More Underdark UA Options: Subclasses and Species

 I'll confess here that I'm not super into the Underdark as a setting. I get that it's an unusual and original aspect of D&D's lore. It's also funny because it's one of these things that is maybe more specific to the Forgotten Realms setting, but there's so much in the game's rules and assumptions that it feels like you're sort of obligated to have an Underdark or equivalent in your own homebrew world.

My homebrew setting is a planet that houses, or at least housed, a consciousness that was something blurring the lines between an ancient deity and a Great Old One, though with something of a neutral alignment leaning toward benevolence. That entity was shattered by contact with the Far Realm, but before it was, aberrant corruption running through the original surface of the world caused it to create a whole second surface to grow over the original, which is what is known as the world's surface today. The old, original surface of the planet now exists as a vast subterranean realm that is utterly chock-a-block with Mind Flayers, Aboleths, and other ancient aberrations, but with areas at least that were clearly once exposed to the open air and sky.

Anyway, the Underdark is a storied part of D&D, so it makes sense that WotC seems to be hinting toward some kind of Underdark sourcebook, with several subclasses and now, evidently, a lot of new species - most of which will look familiar from the Monster Manual.

The options presented are:

The Freedom Domain Cleric, a revised Circle of Spores Druid (which was originally released as the Golgari Swarm-themed Druid in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, a guild that does live in Ravnica's Undercity, which is sort of its Underdark but also its "Swamps" in MtG terms,) and the Faerzress Sorcerer (a term I first learned during the Acquisitions Incorporated game that came out I think when Out of the Abyss was either coming out or had just come out).

We'll also get a look at the Deep Imaskari, a species of mutated humans who have lived underground for generations, and also the Illithidkin, who are humanoid/illithid hybrids (basically as close as you can get to playing a Mind Flayer without taking that whole feat path,) and then the familiar Drider, Kuo-Toa, and Myconids.

Lots to cover, so we'll see how quickly I can get the various posts out!