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."

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Controlling-other-peoples-characters harder.

Like, why do you care if some other player is actually good at their job by +1 on everything if you're a team player? Does their aesthetic really matter that much to you? Why is it important to limit them?

Indeed, it is a team game, not competitive one. So if your halfling fighter doesn't do exactly the same amount of damage than the half-orc one, it doesn't really matter; you're not competing against them.

However, the half-orc having a higher strength score actually represents something; it simulates the bigger creature being stronger. I care about at least some level of verisimilitude. If the game rules become completely detached from the reality they're supposed to represent, then I have no use for them. And ultimately I feel this is true for everyone, their comfort levels just differ. I fully understand that this particular thing doesn't matter to everyone, whilst some other verisimilitude fails that I can overlook might bother others.

 

[Chaosmancer]

This sounds a lot like the Oberoni Fallacy, in that you're saying that not having a standardized set of racial ASIs alongside the floating ASI option isn't really a problem because DMs can generate them via fiat.

Not at all.

@Scribe has said repeatedly that simply having a "recommended build" section when these races are printed would be plenty for this to not be an issue. They are bemoaning the fact that when these races are printed in those future books that recommneded build sidebar will not be present.

I am saying that they can't see the future, they have no idea how the book will be printed in the future, and decrying a future with no evidence seems to me to be a bit dramatic. The future book that these races might be printed with a sidebar, or it might not, so why are we assuming that they must be printed without.

 

[Catulle]

Indeed, it is a team game, not competitive one. So if your halfling fighter doesn't do exactly the same amount of damage than the half-orc one, it doesn't really matter; you're not competing with them.

But the team deserves to do slightly worse if their only fighter is a halfling? Come on, that's just petty nonsense over aesthetics.

 

[Catulle]

Not at all.

@Scribe has said repeatedly that simply having a "recommended build" section when these races are printed would be plenty for this to not be an issue. They are bemoaning the fact that when these races are printed in those future books that recommneded build sidebar will not be present.

I am saying that they can't see the future, they have no idea how the book will be printed in the future, and decrying a future with no evidence seems to me to be a bit dramatic. The future book that these races might be printed with a sidebar, or it might not, so why are we assuming that they must be printed without.

FWIW Alzrius is a frequent-and-habitual upvoter of posts that get tagged for anti-inclusive content (go check it out). They're probably not worth engaging with directly. Tilting at windmills and all that.

 

[Scribe]

But the team deserves to do slightly worse if their only fighter is a halfling? Come on, that's just petty nonsense over aesthetics.

No, the Halfling could be a Dex Fighter...

 

[Crimson Longinus]

But the team deserves to do slightly worse if their only fighter is a halfling? Come on, that's just petty nonsense over aesthetics.

The team doing any worse is mostly an illusion. The GM will likely tailor the opposition to the party's capabilities anyway.

And 'worse' of course depends on situation too; the halfling can do certain things the half-orc can't (in combat, and out of it.) Comparing some white room DPR values really isn't accounting the reality of any even somewhat decently designed adventure.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

K. <- my confused face.

Look, IMO, the stat bonuses should be meaningful and present in the game. They should inform the norms for making an NPC, for worldbuilding, and for reading about them in the books.

And that should also be optional.

But I haven’t lost anything if I have to say, “Moat Goliaths in my campaign are stronger than most humans.”

 

[Catulle]

No, the Halfling could be a Dex Fighter...

But if the player wants to be an effective raging barbarian, all woad and the power of the spirits?

Got to be worse, sorry, it's not you.

It's your race.*

*choice of aesthetic

 

[Catulle]

The team doing any worse is mostly an illusion. The GM will likely tailor the opposition to the party's capabilities anyway.

And 'worse' of course depends on situation too; the halfling can do certain things the half-orc can't (in combat, and out of it.) Comparing some white room DPR values really isn't accounting the reality of any even somewhat decently designed adventure.

So why does what another player does with their numbers matter so much to you, besides a desire to control how they engage with their fun?

 

[Scribe]

But if the player wants to be an effective raging barbarian, all woad and the power of the spirits?

Got to be worse, sorry, it's not you.

It's your race.*

*choice of aesthetic

To me, fantasy lineages, are more than an aesthetic. That is it.