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.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I have a problem with your attitude that it doesn't matter, though. It is a discrepancy. I know some don't care, but some do.

Which is why all tables should the game slightly differently, with varying assumptions, playstyles, and house rules.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Are there any notably weaker classes in 5e? (I assume there are for archetypes).

Sorcerers and Rangers (but this discussion is neither here nor there).

In any case, at tables where sub-optimizing is viewed as a disservice to the rest of the party, is it viewed as badly to pick a tier 4 character class as it is to not optimally put abilities in the right place?

At tier 4, if you're not fulfilling your role, you really messed up with your character. At that level, it's typically not that big of a deal.

 

[DND_Reborn]

To chime in on the small race / STR/ size issue:

• A small race should be able to have a STR 20 for purposes of attacks, damage, skills, and saves... basically any place a die is or would be rolled because WotC defines a large part of STR (IMO) as application of power as well as degree of power.
• The small race should not be equal to a medium race for purposes of encumbrance, etc. unless you have a justifiable reason for your game why that would happen. If your rock gnomes have muscles which are genetically difference in composition from other races, sure--don't give them a penalty. I know the designers left this stuff out because of the idea that small-sized plate armor would not weigh the same as medium-sized plate armor, etc., but it isn't that hard to adjust (if you want to).
• Likewise, grappling a creature of a difference size should be harder in both directions. Trying to catch a young child running around is not easy, nor would it be easy for that child to try to wrestle an adult to the ground. Neither feat is impossible, of course, just harder. So, we ignore the "up to one size category larger" (or whatever it is) when it comes to grappling etc.

That's it I guess. Cheers.

 

[Azzy]

But if we were to take the min max argument to it's logical conclusion: Isn't every point buy system pandering to min maxers? I use point buy for attribute generation in D&D and some of my favorite games, Savage Worlds and Gumshoe, are point buy as well. What you see as pandering to mix maxers is what others see as the ability to customize their characters how they wish.

Moreover point buy has pretty much become the norm for TTRPGs. Unless a game has an early vintage or is trying to emulate early vintage games, it probably uses a point buy system. So, what some see as "pandering" to "minmaxers" is just accepting the reality that most modern games allow for a higher degree of character customization than D&D and that modern players are accustomed to that. The fact that these rules are optional allows them to pander to stodgy traditionalists () as well as cater () to modern gamers.

 

[Oofta]

Moreover point buy has pretty much become the norm for TTRPGs. Unless a game has an early vintage or is trying to emulate early vintage games, it probably uses a point buy system. So, what some see as "pandering" to "minmaxers" is just accepting the reality that most modern games allow for a higher degree of character customization than D&D and that modern players are accustomed to that. The fact that these rules are optional allows them to pander to stodgy traditionalists () as well as cater () to modern gamers.

As a vintage player, I would just say that I always thought rolling for ability scores was dumb. If I rolled and got bad numbers, that PC just decided to stay home and work on the farm.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

As a vintage player, I would just say that I always thought rolling for ability scores was dumb. If I rolled and got bad numbers, that PC just decided to stay home and work on the farm.

Ah, death by farming. I've heard of that.

On a more serious note, that's why I only use point buy and standard array. I don't think any part of character generation should be random. Why shouldn't the players be able to pick the character they want to be?

 

[Oofta]

To chime in on the small race / STR/ size issue:

• A small race should be able to have a STR 20 for purposes of attacks, damage, skills, and saves... basically any place a die is or would be rolled because WotC defines a large part of STR (IMO) as application of power as well as degree of power.
• The small race should not be equal to a medium race for purposes of encumbrance, etc. unless you have a justifiable reason for your game why that would happen. If your rock gnomes have muscles which are genetically difference in composition from other races, sure--don't give them a penalty. I know the designers left this stuff out because of the idea that small-sized plate armor would not weigh the same as medium-sized plate armor, etc., but it isn't that hard to adjust (if you want to).
• Likewise, grappling a creature of a difference size should be harder in both directions. Trying to catch a young child running around is not easy, nor would it be easy for that child to try to wrestle an adult to the ground. Neither feat is impossible, of course, just harder. So, we ignore the "up to one size category larger" (or whatever it is) when it comes to grappling etc.

That's it I guess. Cheers.

Well, carrying capacity and grappling are adjusted based on size in 5E. Not that grappling rules are comprehensive but you can't grapple anything more than 1 size larger.

Also don't discount magical strength. I mean, who knows what's in those keebler cookies that gnomes* are always cooking up.

*Those are definitely not elves in the old keebler commercials.

 

[billd91]

I don't think any part of character generation should be random. Why shouldn't the players be able to pick the character they want to be?

Because sometimes discovering that character by rolling them up is more fun.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Because sometimes discovering that character by rolling them up is more fun.

Which is all well and good until you get frustrated that you're not playing your character as you envisioned playing it.

 

[Cadence]

Well, carrying capacity and grappling are adjusted based on size in 5E.

Carrying capacity isn't adjusted for small size though (tiny and below, large and above).