D&D (2024) First playtest thread! One D&D Character Origins.

[SakanaSensei]

Again, thats what the attribute array is for.
Want to play a strong and clumsy elf? Dex is the dump stat and Str is the highest. Sure you will still be more dexterous than a clumsy human, but not as good as nearly any elf. To them you will be clumsy.
And you will overpower most elves, be equal to many humans but still struggle against strong orcs.

In the end it comes down to 2 things.
1. People somehow thinking that different fictional races being different is somehow racist (see @Faolyn's post). Which strangely only seems to be a problem in fantasy, not in scifi. I haven't heard any complains about Vulcans.
2. People refusing to play anything not minmaxed with an 18 in the primary attribute which imo is not something you should cater to. Thats not role playing. No one is preventing them from playing an elf barbarian or orc wizard except their inability to play something not minmaxed.

I wanna play my goblin paladin and not suck and you. can't. stop. me. And papa WotC agrees.

 

[Ixal]

I wanna play my goblin paladin and not suck and you. can't. stop. me. And papa WotC agrees.

Having a 16 as primary attribute isn't sucking and WotC would do well that instead of catering to minmaxers to always only take the most optimal choice to instead educate them to play a role and do what makes most sense from a role playing perspective even when its not the most optimal.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Ah yes, wizards get to break reality but fighters are bound by "guy at the gym"

Wizards break reality with magic.

 

[SakanaSensei]

Having a 16 as primary attribute isn't sucking. Only minmaxer think it is.

You do yourself a disservice by assuming everyone who likes floating ASIs (or background based ASIs) is just a filthy minmaxer. Most of my characters don't even start with 18s.

 

[Ixal]

You do yourself a disservice by assuming everyone who likes floating ASIs (or background based ASIs) is just a filthy minmaxer. Most of my characters don't even start with 18s.

I have discussed ASI many times on this forum and always the defense for floting ASI will came down to "I want my 18" in the end.

 

[Haplo781]

Wizards break reality with magic.

And martials can break reality by being incredibly strong/skilled.

There's really no rational argument against martials having nice things in a fantasy game.

 

[Cadence]

You do yourself a disservice by assuming everyone who likes floating ASIs (or background based ASIs) is just a filthy minmaxer. Most of my characters don't even start with 18s.

Is there a particular benefit for the character from the floating ASI if they're not going for the 18 or the easily increased 17?

 

[Cadence]

And martials can break reality by being incredibly strong/skilled.

There's really no rational argument against martials having nice things in a fantasy game.

Nice Captain America level things? Or godlike (eg magical things) like Thor or Captain Marvel?

 

[SakanaSensei]

Is there a particular benefit for the character from the floating ASI if they're not going for the 18 or the easily increased 17?

Narrative importance being put into how a character has lived their life instead of how they were born is the end of it, really, for me. I just also want to be competent while pulling off a character concept.

 

[Ixal]

Narrative importance being put into how a character has lived their life instead of how they were born is the end of it, really, for me. I just also want to be competent while pulling off a character concept.

1. A -2 (which equals a -5% chance) doesn't make you incompetent (unless competent = optimized). Oh no, when rolling 100 times you fail 5 additional times (statistically). What incompetency! Literally unplayable.
2. Living your life = attribute array, not ASI.