D&D 5E MTOF: Elves are gender-swapping reincarnates and I am on board with it

[Riley37]

Regarding 5e, the problem is the saturation of unwanted setting assumptions in every aspect of the core rules.

Well, now THERE we agree. GURPs, the Hero System, and Chaosium pioneered the separation of "here are the mechanics" and "here is the setting" back in the 1980s. D&D *still* hasn't joined that revolution. PHB provides classes, races and spells suitable for play in the Forgotten Realms, and easily adjusted for Greyhawk. Not so easily adjusted for Middle Earth where "wizard" means something very different (and arguably not suited for PCs), and "cleric" should connect with Valar and/or Maiar rather than with Pelor or Lavanthar.

 

[Yaarel]

3E elves: +2 Dex, -2 Con, resistance to sleep and charm, low-light vision, weapon proficiencies, bonus to Listen/Search/Spot.
5E elves: +2 Dex, resistance to sleep and charm, darkvision, bonus to Perception. (High elf: +1 Int, weapon proficiencies, cantrip, extra language. Wood elf: +1 Wis, weapon proficiencies, extra speed, easy Stealth.)

Not really seeing the problem here.

By this point, I hope you realize I was never talking about the 3e high elf. I am talking about support for certain other elf subraces.

 

[Yaarel]

What setting lore?

The PHB is about as setting clean as the dictionary.

Unwanted setting lore − lets start with gods.

 

[Riley37]

What setting lore?

The PHB is about as setting clean as the dictionary.

My dictionary does not specify the difference between sorcerors, warlocks and wizards nearly sharply, nor in as your dictionary apparently does. HERO system does not explain magic in terms of the Weave. If you run a Fantasy Hero campaign, you first decide "how does magic work?", and then you choose content (custom or published) which implements that particular conception of magic.

My dictionary also doesn't specify whether dragonborn have the same color schema as actual dragons, and matching breath weapons, as in 5E, or not, as in 4E.

 

[Riley37]

3E elves: +2 Dex, -2 Con, resistance to sleep and charm, low-light vision, weapon proficiencies, bonus to Listen/Search/Spot.
5E elves: +2 Dex, resistance to sleep and charm, darkvision, bonus to Perception. (High elf: +1 Int, weapon proficiencies, cantrip, extra language. Wood elf: +1 Wis, weapon proficiencies, extra speed, easy Stealth.)

Not really seeing the problem here.

I see your erasure of Drow as problematic. 5E PHB lists three subraces, you list two, why the difference?

 

[TheCosmicKid]

By this point, I hope you realize I was never talking about the 3e high elf. I am talking about support for certain other elf subraces.

Well, I thought you were, but then you mentioned the SRD.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I see your erasure of Drow as problematic. 5E PHB lists three subraces, you list two, why the difference?

Drow don't map to the standard 3e elf.

 

[Sunseeker]

Unwanted setting lore − lets start with gods.

Oh right, you're the guy who has all the ridiculous issues with gods.

I'm not going to repeat my arguments on those again.

My dictionary does not specify the difference between sorcerors, warlocks and wizards nearly sharply, nor in as your dictionary apparently does. HERO system does not explain magic in terms of the Weave. If you run a Fantasy Hero campaign, you first decide "how does magic work?", and then you choose content (custom or published) which implements that particular conception of magic.

My dictionary also doesn't specify whether dragonborn have the same color schema as actual dragons, and matching breath weapons, as in 5E, or not, as in 4E.

Okay, to the first point: this isn't a change in how magic works. This is how D&D has always had magic work. Removing it from 5E is therefore no easier or harder than it was in any other edition (4E excepted since all the mechanical bits worked differently there).

To your second point: how terribly difficult is this objection?
"Hey guys, just so you all know, in my setting your can be whatever color dragonborn you want, and shoot whatever type of breath weapon you want."
OMG, it's like someone just tried to rip my ear off that was soooooo difficult.

I don't, frankly, care how entirely different TTRPGS do things and they are, again, frankly, irrelevant to the question. Contextually, only D&D matters (and maybe Pathfinder) in this conversation.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Unwanted setting lore − lets start with gods.

Only present in the cleric class, which was also in 3e and which you stated expressly you had no trouble dropping.

 

[Parmandur]

Only present in the cleric class, which was also in 3e and which you stated expressly you had no trouble dropping.

5E Clerics are much more easily separated from gods, really.