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

[loverdrive]

the healer feat is pretty powerful

That's literally the first time I ever see someone saying this unironically.

 

[Olrox17]

That's literally the first time I ever see someone saying this unironically.

It has been discussed early and often.

D&D 5E - Is the Healer Feat Broken?

There have been a few threads about encounter guidelines not working and as a DM I have been wanting to play a featless game of 5E. I always get out voted by my players though and if I try and force the issue I might not have any players full stop. Anyway the feats Great Weapon Master and...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Durable Feat is weak, Healer feat is too strong

This is an old topic, but the last thread was 14 pages and it went all over the place. I'm coming at it from a different angle here. I'm really frustrated with the way Errata has worked in 5E. They've only been using it for clarification, not rebalancing. I suppose that makes it easier to run...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - How good is the healer feat compared to Hit Dice?

Greetings, I'm going to share this little comparative analysis I've made. I wanted to find out how the healing granted by the healer feat compares to the healing that a party can expect from hit dice expenditure. Assumptions for the sake of the analysis: PC parties are assumed to get 2,5 short...

www.enworld.org

Just including the top 3 google results from enworld. Admittedly, I started one of those 3 threads.

 

[Flamestrike]

I don't care to discuss if F1 is just as good as F2, or better, or worse. I don't want to drag the discussion into CharOp territory.

I'm not a RAW fanatic, mind. I have shattered the RAW times and again to accomodate fun, interesting character concepts. But I won't bend the rules (or allow the usage of optional variant rules) just to allow somebody to make a "stronger build".

But it doesn't make a stronger build which is the whole point. And something you'd see immediately if you bothered to compare different builds.

Im not arguing for stronger builds here. Custom lineage is balanced against other races (such as Vuman etc).

Go nuts. Create a custom lineage PC that is markedly better than a Vuman or Elf or whatever. If you can, I'll agree with you.

 

[Olrox17]

But it doesn't make a stronger build which is the whole point. And something you'd see immediately if you bothered to compare different builds.

Im not arguing for stronger builds here. Custom lineage is balanced against other races (such as Vuman etc).

Go nuts. Create a custom lineage PC that is markedly better than a Vuman or Elf or whatever. If you can, I'll agree with you.

I suppose it depends on your definition of markedly better. I would argue that any custom lineage with darkvision and a feat is markedly better than a variant human, and variant human was already considered a great candidate for strongest race in the game. But I suppose that depends on how valuable darkvision is to you: IMO, it's one of the most important features in the game, and I strongly believe that variant human and its all-mighty extra feat was entirely balanced on the lack of darkvision. No such balancing on custom lineages.

Then we have the appalling mess that is the mountain dwarf after Tasha, but that's another can of worms entirely.

 

[Remathilis]

What about the curse that only applies to Non Dwarves that wield it?

What about a Moonblade? Requires attuement by an Elf or Half Elf.

Are you saying that if my custom lineage for my Elf PC was 'Born as an Elf to two Noble Elven parents, and raised in Elven society, my Elf forsake training in bow and blade, and instead devoted himself to helping others, and showing empathy and kindness, and healing those less fortunate (C-lineage [Elf], Darkvision,+2 Cha, Healer feat)'' that I wouldn't be able (In your games) to attune to a Moonblade because 'I'm not an Elf' (despite being an Elf)?

Yup.

"You are something different child. Some greater power flows in your veins. I know not what your future holds, but the ancient magics that formed my creation say I cannot be part of it."

 

[DND_Reborn]

Man, thanks for both replying in good faith guys!

No problem. I am always interested in a good discussion.

I think having a prominent default lineage would make the game leaner. There are lots of features among the published races, that seem like bloated fiddly bits to me as well (example: hobgoblin's saving face: 1/rest they feel ingrained social pressure to not fail as part of their race... ffs). As to dwarves being strong and hearty, nothing about custom lineage prevents it--put that +2 in Strength, pick a feat that boosts Constitution, and chillax with your 15 Intelligence. But I think it's fine for a player to have his/her dwarf be a feeble genius too.

The darkvision thing is definitely a problem with having everyone default to custom lineage. Functionally it would mean that almost all PCs have darkvision. I don't really have an answer for that. It'd be a dealbreaker for dungeoncrawling style games, I admit.

If I had my druthers, custom lineage would have come with some options for creatures with very obviously consequential morphology. The benefits of being 10' tall, winged, aquatic, four-armed, nocturnal, etc. could have been written up with reasonable features and offset by losing some/all the Ability bonuses or the feat option.

Yes, too many fiddly bits IMO.

A player with a dwarf can still be a feeble genius RAW. Remember, the default method is rolling. If you roll a 16+ put it in INT, and put that horrible 6 in CON, even with the +2 modifier you'd only have an 8. If you roll and get all 13+ scores, nothing says you can't reduce a score if it fits your concept. The DM might even award you a feat like Keen Mind or something. shrug

We do play a lot of dungeon crawls, but darkvision is also useful in any dim light condition, such as a light fog or snow (like in Frostmaiden, which has both darkness and snow!). I suppose you could play in a game where darkvision isn't a big deal, but that has never, ever been my experience. Any caster who gets Darkvision as a 2nd level spell grabs it first or second, because we usually have a couple PCs whose races didn't come with darkvision so they need the spell. With Custom Lineage, all PCs can easily have darkvision--HORRIBLE GAME DESIGN!

I could see custom lineage providing other things as well--more almost like a merits/flaws system, but oh well...

 

[DND_Reborn]

So... people in the game world call me 'custom' halfling'?

They wouldn't know what to call you-- maybe a pseudo-halfling?

Would a 'custom' Dwarf not be able to use the Axe of the Dwarven Lords?

Anyone can use the Axe of the Dwarven Lords, you don't need to be a dwarf. However, the benefits a dwarf gets, you--as a non-dwarf--wouldn't get.

 

[Remathilis]

(and i honestly think XGTE racial feats are about to get erratad anyway).

Oh good. I can't wait for PCs who want elven accuracy, snirvneblin magic and infernal constitution on thier yuan-ti purebloods

 

[TwoSix]

Oh good. I can't wait for PCs who want elven accuracy, snirvneblin magic and infernal constitution on thier yuan-ti purebloods

<scribbles notes for next character>

 

[Olrox17]

Oh good. I can't wait for PCs who want elven accuracy, snirvneblin magic and infernal constitution on thier yuan-ti purebloods

I'm sure they'll write a very tragic and convincing background story that'll justify the concept flawlessly