D&D (2024) RIP, 2014 PHB backgrounds

[Horwath]

What? That is exactly what they did in the UA. They presented the default as make your own. The examples were just examples. Did you read the UA?

View attachment 261854

Guess I mixed up bullet points, hahaha.

Well, guess that they had to write that "sample" backgrounds are just examples and in no way mandatory. Some thing have be made very clear for some people
Still, I don't know why some people complained why some samples are written that way.

 

[MarkB]

Can't agree with you there. My players don't want to create a background. They just want to pick one and go. So, for my players, I hope they keep backgrounds in '24.

Which part don't they want to do? They don't want to pick the ability score increases that best match their chosen class? They don't want any say in what languages their character knows? They want to have their first-level feat chosen for them sight-unseen? Or they don't care what proficiencies they have?

Because aside from that stuff, all that's there is a paragraph saying "this is what I do when I'm not out adventuring."

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Exactly. If your players don't care what their stats/skills/feats are, DnD is the completely wrong system for them. It's stupidly full of minutia.

 

[MarkB]

Guess I mixed up bullet points, hahaha.

Well, guess that they had to write that "sample" backgrounds are just examples and in no way mandatory. Some thing have be made very clear for some people
Still, I don't know why some people complained why some samples are written that way.

I'm thinking maybe they just have to break it into two chapters rather than just two sections in the same chapter. First chapter "Backgrounds" which only details how to custom-build backgrounds. Second chapter "Example Backgrounds" which starts with an explanation that these are only examples and can be customised to suit, then has the examples. Hard to say what else they can do to make it clear.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Exactly. If your players don't care what their stats/skills/feats are, DnD is the completely wrong system for them. It's stupidly full of minutia.

5E is very middle of the road for crunch levels.

And D&D can be the right system for someone if it's the only game their friends play.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Exactly. If your players don't care what their stats/skills/feats are, DnD is the completely wrong system for them. It's stupidly full of minutia.

Everyone plays 5e (for an accepted value of everyone). Telling people to play something else in this day and age will not work.

 

[Charlaquin]

The whole kerfuffle started when people pointed out that the backgrounds in the playtest were using some of the same bias (intended or not) that racial cultures did. Gladiator (with its strength boost, orc language and SAVAGE attacker feat) was viewed as WotC saying gladiators in D&D were associated with orcs and savagery, and that just is the old orc lore with extra steps. There were threads on Enworld pointing this out, lest you think this was just a Twitter outrage. People literally read it and thought "why do all gladiators speak orc? Why do all farmers speak halfling?" And a few wondered why all criminals are dexterous or nobles charismatic. In short, people read it as "this is what a gladiator/farmer/noble is" rather than "this is what they could be".

And then people pointed out that it doesn’t actually work like that, and those silly arguments have stopped.

 

[Charlaquin]

It started because WotC are again writing things backwards.


Backgrounds should be presented 1st as:

1. Pick +2/+1 or +1/+1/+1 for your ASIs
2. Pick any 2 skills
3. Pick any feat
4. Pick your choice of 2 or 3 languages, tools or weapons

Then, and only then you could write some EXAMPLES of backgrounds for new people that might not want to create their own or for maybe general guidance what might show up in certain backgrounds.

That is literally how they are presented (well, except that it’s pick 1 language and 1 tool instead of 2 or 3 languages tools or weapons). And also 50 gp worth of equipment and/or coinage.

 

[Remathilis]

And then people pointed out that it doesn’t actually work like that, and those silly arguments have stopped.

You have far more faith than I do. If the kinds of people in tune enough to find and read the playtest doc got it wrong, I have little hope for newer and casual players.

 

[Charlaquin]

You have far more faith than I do. If the kinds of people in tune enough to find and read the playtest doc got it wrong, I have little hope for newer and casual players.

Again, if I was seeing widespread misunderstanding of how it works, I might be concerned. I saw a little bit of that as the knee-jerk reaction when the UA first dropped, and when it was pointed out, the same people shifted to saying “well, other people are going to misunderstand it.” And I just don’t really see that. Again, some people might, but it is a simple matter to point out the actual text to them, just like we did with the initial wave of misunderstanding.