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."

 

[bedir than]

Indeed, or any Charisma based class, with my old Tiefling with the -2 modifier.

Imagine, playing without optimization, what a sin.

Within the space of ten comments you've accused me of being a min-maxer and praised me for not optimizing it.

This might be why you're confused by Wizards' public statements regarding ASI disappearing from race/lineage

 

[Minigiant]

I love my Hill Dwarf bladesinger. I rolled, and put strength as his 4th attribute. Most combats he uses attack cantrips keying off of strength. Is he optimized? Nope. Does it ruin the fun for the party? Nope.

Like I say maybe a few pages back.

If you are a killer DM with harsh campaigns and you think racial ability score are important, then it is hard to claim you aren't restricting PC creation.

My experience is that less grim more narrative campaigns allow for more freedom of PC options. My killer DM friends' campaigns weeded out anything that isn't a stereotype or a powergamers minimax PC.

 

[Scribe]

ASIs aren't restrictions unless you believe that certain races shouldn't take certain classes, or be penalized for taking them. That there should be no goliath rogues or halfling fighters?

So can we assume that you actually want to bring back racial restrictions for classes? Because otherwise, I have no idea why you would consider a +2 stat bonus to be a restriction.

No, but I DO see validity around certain races being better predisposed to a particular profession or role. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

If there was a Halfling Race in the real world, do you think they would be in the NBA or NFL? My brother is far larger than I am, if someone had to pick between us for say, being a firefighter, I know who I would pick as someone to carry someone else out of a burning building.

I'm all for allowing for people to pick any class they wish, that doesnt mean that right out of the gate everyone should be as good at it as any other class.

Within the space of ten comments you've accused me of being a min-maxer and praised me for not optimizing it.

This might be why you're confused by Wizards' public statements regarding ASI disappearing from race/lineage

I never accused you of minmaxing, that was someone else.

 

[bedir than]

I never accused you of minmaxing, that was someone else.

My bad. You are not Crimson. I regret the error.

 

[Scribe]

ASIs aren't restrictions unless you believe that certain races shouldn't take certain classes, or be penalized for taking them. That there should be no goliath rogues or halfling fighters?

So can we assume that you actually want to bring back racial restrictions for classes? Because otherwise, I have no idea why you would consider a +2 stat bonus to be a restriction.

Ultimately, it looks more and more like either with 6e or 5.5, or whatever, I'm going to just need to create my own setting, because for whatever reason people continue to misunderstand what I'm saying.

When I say 'restrictions' I'm not saying a Goliath cannot be a Rogue. I'm saying drop your +2 Str and +1 Con onto your Character, pick your background, and pick 'Rogue'.

Voila, Goliath Rogue.

Its not my concern if its suboptimal. Its not my concern if its not as great a rogue as it could be at level 1, because it can get to the same 20 Dex cap eventually, and that journey is part of the characters story.

I want to take what the game has presented to me (Tiefling with -2 Cha) and force that bad pick anyway. I want to work within the 'restrictions' of the game, and come out the other end victorious.

I dont want to dumb down my character simply to hamstring myself 'Hah guys I'm going to play a Goliath Rogue, with +2 Int, and +1 Wisdom!' they are not the same thing!

So no, I'm more than happy that everyone will now get to pick whatever race, regardless of their eventual class choice and they can minmax those ASI to their hearts content.

I simply want Wizards to continue to provide guidelines and recommendations for ASI as part of the race definitions as well.

If they dont, I wont buy their content, because I'm not paying for 'do whatever you want, like you always could do anyway, why do we have to tell you this.'

 

[Aldarc]

No, but I DO see validity around certain races being better predisposed to a particular profession or role. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

Floating ASIs doesn't invalidate that. Let's imagine, for a second, that there were floating ASIs on the half-orc. Do you think that players would still likely be attracted to the half-orc for certain classes over others? Think that a wizard is going to be drawn to Savage Attacks or Menacing?

If there was a Halfling Race in the real world, do you think they would be in the NBA or NFL? My brother is far larger than I am, if someone had to pick between us for say, being a firefighter, I know who I would pick as someone to carry someone else out of a burning building.

I thought we were playing a fantasy roleplaying game and not fantasy basketball or football.

 

[Scribe]

I thought we were playing a fantasy roleplaying game and not fantasy basketball or football.

We are, and it doesnt mean a Halfling should be a Str based Fighter, on par with Goliath or Half-Orc, because in my fantasy world, there is still internally logical consistency where a 3 foot tall being doesnt have the mass to hit nearly as hard as races predisposed to physical combat.

At your table? In your world? Do whatever, have fun.

Floating ASIs doesn't invalidate that. Let's imagine, for a second, that there were floating ASIs on the half-orc. Do you think that players would still likely be attracted to the half-orc for certain classes over others? Think that a wizard is going to be drawn to Savage Attacks or Menacing?

Its not my concern why people play a race over another. I do not care.

Floating ASI does invalidate that races are predisposed to certain tasks by their very nature.

I want more racial distinction in the game, not less. Simple as that.

 

[Minigiant]

When I say 'restrictions' I'm not saying a Goliath cannot be a Rogue. I'm saying drop your +2 Str and +1 Con onto your Character, pick your background, and pick 'Rogue'.

Voila, Goliath Rogue.

Its not my concern if its suboptimal. Its not my concern if its not as great a rogue as it could be at level 1, because it can get to the same 20 Dex cap eventually, and that journey is part of the characters story.

I think the crux of the issue is:

Do many think the Goliath Rogue with +2Str/+1Con is still a strong enough PC to be consider a serious character for completing quests under the baseline assumptions?

And I think despite people saying 5e is easy, the push for floating ASIs is that many are saying "No".

The questions to me are "Why?" and "How?". Are people bring OSR Grindfest mentalities to 5e? If so.. makes sense.

 

[Alzrius]

Is this Popper's theory of tolerance translated to D&D? "More choices means I have lost the ability to choose less choice"?

On that note, Morrus, what exactly are the 5E stats for Zidi Wheatling the Halfling Titan? Because I'm still not clear on how she easily outperforms goliath bodybuilders at Strength-related tasks under the game rules.

 

[Scribe]

I think the crux of the issue is:

Do many think the Goliath Rogue with +2Str/+1Con is still a strong enough PC to be consider a serious character for completing quests under the baseline assumptions?

Thats on the DM to figure out.

Which as I was walking my dog I came to as the real issue here. People already could use floating. Then Wizards said officially 'hey guys, you can use this system of floating' from Tasha's. Then as of this UA, that will be the only option going forward.

Almost seems like its people wanting to simply tell their DM to shove it, when it comes to ASI and Race combinations, because this could all be done already.