Level Up (A5E) Do Player Characters Have Average Population Stat Distributions?

[Phoebasss]

And I have to say this again: ASIs in cultures is a terrible idea. Many fictional cultures resemble or are just direct copy-pastes of real world cultures, assigning mechanical bonuses to such is a recipe for disaster.

I can buy that you prefer them to be racial, but in what way is cultural ASIs a "disaster"?

 

[Micah Sweet]

And I have to say this again: ASIs in cultures is a terrible idea. Many fictional cultures resemble or are just direct copy-pastes of real world cultures, assigning mechanical bonuses to such is a recipe for disaster.

See. I understand where you're coming from, but I got this idea from the book Ancestry & Culture on DMsGuild, which now has multiple supplements and is very popular, I suspect as a pushback against the status quo. Do you think all those people are wrong to imagine this fixes the problem for them?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I can buy that you prefer them to be racial, but in what way is cultural ASIs a "disaster"?

So what ASIs you think the Germans should have? How about the Chinese? Kenyans? See the problem yet?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

See. I understand where you're coming from, but I got this idea from the book Ancestry & Culture on DMsGuild, which now has multiple supplements and is very popular, I suspect as a pushback against the status quo. Do you think all those people are wrong to imagine this fixes the problem for them?

In this book they're just 'elf culture,' 'dwarf culture' and so forth. Once you try to apply that to human cultures of an existing setting it gets really problematic super quick. For example, I really wouldn't want to be the one who has to decide what ASIs the Shou-Lungians or Chultans in the Forgotten Realms get...

 

[Phoebasss]

So what ASIs you think the Germans should have? How about the Chinese? Kenyans? See the problem yet?

I can do the same thing with orcs and goblins you know. There isn't a clean history that breaks from the real world for races either. If we're gonna get into the politics of ASIs, then floating them or putting them in background really is the only answer.

Trust me, you really don't want to talk ASI politics on the side of gnomish intellectual supremacy.

 

[Micah Sweet]

In this book they're just 'elf culture,' 'dwarf culture' and so forth. Once you try to apply that to human cultures of an existing setting it gets really problematic super quick. For example, I really wouldn't want to be the one who has to decide what ASIs the Shou-Lungians or Chultans in the Forgotten Realms get...

Then (as I've said before), don't put in specific human cultures. One of the supplement books adds geographic and planar cultures, if you don't like the generic human "culture" presented.

 

[DND_Reborn]

floating them or putting them in background really is the only answer.

Or just get rid of them?

talk ASI politics on the side of gnomish intellectual supremacy.

Being part-gnome I can attest to the truth of this. (j/k)

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I can do the same thing with orcs and goblins you know. There isn't a clean history that breaks from the real world for races either. If we're gonna get into the politics of ASIs, then floating them or putting them in background really is the only answer.

Trust me, you really don't want to talk ASI politics on the side of gnomish intellectual supremacy.

They are fantasy creatures. Sure, if they are portrayed as resembling racist caricatures like the orcs occasionally have, that is still a problem. But that is about the presentation not whether the have different capabilities. No one thinks that wookiees being stronger than ewoks is racist, they're literally different (made up) species with drastic physical difference. Human cultures are not.

 

[Phoebasss]

Or just get rid of them?

Lots of people have suggested the 32 point point buy, which I'm fine with also.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Then (as I've said before), don't put in specific human cultures. One of the supplement books adds geographic and planar cultures, if you don't like the generic human "culture" presented.

That won't work. It's impossible to create a human culture that knowingly or unknowingly doesn't reflect aspects of some real-world culture.

And giving them ASIs is where you're going to get into trouble.

Look, if people have issues with completely fantastical and made up beings that aren't humans being different than humans .... how do you think it will go when we start subdividing humanity based on "culture?"