constructs known for having metallic skin and wings. They are creatures from Mechanus, the plane of law, and as such are known for having curious academic personalities.
- Cleric Fate Domain: This is a new Cleric subclass that is about understanding the forces of fate itself. The features include getting prophecies of the disaster and helping your allies with advance knowledge.
- Four New Player Backgrounds: Giant Foundling has your character raised by giants. Rune Carver is a profession where you learned the secrets of rune carving. Planar Philosopher is someone curious about the fundamental nature of the multiverse and seeks to broaden their horizons. Finally, Gate Warden is someone who has routinely experienced worlds, creatures, and phenomena across different planes.
Finally, Wonders of the Multiverse includes 21 Feats that complement these new player options. Cartomancer allows magic users to use a deck of playing cards to cast their spells, including a few original ones tied to the feat. Scion of the Outer Planes provide your choice of damage resistance and bonus cantrip based on the outer plane. Vigor of the Hill Giant grants a Constitution bonus and the ability to spend a reaction to stop from being moved or knocked prone.
How Does Wonders of the Multiverse Hint at Planescape?
Elements of Planescape pop up throughout Wonders of the Multiverse. The Planar Wanderer Feat states, "your experience with portals allows you to operate them without the proper portal key." This is referencing older editions of D&D where traveling to different planes required the knowledge and application of keys. Furthermore, the Outlands Envoy Feat explicitly mentions Sigil: The City of Doors. Sigil is an iconic location in D&D lore since all beings that travel through portals to different worlds pass through it as a sort of multiversal hub.
This is important because portals to other planes and Sigil are integral to the setting of Planescape. Originally created in 1994 by Zeb Cook, Planescape allowed players to travel to different planes of existence including Sigil and Mechanus. It was integral in forming the greater cosmology of Dungeons and Dragons most players are familiar with today. Furthermore, it was the setting for the critically acclaimed cRPG Planescape: Torment developed by Black Isle Studios in 1999.
Taking into account the recent release of Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel and the new 5e edition of Spelljammer coming this August, it seems that Wizards of the Coast are slowly introducing players to Dungeons and Dragons' more cosmic, multiplanar elements. While not everything introduced in Unearthed Arcana actually gets an official publication such as the Mystic character class, introducing players to the wonders of Sigil after taking them to new worlds and the majesty of Wildspace isn't completely out of the question.
