Dungeons & Dragons Is Testing Out Playable Rabbitfolk, Owlfolk, and Fairies

Dungeons & Dragons is testing out four new playable race options, all of which are tied to the Feywild. Earlier today, Dungeons & Dragons released a new Unearthed Arcana playtest containing four new race options - Fairies, Hobgoblin of the Feywild, Rabbitfolk, and Owlfolk. All four races use the new design options from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and do not feature any built-in Ability Score Increases. Two of the races - the rabbitfolk and owlfolk - appear to be brand new to Dungeons & Dragons lore. Meanwhile, the Hobgoblin variant offers a whole different slew of abilities that are separated from how hobgoblins are typically depicted.

The fairy is the only Fey race represented in the Unearthed Arcana. The Fairy has a natural flying speed and the ability to hover, and they also have the ability to innately cast druidcraft and fairie fire without using a spell slot (although fairie fire can only be cast once per long rest without using a spell slot.) Additionally, fairies can squeeze through spaces as narrow as one inch wide.

The Hobgoblins of the Feywild are built around the Feywild rule of reciprocity and gift giving. These hobgoblins have the ability to take the Help action as a bonus action several times a day, and can grant additional benefits starting at 3rd Level. For example, a hobgoblin can use their Help bonus action to imbue a target with temporary hit points, or increase their speed by 10 feet. They can also draw upon the Fortune of the Many by adding a bonus equal to the number of nearby allies to turn a failed attack roll or ability check into a success.

Owlfolk are bird people with humanoid arms and legs in addition to a pair of wings. They have the ability to fly, are proficient in Stealth (as owls are naturally silent hunters) and have the ability to innately detect magic as a ritual using their magic sight.

Meanwhile, rabbitfolk are bipedal creatures with powerful legs and good luck. They can add their proficiency bonus to their initiative rolls, are proficient in perception, and can use their reaction to add a d4 to a failed Dexterity saving throw to turn it into a success. They also have the ability to move up to 12 feet extra on a turn using their rabbit hop ability.

The testing of these new races suggest that Dungeons & Dragons will soon venture into the Feywild, an area barely explored in Fifth Edition. The game's next publication, Candlekeep Mysteries, adds a much-needed statblock for archfey, providing DMs with a crucial component for any Feywild campaign.

You can check out the full rules here.