Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
I'm actually fine with background thibg, after all, that's what they do in Level Up. I just have an issue with the philosophical point of being so hyper-focused on the individual.
You literally can. Custom backgrounds are the default and the pre-written ones are only examples. If you want a background that’s identical to the scholar except that you get +2 Strength instead of +2 Intelligence, you are not only allowed but encouraged to do so.Why should I have to justify my ASI with a background? Why can't I have a super-strong scholar who got the strength from a rumored giant-ancestor and not from working in the library?
Ok, I disagree with your point, but this genuinely made me laugh. A tip of the hat to you.WotC decided to be lazy and do a melting pot (everyone can breed with everyone) but left out stirring the mix.
I’d be down with that.Maybe there could be a special race just for human hybrids and do them like Elves.
You get 2 bonus Skill pofiecienies, Darkvision, your other parent's language as a bonus language, and a racial trait: Fey Ancestry, Dwarven Resilience, or Relentless Endurance.
But why does it have to be from anything to do with being a scholar at all? Why can't it be from the bloodline like a sorcerers magic would be?You literally can. Custom backgrounds are the default and the pre-written ones are only examples. If you want a background that’s identical to the scholar except that you get +2 Strength instead of +2 Intelligence, you are not only allowed but encouraged to do so.
To be fair, dragonmarks could easily be done as level-one feats under this rubric.Removing explicit half-races is a problem, because some settings make them a distinct culture, e.g. Eberron's Khoravar. It also messes up some of the dragon marked races.
I wonder why they were thrown out in the first place for a free for all between all races?Removing explicit half-races is a problem, because some settings make them a distinct culture, e.g. Eberron's Khoravar. It also messes up some of the dragon marked races.
It's also throwing out something that's been part of the game since 1978. May as well throw out the rogue at that point.
It could. That could be part of the story of your custom background.But why does it have to be from anything to do with being a scholar at all? Why can't it be from the bloodline like a sorcerers magic would be?
The ability to provide curated flavorful sets of them for players who want to make as few choices at character creation as possible.What benefit is there from having the ASI come from the background instead of just being floating due to anything at all the player wants it to be? (Maybe background, maybe family history, maybe a curse, maybe a mystery?)
I am one of those players, and I really dislike the fixed ASIs by background. Let them float free!The ability to provide curated flavorful sets of them for players who want to make as few choices at character creation as possible.
Yeah, the background/bloodline could very well be giant-blooded scholar, granting both a Str boost and an Int boost.It could. That could be part of the story of your custom background.
The ability to provide curated flavorful sets of them for players who want to make as few choices at character creation as possible.