D&D 5E New D&D Survey, with some in-depth setting questions

[Yaarel]

Both are wrong. In 5e so far, Lineages are things that you can be born as (like a race), but also something you can become. Custom Lineage, Dhampir, Reborn, and Hexblood are all things that you can become. Aarakocra, Tortles, Gnomes, and so on are all races, because they're all something that you're born as, while a Lineage is more a "mutation" that you can either be born with or get later in life.

Race is still used, as shown in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight's Fairy and Harengon races.

"Custom lineage" means creating a new lineage that isnt elf/dwarf/etcetera.

Each lineage (including its player character races) is assumed to have kin, meaning there are others like this new lineage.

Technically, elf/dwarf/etcetera are "lineages", while only their player character aspects are referred to "races".

Lineage/species = PC race + NPC/monster



But a lineage (including player race) might be something one can become. For example, there is a draconic option for a player character to become a dragonborn.

Likewise lineage is something one can create, like the original dragonborn that dragons created by transforming unhatched dragon eggs. Presumably warforged reproduce by learning how to build and create new warforged.

 

[NaturalZero]

They are poisoning 5e data with data from other editions that had different options. They are already tailoring questions based on previous answers, they could have asked the right questions, or even skipped over that question if what they actually wanted was 5e data. But instead, if they are doing as you say they are, they have what they think is 5e data that is skewed by players of different editions. And is therefore wrong.

This is what seemed weird. I put 2nd edition as the first edition I played. There's a bunch of questions about what I bought and how much I bought after first being exposed to the game... which would be around 1990. I put boxed sets, but those were completely different from the boxed set products of 5e. In 2e, if you wanted to buy campaign settings, you were buying boxed sets. In 5e, boxed sets are beginners kits and other random stuff that I've sunk $0 into. I bought boxed sets then and setting books now. I'm not sure what data they were trying to get out of me.

 

[NaturalZero]

I keep seeing these arguments/discussion popping up about what exactly race or lineage is and how they're moving forward. I can't imagine caring less about the technical verbiage as long as the mechanics of how it works is clear.

Is it a race? Is it a lineage? Does it matter? It doesn't effect my existing worldbuilding and my players are still just picking a set of mechanics for their concept.

 

[Parmandur]

That is the common sense, intuitive way of looking at it that gets them the wrong answer so they should not do it that way.

They are poisoning 5e data with data from other editions that had different options. They are already tailoring questions based on previous answers, they could have asked the right questions, or even skipped over that question if what they actually wanted was 5e data. But instead, if they are doing as you say they are, they have what they think is 5e data that is skewed by players of different editions. And is therefore wrong.

But they can filter the data to see those connections.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

As a serious answer, I picked halflings. Always been one of my favorite races (and class, if you go back to when I started playing).

I enjoy the struggle of the everman who isn't a hero by inclination but is thrust into situations that require heroics. And that's halflings to a T.

@Hussar is referring to that rather infamous thread of mine about why I don't really like halflings, which went on for 235 pages before getting locked.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

"Custom lineage" means creating a new lineage that isnt elf/dwarf/etcetera.

Each lineage (including its player character races) is assumed to have kin, meaning there are others like this new lineage.

Technically, elf/dwarf/etcetera are "lineages", while only their player character aspects are referred to "races".

Lineage/species = PC race + NPC/monster



But a lineage (including player race) might be something one can become. For example, there is a draconic option for a player character to become a dragonborn.

Likewise lineage is something one can create, like the original dragonborn that dragons created by transforming unhatched dragon eggs. Presumably warforged reproduce by learning how to build and create new warforged.

That might be how you use the terminology, but it certainly isn't how WotC does. Lineages are things you can be born as or become, races are just things you're born as.

Lineage = Mutation, Race = Species

Van Richtens and the Wild Beyond the Witchlight both prove that.

 

[Charlaquin]

what's your favorite "RACE" to play.....do they know they don't use that word anymore?

They still do. Lineage refers to a group of people in the setting (e.g. elves). Race refers to the package of game rules related to playing a member of a given lineage as a PC (e.g. the elf “player race stats”). There are also some monster stat blocks representing NPCs who are members of certain lineages (e.g. the Wood Elf Scout monster).

 

[Charlaquin]

I wonder how many people picked halflings.

runs and hides

I did

 

[Charlaquin]

View attachment 145980

I think they meant to write High Magic instead of low…

 

[Charlaquin]

That might be how you use the terminology, but it certainly isn't how WotC does. Lineages are things you can be born as or become, races are just things you're born as.

Lineage = Mutation, Race = Species

Van Richtens and the Wild Beyond the Witchlight both prove that.

I don’t know if that’s accurate. Van Richten’s Guide certainly referred to its new PC options (which yes, could replace your race) as lineages. But that book also doesn’t have alignment in it. I don’t think we can assume any of the verbiage it uses around those elements that were under critical scrutiny is a reliable example of how they’re going to be using the same verbiage moving forward.