D&D 5E Everyone Should Play Custom Lineage by Default

[Azzy]

No, they would not. If you do not select halfling or human as your race, you are not halfling or human--you are "something else". Biology defines you, not your preferences and such. Under Race (or whatever you label it on your character sheet) you should list "Custom", not "Custom Human" nor "Custom Halfling".

Why, specifically, are you making this assumption? The rules for custom lineages says "You determine your appearance and whether you resemble any of your kin". Under race, the player can list anything they want (subject to DM approval, as always) as long as it's humanoid. That's kind of the point of these rules.

 

[loverdrive]

Biology defines you

Meanwhile, in the real world, dude that is as much black as he is white is called "the first black USA president".

Bruh, come on. Nobody, except biologist, cares about biology – you probably don't ask every person for their genome decryption, do you?

 

[Azzy]

The major obstacle to this is that they are not default rules, so they can't use them by default. The custom lineage rule is specifically optional and may not be usable at all or in limited circumstances.

That argument does not follow. The OP is suggesting that DMs should use (or encourage) the custom lineage rule as a default (not something I agree with, but that's not relevant). The fact that the rules are optional doesn't prevent a DM or gaming group as using them as the default assumption for their games.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Why, specifically, are you making this assumption? The rules for custom lineages says "You determine your appearance and whether you resemble any of your kin". Under race, the player can list anything they want (subject to DM approval, as always) as long as it's humanoid. That's kind of the point of these rules.

Because that is the way I see it? If you elect to use Custom Lineage (which I would never allow, but also not relevant) you are choosing not to be an established race and gain all the benefits that come with that race--including racial feats. So, on the character sheet, list "Custom" to denote you are not something else that is an established race and don't have the traits associated with it. Ex. An half-orc gets Relentless Endurance, a "custom" half-orc clone-thing wouldn't.

You do what you want, since I won't allow it its a non-issue for me anyway.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Meanwhile, in the real world, dude that is as much black as he is white is called "the first black USA president".

What does that even mean?

Bruh, come on. Nobody, except biologist, cares about biology – you probably don't ask every person for their genome decryption, do you?

If I am a DM, and need to know (because their traits are established) what PCs can do given their chosen race, yeah, I do ask.

IRL, I couldn't care less.

 

[Azzy]

Because that is the way I see it? If you elect to use Custom Lineage (which I would never allow, but also not relevant) you are choosing not to be an established race and gain all the benefits that come with that race--including racial feats. So, on the character sheet, list "Custom" to denote you are not something else that is an established race and don't have the traits associated with it. Ex. An half-orc gets Relentless Endurance, a "custom" half-orc clone-thing wouldn't.

You do what you want, since I won't allow it its a non-issue for me anyway.

You could choose to do it that way if that is your wont, but that isn't the intent of the rule.

 

[Olrox17]

You could choose to do it that way if that is your wont, but that isn't the intent of the rule.

Unsure about the intent (someone wants to ask Crawford?) but RAW-wise I think the poster you quoted is correct. A custom race character has no access to feats with race prerequisites, unless the DM house rules it.

 

[Mistwell]

Thats not true at all.

Your custom lineage is an Elf if you say it is. Born to elven parents and raised in an elven community. If thats what you say it is.

I love custom lineages. They're mechanically balanced and they open up options for players both mechanically (now you can be an Elf or a Dwarf and have a feat at 1st level) and also narratively.

I honestly don't get the hate in here.

"CUSTOM LINEAGE: Instead of choosing one of the game’s races for your character at 1st level, you can use the following traits ..."

Racial feats from Xanathar's Guide: "These feats are each associated with a race from the Player’s Handbook"

You don't qualify for racial feats from that book, because you do not have the association with a race from the Player's Handbook. That association is a mechanic issue, not a description/color issue. It doesn't matter what you say about your parentage. It matters if you are a race from the Player's Handbook or not. And, you're not. You are a race from Tasha's Guide, called Custom Lineage, from a mechanics perspective.

I am willing to bet if you could get Crawford to speak to the issue, he'd agree with what I just wrote.

I don't hate the custom lineage. I just don't think they work well for existing races. I think they work best for inventing a new race.

 

[jayoungr]

I can't really see any argument for rules-first approach over fiction-first one, honestly.

It's possible to approach D&D in a fiction-first way, which (IMVHO) gives you the best of both worlds.

 

[loverdrive]

It's possible to approach D&D in a fiction-first way, which (IMVHO) gives you the best of both worlds.

Well, it's kinda hard to escape things like initiative, weird character progression, hit point bloat and all that jazz.

You can try, to some extent, sure, but if you'll try to run in it a truly fiction-first style, you'll be fighting uphill battle on every turn.