D&D General Two underlying truths: D&D heritage and inclusivity

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

So each lore book would have the races and their attribute/skills/innate abilities or a few of those things. Is that where the information would be? So the dark elves of one place may have different stat/skills/innate abilities from the dark elves of another place. I don't mind it. Sounds good. Would caste/wealth be in those descriptions as well?

Absolutely depends on setting. Dark Elves are described culturally in an Exandria/Wildemount book, and are described differently in a Forgotten Realms book, in my recommendation.

I do think if they made the PHB like this, it overlooks the exact nature of D&D (one could say one of it's core elements): pre-existing lore that has not been changed (example: the gods are around); a base of knowledge inside the PHB that has always been there (darkvision); and the fact that D&D really is, despite all its fantastical elements, a very specific setting. Not sure that would sell well. Why don't you try writing it up. I'll read it. Who knows, you may be on to something.

I doubt I have time to write a PHB, but if I get time, I could try doing the race section, which is practically the only thing I would change in the PHB besides some mechanics.

 

[Scott Christian]

I doubt I have time to write a PHB, but if I get time, I could try doing the race section, which is practically the only thing I would change in the PHB besides some mechanics.

Oh, my bad. I actually only meant a race section, or even a couple of races to see what it reads like. If you do, I'd gladly read it and let you know my feelings.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Oh, my bad. I actually only meant a race section, or even a couple of races to see what it reads like. If you do, I'd gladly read it and let you know my feelings.

This is what I was trying get at in my Orc thread, before it went the way of its forebears. What does a race write up (lore and mechanics) look like?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Oh, my bad. I actually only meant a race section, or even a couple of races to see what it reads like. If you do, I'd gladly read it and let you know my feelings.

This is what I was trying get at in my Orc thread, before it went the way of its forebears. What does a race write up (lore and mechanics) look like?

I've been busy lately, but I'll try to type something up. I don't think it should describe culture at all, unless it's blatantly clear that it is not the base, and only an example. It should describe the most common physical appearances, and maybe sleep patterns and other stuff dependent on this, but it should probably be smaller than the PHB's race description sections.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I've been busy lately, but I'll try to type something up. I don't think it should describe culture at all, unless it's blatantly clear that it is not the base, and only an example. It should describe the most common physical appearances, and maybe sleep patterns and other stuff dependent on this, but it should probably be smaller than the PHB's race description sections.

And if I remember, you wanted default culture in the DMG, correct? It has to be somewhere.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

And if I remember, you wanted default culture in the DMG, correct? It has to be somewhere.

It'd be less controversial then requiring 4 main books to play D&D (PHB, MM, DMG, + Setting Book). Also, the DMG could make room for the base of it.

This is what I'd recommend if they were to go this route. Not having it in the PHB, so it's clear that it is not a rule for all of D&D, and more of a suggestion dependent of the setting.

 

[Hussar]

Yeah, I'm confused. Do the people you're talking about not know what they want?

No. It’s more a case of endless speculation and hypothetical situations that have no grounding in actual issues. It’s “orcs are going to be changed so much that they aren’t orcs anymore” when the reality is that stripping out about three sentences solves the problem.

It’s the oh no they are changing X so what about Y and Z? When no one has brought up Y and Z and Y and Z do not contain the same problem.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

No. It’s more a case of endless speculation and hypothetical situations that have no grounding in actual issues. It’s “orcs are going to be changed so much that they aren’t orcs anymore” when the reality is that stripping out about three sentences solves the problem.

It’s the oh no they are changing X so what about Y and Z? When no one has brought up Y and Z and Y and Z do not contain the same problem.

I am personally just spitballing ideas and seeing which could work. The "take the descriptions of culture and people from the PHB" is merely a hypothetical, but one I'm particularly invested in at the moment.

 

[Hussar]

Sorry, but after 77 PAGES of "spitballing" ideas, it gets a bit tiresome. Is it really that hard to focus on actual issues that people really have?

 

[Bagpuss]

Sorry, but after 77 PAGES of "spitballing" ideas, it gets a bit tiresome. Is it really that hard to focus on actual issues that people really have?

Which three sentences are you removing to fix orcs then? (Forgive me if you have said exactly which they are in the last 77 pages, but I missed them).

I mean the SRD only has two sentences to describe them (other than the stat block) so it's not going to leave much.