D&D (2024) What new jargon do you want to replace "Race"?

[Jfdlsjfd]

There is a <player being type formerly called a race> at the bottom of this hypothetical slope, yes.

It has no meaningful name: Type.
It has no meaningful size: Small or Medium
It has no meaningful culture.
It has no meaningful language.
It has no fixed biological attributes (ASI).
It has no default special rules, you select them.
It has no default physical appearance, the player defines it.

And if they are later bored, these things can be changed at the whim of the player.

Thats whats at the bottom of this hypothetical slope. We can call it Schmorp.

Indeed, we can. I am glad you're embracing the Light!

Also, I agree that it will be bland. But it is the best outcome for WotC to deflect criticism. "Risk" will be taken by setting designers, where they can introduce biological features (in this world, Dwarves are stouter than every other groups of being, because on top of all the things anyone can do to improve his stamina, they are blessed with +2 CON by their creator gods), cultural traits (in this world, the only remaining group of dwarves is part of the Undermoutain culture. That doesn't mean there can't be another culture, it's just that there is no other grouping of dwarves in the known world of Gzart.... or even "in this world, orcs are a elf-and-man eating species, that does't make them evil, but they need to eat a human or elf each year to metabolize a substance necessary to their life, so the most savage hunt, the most compasionnate farm humans and provide them with a merciful death, some even choose to eat humans as seldom as they can while other just say "I don't give a damn, I'll eat an elf a day, it keeps the doctor away"... without any bearing on their morality as a group of course! and so on).

This way, they'll distance themselves from criticism and people not enjoying a specific setting can just play another one.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I think so. Which makes sense to carry over to the PHB as well because that too (and the MM/DMG) should all be as generic as possible to fit into as many games as possible right?

Its like the Tiefling description from the packet.

Generic (granted with a Sigil assumption), positive, safe.

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I think they're making tieflings less cool. In my experience many people like tieflings because they're mistrusted outcasts. If the devil-guy is just another bloke it kinda loses a lot of its appeal.

Same with the orcs, really. People like them because they're brutal and "barbaric" (which doesn't need to equal evil.)

 

[Bedrockgames]

I think they're making tieflings less cool. In my experience many people like tieflings because they're mistrusted outcasts. If the devil-guy is just another bloke it kinda loses a lot of its appeal.

Same with the orcs, really. People like them because they're brutal and "barbaric" (which doesn't need to equal evil.)

I think there are a lot of reasons to like non-positive, dark, evil, outcast, etc. One is it is often more interesting. Another is it is often more fun if you are being hammy about it. This came up in the wednesday thread, but I watched the first episode of that show, somewhat against my will, as my wife decided we were going to watch it, and I have to say I thought it was pretty entertaining. I don't know where the show goes from there but there was some speculation on whether the character would grow and change, and whether that would be good. I felt the thing that made the show work was her misanthropy, so I felt if she grows it would just file down those stark unpleasant edges of the characters that made her so amusing. It reminded me of Black Adder and why I enjoyed the humor of that show. He was a horrible human being, but witty and interesting. I think especially when wit, fun and humor are part of the mix, these negative traits can have a different kind of appeal. In a more serious show, Black Adder and Wednesday would both probably be repugnant characters (unless they were being dialed up to 10 like a Gary Oldman performance). In comedies this stuff works. And a lot of gaming is pretty light hearted. A bulk of the time me and my players are making one another laugh.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Indeed, we can. I am glad you're embracing the Light!

Also, I agree that it will be bland. But it is the best outcome for WotC to deflect criticism. "Risk" will be taken by setting designers, where they can introduce biological features (in this world, Dwarves are stouter than every other groups of being, because on top of all the things anyone can do to improve his stamina, they are blessed with +2 CON by their creator gods), cultural traits (in this world, the only remaining group of dwarves is part of the Undermoutain culture. That doesn't mean there can't be another culture, it's just that there is no other grouping of dwarves in the known world of Gzart.... or even "in this world, orcs are a elf-and-man eating species, that does't make them evil, but they need to eat a human or elf each year to metabolize a substance necessary to their life, so the most savage hunt, the most compasionnate farm humans and provide them with a merciful death, some even choose to eat humans as seldom as they can while other just say "I don't give a damn, I'll eat an elf a day, it keeps the doctor away"... without any bearing on their morality as a group of course! and so on).

This way, they'll distance themselves from criticism and people not enjoying a specific setting can just play another one.

I find it very sad that WotC's highest priority as a game company is apparently "deflecting criticism".

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I've been mostly against "Species" since the new playtest dropped (it just sounds too scientific to me for D&D.) I think I'm getting used to it, though. That list shows me that there's not a lot of good options.

Though I think the entire industry would be served well by a standardized word. I get that WotC doesn't want to look like they "copied" Paizo, but Ancestry is probably the best word. I don't think (I could be wrong) that Paizo could or would stop them from using it if they chose to. They should just go with it, but if they stick with species, I'll get over it.

 

[Bill Zebub]

It's light, but it's there in the qualities of the warrior-god resonating within them and "defenders of the natural order".

That could describe followers of Ares.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Exactly! They are people blessed by their god to be tireless and tenacious. There is nothing that make them monsters, and also nothing that make them recognizable as another species. They are a group of humans with a common ancestor that granted them a magical blessing.

I've always thought of orcs as not only a different species, but a completely different genus to humans. Sharing that genus with goblins, bugbears, and hobgoblins.

 

[Hriston]

That could describe followers of Ares.

To me, it's the combination of warrior identity and alignment with nature, resulting in the impression of an uncivilized or "primitive" culture. Why would followers of Ares be described as "defenders of the natural order"?

But aside from that, yeah, there's isn't much that's more savage than Ares.

 

[Yaarel]

I think it will be the best outcome. A point-buy system of advantages (not something that is unheard of in the field of RPGs...) that the player can attribute to race, star conjunction at birth, species, magic or simply I trained hard to become able to breathe underwater.

That is pretty much how superhero games work.

Think of a character concept and use the rules to build it.

The difference will be, the Players Handbook and Setting Guides will have "ready mades" for players to choose it as-is and play. Other players might want to customize the default options, or build from scratch.

The flavor of the ready-mades still need a doublecheck.

 

[Scribe]

That is pretty much how superhero games work.

Think of a character concept and use the rules to build it.

The difference will be, the Players Handbook and Setting Guides will have "ready mades" for players to choose it as-is and play. Other players might want to customize the default options, or build from scratch.

The flavor of the ready-mades still need a doublecheck.

I think this is such a departure from D&D as it is today however, that it largely is academic. Tasha's Custom Lineage with an expanded selection of feats, is likely as close as we are going to get and it still be "D&D".