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.

 

[Argyle King]

I'm not sure I'm on board with this way of approaching things.

It's cool to offer more character flexibility, but I'm not sold that this is the best way to offer that in the context of how D&D works.

 

[Maxperson]

I think perhaps I didn't fully understand what you meant. I consider those racial abilities right up there with the "Races were literally just a couple of numbers to you?" comment. Yeah, in my experience elves with resistance to charm or dark vision are not really played in a fundamentally different manner from human characters. So for the most part I think it's really just about a couple of numbers for most players. Perhaps in their mind it makes a difference but it doesn't come across in game play.

Most racial abilities don't really stand out. Darkvision is everywhere, proficiency with skills or weapons is commonplace with every PC. Advantage is simple to get from so many sources that it isn't even funny. Elves are basically just Trance. Wood Elves add their hide ability. Little else really distinguishes them.

That's why I like what @Morrus is doing with his new project. Those abilities actually are setting the races apart. As the official game stands, though, the racial stat bonuses are as big or bigger than most racial abilities as far as meaning goes.

 

[Azzy]

Well, no one plays basic human, anyway. I have only ever seen variant and dragonmarked humans be played.

I've played a basic human PC. It was also a ranger.

Your head can now proceed to explode.

 

[Azzy]

I'm all for more customization but this removes race as a choice. It's a la carte ability score bonuses.

Huh. I missed that races only had ASIs. Maybe I've been playing D&D wrong all these years.

 

[MGibster]

I've played a basic human PC. It was also a ranger.

Your head can now proceed to explode.

I can't remember the last time I played a non-human in D&D myself. In fact, in all my years of playing I don't think I've ever had a dwarf or half-orc character even.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I've played a basic human PC. It was also a ranger.

Your head can now proceed to explode.

 

[SkidAce]

Which is an extremely hurtful thing to say. I only eat Doritos.

It also depends on whether the Cheetos are the puffy ones or the crunchy ones!!!

 

[SkidAce]

So in other words, it seems to be litle more than character customization options that any decent, flexilke Dungeon Master would already allow? I mean, our gaming group has allowed minor racial alteration options like this if a player asked the DM for as long as I can remember.

Quoted for Truth.

 

[Azzy]

I think you are fortunate to not play with min maxers. There are tons of "class guides" out there and the reason there are is that they are popular.

Heh. I once looked at one of these optimization guides, read it partially and then rolled my eyes. I don't think that they are as popular as you believe.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

What I enjoy most is the ability to create a character who speaks only Infernal and Celestial and cannot communicate with the rest the of party. That's pretty cool.

Ah yes, played by the amateur thespian in the gaming group who thinks being unable to communicate properly with the rest of the cohort of fellow adventurers they are relying on in actual life-or-death situations will lead to all sorts of humorous misunderstandings and hijinks. About as cool as the CN kleptomaniac rogue with a penchant for stealing other characters' stuff, or any character with a backstory involving "trust issues". Lord save us from such character concepts.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar