D&D's Newest Unearthed Arcana Expands Underdark Options More With New Subclasses & Species

After players were already excited for the release of Arcana Unleashed, Dungeons and Dragons suddenly announced a second batch of Unearthed Arcana (UA) playtesting. This document is a sequel to the Underdark UA shared recently, giving players more options themed around that subterranean setting of the iconic TTRPG. With three new subclass archetypes to try, players can also look forward to other background options that haven’t been available in D&D‘s latest version.

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The first round of Underdark UA focused heavily on creating subclasses tied to the strange magics and societies of the underground realm, as well as the creatures within it. Players were given a new Feat path to become a Mind Flayer as well, albeit through abilities they would have to take as their character levels up. The Unlight spells and body horror of that UA has been somewhat put aside this time for the more natural occurring phenomena of the Underdark, especially the species that live within it.

Second Volume Of Underdark UA Adds Three Subclass Options For Players To Choose From

The introduction of three new subclasses is probably the most exciting part of this second Underdark UA, with one archetype returning from older versions of D&D‘s 5th Edition. Each of the new subclasses are tied to magic, meant to work for players of any power level. Although not official yet, the creation of multiple Underdark playtest documents means that D&D‘s designers likely have a plan for the setting to come back in some way. Shown below are the subclasses that could be integrated into D&D‘s new 5.5e rules sometime in the next year or two:

Freedom Domain Cleric
Circle of Spores Druid
Faerzress Sorcerer

The Freedom Domain is a subclass for the Cleric devoted to increasing a character’s mobility, meant to reflect a philosophy of breaking from restrictions. These Clerics are free spirits, using magic of liberation and movement to help prisoners break free of cages, leading revolutions under causes some gods might preach. The magic in this subclass has spells like Misty Step, Fly, and Freedom of Movement, making sure your Cleric never feels contained to any one path. As you level up, you can end harmful conditions, gain unarmored defenses, and even bypass Difficult Terrain and pass your movement bonuses to allies.

Meanwhile, the Circle of Spores Druid returns as a subclass similar to the D&D Necromancer Wizard, using fungi to transform life material as part of a greater cycle. Decomposition through spells like Contagion combines with Animate Dead to control Undead minions, giving the Spores Druid room to control all aspects of life’s journey. Compared to their 5e version, the subclass now gains telepathy with the spores they create, while they harm enemies at the same time. Spores Druids can still create 1 HP zombies too, manipulating them for strange allies to aid their party.

The final subclass is the Faerzress Sorcerer, an archetype born from mutation native to the Underdark. Sorcerers of this type have been granted magic through faerzress, the strange radiation the demon goddess Lolth used to shape the Underdark in the first place. Faerzress protects the Sorcerer from Divination effects too, making them mysterious masters of mystical clairvoyance rather than someone casting Fireball over and over. The abilities of the subclass all involve manipulating and creating faerzress in battle, using its effects to shut down enemy abilities and bolster your own.

Five Different Species Paths Expand Character Origins To Let Players Become Monstrous

While the subclasses are the biggest highlight of the UA, as they often are, players can actually try five new Species options for new characters through the playtesting too. There have not been many UA with new Species before, making this an impactful expansion to the game following its big 5.5e rule changes back in 2024. More importantly, this is one of the first pieces of new D&D content that fully gives players the choice to become a more monstrous species, similar to the supplemental books from the past that gave characters stats for Goblins, Kobolds, and more.

There is a lot of range to the options provided in the UA, from Monstrosity species origins to more traditional Humanoids like the Tieflings, Elves, and Dwarves traditional to the TTRPG. Like all Species, choosing one gives you special abilities tied to it, rather than Ability Score improvements that once were attached to the racial background of your character. The Underdark 2 UA lists these Species as ones players can try:

Illithidkin – Humanoid byproducts of Mind Flayer experimentation, with purple skin and tentacles to match. Have Darkvision and limited Psionic abilities such as the Mage Hand and Command spells, as well as resistance to Psychic damage. Also have short-range Telepathy and advantage on saving throws for the Charmed condition.
Kuo-Toa – Sea creature Humanoids that resemble fishlike forms, who can create deities through the sheer power of their bizarre worship. Can swim and breathe underwater, and use Find Familiar to manifest special allies resembling their divine idol.
Drider – Eight-legged Monstrosity creatures bearing the Spider Queen’s curse. Spider-like hunters capable of climbing various surfaces and using magic like Web and Faerie Fire at will. They also ignore movement restrictions from similar Web magic.
Myconid – Plant creatures that resemble bipedal fungi, live in close-knit circles and hidden societies with short lifespans. Have Darkvision, Telepathy, and the ability to expel spores to grant telepathy to others. Can also use a melding ritual to shed their skin and share skill proficiencies between willing targets.
Deep Imaskari – Remanants of old human empires, wielders of the mysterious Unlight magic that acts as a synthetic sun. Have resistance to Radiant damage, resourceful sources of Inspiration, and can glow with Unlight to brighten up spaces and harm enemies.

Each Species is worth exploring in some way, as they are a far cry from what has been in the latest expansions for the game. In fact, this marks the first time some Species in the TTRPG have ever been playable, at least in 5e, with the Drider, Myconid, and Kuo-Tua offering exciting opportunities to play unconventional characters. With new lore through the Deep Imaskari too, Dungeons and Dragons is clearly testing the waters for an Underdark focused Season in its roadmap, with this continued UA series only developing those ideas further through player feedback.