D&D 5E Unearthed Arcana: Gothic Lineages & New Race/Culture Distinction

The latest Unearthed Arcana contains the Dhampir, Reborn, and Hexblood races. The Dhampir is a half-vampire; the Hexblood is a character which has made a pact with a hag; and the Reborn is somebody brought back to life.

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Perhaps the bigger news is this declaration on how race is to be handled in future D&D books as it joins other games by stating that:

"...the race options in this article and in future D&D books lack the Ability Score Increase trait, the Language trait, the Alignment trait, and any other trait that is purely cultural. Racial traits henceforth reflect only the physical or magical realities of being a player character who’s a member of a particular lineage. Such traits include things like darkvision, a breath weapon (as in the dragonborn), or innate magical ability (as in the forest gnome). Such traits don’t include cultural characteristics, like language or training with a weapon or a tool, and the traits also don’t include an alignment suggestion, since alignment is a choice for each individual, not a characteristic shared by a lineage."

 

[Micah Sweet]

Not really. Humans have done it for 5+ editions easily. Plus, you have the option to say "my dhampir was an elf before he transformed" and borrow all-things elven and your culture.

Fair enough, but it does beg the question of what specific things would you give an elf or a dwarf in their lineage descriptions to make them different from a human, mechanically? Take out the cultural stuff and the ASIs, and you're not left with much.

 

[dave2008]

For me, these are simply mechanical systems to represent the physiological reality of the different species within a fantasy world, and I do not believe it unfair to expect that to continue, even if only as an option.

But there are other mechanical systems to represent physical differences. A +1 just isn't that interesting , IMO

 

[PsyzhranV2]

Fair enough, but it does beg the question of what specific things would you give an elf or a dwarf in their lineage descriptions to make them different from a human, mechanically? Take out the cultural stuff and the ASIs, and you're not left with much.

Both would keep Darkvision. Elves would still have Fey Ancestry and Trance. Dwarves would have their poison resistance.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Both would keep Darkvision. Elves would still have Fey Ancestry and Trance. Dwarves would have their poison resistance.

My point exactly. Not much to hang your hat on. If the goal is to remove race/lineage as a significant choice factor in character creation, I think WotC should just say so.

 

[Faolyn]

Y'know, the whole thing is kind of ridiculous when you realize that D&D PC stats can't go above 20 except through rare magic items or epic boons. The toughest, strongest halfling is, in fact, going to be as strong as the toughest, strongest goliath. The only difference is that there's no way for a level 1 halfling to start out with a 20 Strength while a goliath can.

It's also kind of ridiculous when you realize that githyanki, which are described as "slender," get +2 in Strength. As do longtooth shifters, who top out at about 5' 9".

 

[Scribe]

But there are other mechanical systems to represent physical differences. A +1 just isn't that interesting , IMO

And I would agree it isnt interesting, but its enough for me.

It isnt interesting if you put it on a Class Choice.
It isnt interesting if you bake it into Background or Profession, or Culture.
It isnt interesting if you put it into a combination of all 3 (Race/Class/Background), though to me personally that would be closer to the ideal.

As you mentioned, maybe in your game you get rid of ASI all together, and thats fine.

I simply want, and in the end will have one way or another, something for that distinction. Its been the official system for an extremely long time, and if Wizards is going to do away with it (and they will, we all know thats how the tide has shifted) then a 3rd party, or I, will just work up an alternative.

Its not the end of the world, but it absolutely is a double standard for people to say Tasha's is not or was not acceptable, but it is acceptable to remove the option that I and others prefer.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

But D&D race has never ever been just “genetic”, so that is irrelevant. Further, and more importantly, it is simpler to include stuff like proficiencies where it fits the iconic vision of the race, and allow players to swap it as they see fit.

But it should be. That's more important here. I don't care what it used to be. That's a sacred cow that deserves dumping. Like I stated above, an Elf could still have the typical training with bows and longswords, but they wouldn't be required to take that if they were raised in a different culture. It would be a real and good fix of what the Customize your Origin section of Tasha's was trying to do. Race/Lineage should be your species' genetic traits and Culture should be your nurture-based traits.

Background in 5e isn’t always occupation.

Almost always. There are just about a handful of exceptions to this (Celebrity Adventurer's Scion, Hermit, Far Traveler, and Noble are the ones that come to mind). Most of the "non-occupational" backgrounds are related to occupation enough to be occupations.

 

[dave2008]

My point exactly. Not much to hang your hat on. If the goal is to remove race/lineage as a significant choice factor in character creation, I think WotC should just say so.

My hope us when they get to really rewriting character creation rules, they will look to give each race more interesting features to distinguish them and worry less about ability scores

 

[Argyle King]

But there are other mechanical systems to represent physical differences. A +1 just isn't that interesting , IMO

I agree with this.

(My thinking is similar in regards to magic items.)

From a game-design standpoint, I'm curious how much deviation would be accepted before the target audience believes the game no longer fits their view of a brand name (D&D).

In regards to D&D, is there a preponderance for a specific style, tone, and direction; or a preponderance for a generic modular base?

It needn't be a binary answer either. My guess would be there is plenty of room to skew more one way or the other. Still, for coherent design, I believe answering some fundamental questions about design intent is important.

Before rushing to how something is done, I believe it is important to establish why it is done.

 

[Weiley31]

It would be a real and good fix of what the Customize your Origin section of Tasha's was trying to do

I will admit that I feel like the Tasha's Custom Race felt bare bones. But adding a Lineage overlay on top of it seems like it would work well with it.