D&D 5E A First Look at Tasha’s Lineage System In AL Player’s Guide - Customizing Your Origin In D&D

The new player’s guide for the D&D Adventurers League has been released. Appendix 1 includes the new info from Tasha’s Cauldron on customizing your origin. It‘s a one-page appendix.

The D&D Adventurers League now uses this variant system from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything since it allows for a greater degree of customization. For ease of reference, the relevant information is included as an appendix to this document and doesn’t count against the PH + 1 rule.

You can do any of the following (obviously the full document has more detail):

1. Move your race ability score increases wherever your want to. “...take any ability score increase you gain in your race or subrace and apply it to an ability score of your choice.”​

2. Replace each language from your race with any language from a set list.​

3. Swap each proficiency for another of the same type.​

4. Alter behaviour/personality race-based descriptions.​

Its not clear if that’s the whole Lineage system or just part of it. You can download the player’s guide here.

 

[EarthSeraphEdna]

I think we're all aware of that. That's literally what @ChaosOS was talking about.

The issue is that the virtually all races get +2/+1 under the new rules, and mountain dwarves get +2/+2. What Chaos is saying is that the second +2 compared to +1 isn't that big of a deal, as getting a 16 in your secondary stat was already feasible, so those extra points (assuming point buy) will simply cascade into tertiary/quaternary stats.

The tool proficiencies are certainly nice, but no different than what an elf would get under the new rules. What really sets apart Mountain Dwarves from other options is the medium armor proficiency.

No, as far as I understand them, ChaosOS was implying that a mountain dwarf wizard could already start with Intelligence modifier +3 using point-buy, when they actually could not.

The medium armor proficiency is the main draw. At no point did I say otherwise; I was under the impression that it was an obvious point.

 

[TwoSix]

You know, that's kind of what I was thinking as well. Instead of making players jump through hoops to switch abilities out why not just start with a blank slate and let them pick whatever they want? That seems far easier to me.

You could always make every class feature into feats, and just let players pick new feats each level. (I actually have a homebrew that does that.)

Most people I think don't want to do that, so there must be some value to a certain amount of specificity.

 

[Parmandur]

Point buy, scmoint buy, rolling for stats a Mountain Dwarf Wizard could already have an 18. Now they can have a 20. Big whoop.

 

[TwoSix]

No, as far as I understand them, ChaosOS was implying that a mountain dwarf wizard could already start with Intelligence modifier +3 using point-buy, when they actually could not.

The medium armor proficiency is the main draw. At no point did I say otherwise; I was under the impression that it was an obvious point.

No, ChaosOS was discussing the implication of Tasha rules, not the old rules. That was the point of saying a "D tier" race (old mountain dwarf) became a B+ (new mountain dwarf).

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

What this doesn't show is that Mountain Dwarf Wizard is actually bending the balance, let alone breaking it. You're moving a combination that was D tier to about a B+ - rather than breaking the game, this is a great example of the system working to improve the diversity of character options. Mountain Dwarf does look more like a premium choice for gishes, but just like every other edition the gish fantasy has been pretty underpowered so buffs aren't going to break anything.

Think about the half-elf, then, which was already unfair to almost any other build that also benefits from a high Charisma score. If mechanics are not supposed to inviabilize some character concepts, the solution is something more akin to all races being equal, not all classes getting the same benefit from picking half-elf as your race.

 

[jasper]

removed Someone else posted the proficiency Charted.
Edited to add general comments.
As Adventure League DM, this is a little sucky. I do think is pandering to the ones who griped about inclusivity and agree with @MikalC it dilutes what the fantasy race is.

The Proficiencies Swap (page 5 of player’s guide) I have no problem with at all.

To the mountain dwarf +2 to two abilities. I do hope they make it the standard of +2 +1.

I do wish the Adventure League allows a rebuild for non Season 10 characters. My Kobold Meepo the Meek would like to get his str up to 13. Or even 12 if they go with +2 +1, Currently he 5th level Str 11, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, wis 9, Cha 12. (Yes I do DM more than PLAY. I have under 20 PCS) I just check Beyond Kobold are +2 dex -2 str.

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… I, like the people you mention, and completely in support of fixed racial ASIs because they are different fantasy species, not different ethnicities (?) of humans. Orcs stronger than elves? Sure. Dwarves hardier than gnomes? Yep. And so on…..You go @dnd4vr

@dave2008 You lucky so and so I ran into many a min-maxer during my 40 years. One a the table is not much of problem. Once you go pass that number, balancing monsters vs the group becomes a minor headache.

@Retreater Okay you can be the ONE MIN-MAXER at my table. But you have to defend your position if another shows up. (Wife says to dig up the side garden, loser gets buried. Both players have to dig up side garden before combat, and buy the rose bushes to be placed on top. I say we split the loser’s stuff 60 40. )
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If I were to homebrew, Tasha will not be allowed. I may allow the Proficiency Swap because I did something similar in AD&D.

 

[EarthSeraphEdna]

No, ChaosOS was discussing the implication of Tasha rules, not the old rules. That was the point of saying a "D tier" race (old mountain dwarf) became a B+ (new mountain dwarf).

I am not sure that is quite the takeaway from it.

It is good for mountain dwarf wizards to have +2 Constitution and +2 Intelligence, yes, not to mention the extra four tool proficiencies, but what completes the package is the medium armor.

There are definitely other standout combinations possible, involving flying races or magic resistance, but the mountain dwarf is the one that sticks out to me. I will back down from discussing this here.

 

[MGibster]

This really reminds me of the Web-Comic Goblins where we learn that Minmax the Fighter has traded in his ability to rhyme on purpose for Improved Unarmed Strike.

 

[TwoSix]

I am not sure that is quite the takeaway from it.

It is good for mountain dwarf wizards to have +2 Constitution and +2 Intelligence, yes, not to mention the extra four tool proficiencies, but what completes the package is the medium armor.

No disagreement there. Personally I think Mountain Dwarf is A tier, not B+ tier, but reasonable people can disagree on exact positioning.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Think about the half-elf, then, which was already unfair to almost any other build that also benefits from a high Charisma score.

Yeah, half-elves are (over all) the most powerful race IMO. Their +2 and double +1's are good, but the dwarf is the only one with two +2's, which is more powerful I think.