D&D 5E Jeremy Crawford Discusses Details on Custom Origins

[doctorbadwolf]

Who plays the non Vhumans? Very rare.

It’s the most common race choice.

 

[Maxperson]

Yea, I think that would have been the sweet spot. Or maybe a fixed +1 floating +2.

This is roughly the approach PF2 takes, which I think strikes the best balance between supporting player’s visions and supporting classic tropes.

I don't see a problem with 5e giving 2 +2s. That won't unbalance things and would make both the racial bonus and the floating bonus equally meaningful.

 

[Maxperson]

It’s the most common race choice.

I have yet to see a normal human played.

 

[GreenTengu]

It’s the most common race choice.

I would assume that the variant human gets played so often that they came to think the variant human was the default human and the default human is the variant human.

 

[Scott Christian]

Wooooow. That’s some impressive mental gymnastics.

The ddb data is backed up by wotc statements about their data, but hey, you’re obviously going to believe what you want regardless.

I am sad that you believe this about me. But, it is something I doubt I can change. But I will try...

To start, I know you understand data. And you understand that in order to effectively analyze it, you need it broken into sections.

No clothes company says: "We had great weekly sales," and ends it there. No, they ask what. To understand the what they say: "What category sold best?" And that is the first two minutes of the meeting. The other 58 minutes are spent analyzing the why. "What color sold best? What was the weather like? What brands did well? What brands didn't do well? Did a sale effect the amount of purchases? Who purchased the goods? What was their average basket purchase?" And so on and so on.

I know you understand this. No mental gymnastics here. Just an understanding, that I know you have, that in order to use data, one must have the full picture. And we do not have the full picture.

 

[Helldritch]

It’s the most common race choice.

Non Vhumans? The most common? Well... I saw one or two in the beginning of 5ed. Now, with contacts with over 30+ DMs and their groups, I can tell you that no one play a Non VHuman. Everyone start with a feat. It has been what? 4, 5 years that I have not seen a single non variant human? The standard one might well not exist. For all intent and purpose, in my area, Vhuman is the default.

 

[Helldritch]

Well, here's the thing: its a one shot module for Halloween on Roll20 with 5th level PCs. Probably not leveling during the game, and we start with one uncommon magic item of our choice (plus gold to buy consumables). So yes, I could use my free item and 4th level ASI to make up the ground, but that wasn't exactly my point.

The point is you'd think shadow sorcerer would be pretty iconic for Shadar-kai, after all elves are magical and Shadar-kai are very magical with Shadowfell magic, but nope. The ability score mods don't reinforce that and instead assume the shadar-kai are best as rogues and maybe monks. Maybe it's the bad mix of scores on that race, but it makes an obvious choice into a "against type" choice.

Maybe if more races were designed like half-elf or warforged (a set+2 and floating +1) as a compromise might have worked, but we've swung from one extreme to the other.

That is debatable. The history of the Shadar Kai is rooted in the fact that to survive in the shadow fell they had to go extremes to feel something. Like body piercing, extreme sports/activities and the likes. They are a very fit race that need endurance (thus the constitution bonus) and needed to be agile to better hide from the creatures of the shadow fell (the dexterity bonus). Dex and constitution bonus together is a powerful combo. IT does help all characters even strength based ones. I will admit that though I respect the logic behind the design team's choice; I would have given the Shadar Kai a +2 in Con and +1 in Cha or Wis as I feel that you need a strong sense of self in the Shadow fell. My two cents...

 

[jmartkdr2]

That is debatable. The history of the Shadar Kai is rooted in the fact that to survive in the shadow fell they had to go extremes to feel something. Like body piercing, extreme sports/activities and the likes. They are a very fit race that need endurance (thus the constitution bonus) and needed to be agile to better hide from the creatures of the shadow fell (the dexterity bonus). Dex and constitution bonus together is a powerful combo. IT does help all characters even strength based ones. I will admit that though I respect the logic behind the design team's choice; I would have given the Shadar Kai a +2 in Con and +1 in Cha or Wis as I feel that you need a strong sense of self in the Shadow fell. My two cents...

The problem here is: I could argue for any ability score as being 'important to surviving in the Shadowfell' - so any particular array that is chosen is going to be debated.

The solution, of course, is to find more evocative features to really tell the story "beyond +2 Con."

 

[Remathilis]

That is debatable. The history of the Shadar Kai is rooted in the fact that to survive in the shadow fell they had to go extremes to feel something. Like body piercing, extreme sports/activities and the likes. They are a very fit race that need endurance (thus the constitution bonus) and needed to be agile to better hide from the creatures of the shadow fell (the dexterity bonus). Dex and constitution bonus together is a powerful combo. IT does help all characters even strength based ones. I will admit that though I respect the logic behind the design team's choice; I would have given the Shadar Kai a +2 in Con and +1 in Cha or Wis as I feel that you need a strong sense of self in the Shadow fell. My two cents...

Incidentally, I looked up the 4e stats: +2 Dex, +2 Int or Wis. Maybe that's where I remembered them being good casters from...

 

[Helldritch]

The problem here is: I could argue for any ability score as being 'important to surviving in the Shadowfell' - so any particular array that is chosen is going to be debated.

The solution, of course, is to find more evocative features to really tell the story "beyond +2 Con."

And yet, I did state that I understood the designer's choice and even agreed with it. I would have done a bit different, but the Con bonus would still be there. As a resilient race, the Con bonus is perfectly logical. Even Dex is quite logical. That has been the way in D&D from the beginning.
And they are elves afterall... so the design fits...