D&D (2024) Do you think they will add more races to PHB2024 to make up for dropping other stuff?

[Remathilis]

Thats the 'kill a fly with a rocket launcher' approach I suppose.

I really can't see any way to make a hybrid system that isn't widely unbalanced, short or "redo every race from scratch with an eye towards interchangablilty". So I guess we balance each combo separately.

 

[Remathilis]

yeah i can see how that could end up being a problem, well, with absorbtion at least, i think they would have a little more leeway with letting multiple resistances stack into immunities.

Its already very easy to get multiple resistances of the same energy type (dragonborn draconic sorcerer being an easy example). Part of the reason resistance is so common it's that it's binary (you have it, or you don't). Adding stacking into immunity (which can shut down whole encounters) would require it to be a lot rarer/harder to get.

 

[Scribe]

I really can't see any way to make a hybrid system that isn't widely unbalanced, short or "redo every race from scratch with an eye towards interchangablilty". So I guess we balance each combo separately.

The idea that there is balance already, outside of the most bland examples, just doesnt seem correct to me, so making a grab bag system seems best.

 

[Clint_L]

All we need is an option saying "Take the traits from your character's parent species and pick X traits from among them according to these guidelines...", then set some rules to try and curb the most blatant abuses and a note making it clear the final trait list is subject to DM approval.

That's all it would take - barely more than a modest revision to the existing "Pick a Parent" sidebar and basically just a formalization of the system Critical Role uses in Tal'dorei Reborn.

It's not hard, we're just shackled by cries of "Suffer not the min-maxer!!!"

Min-maxing creates tangible design problems that should be avoided; being shackled to "half-elves must be special!" creates another set of problems. The new approach fixes both. If you want special half-elves, make them, don't force them to be the Chosen Ones for everyone else.

 

[Parmandur]

I really can't see any way to make a hybrid system that isn't widely unbalanced, short or "redo every race from scratch with an eye towards interchangablilty". So I guess we balance each combo separately.

Make a first Level Feat for each Species, to give some extra vibes. Keep the hybrid stuff from Packet 1, seperate from said Feat, so you can have variety of expression (not all Half-Orcs get Orcish Thiccness as a Feat, sort of thing).

 

[CreamCloud0]

Its already very easy to get multiple resistances of the same energy type (dragonborn draconic sorcerer being an easy example). Part of the reason resistance is so common it's that it's binary (you have it, or you don't). Adding stacking into immunity (which can shut down whole encounters) would require it to be a lot rarer/harder to get.

sorry but i think that if your encounters are being shut down flat by a couple of immunities across your players then i think you might need to reconsider how you're building your encounters? and even if you can't damage that one player that damage is still likely working on the others

 

[Remathilis]

The idea that there is balance already, outside of the most bland examples, just doesnt seem correct to me, so making a grab bag system seems best.

You're confusing not perfectly balanced for not balanced. Right now, if I want a dragonborn breath weapon, I get the rest of the not good kit with it. But a hybrid system lets me trade that for better things. Why would I EVER pick a regular dragonborn when there is a hybrid that will be better (even situationally, like water breathing in a high seas game)? There is no cost to being a hybrid, even multi-classing forces you to slow down feature progression as a cost.

Once a hybrid system enters play, you will never see full blooded species on PCs again. The allure of choice and customization will mean everyone takes it. Regular humans, elves and such will be the minority without specifically tailored species traits to keep it in check.

 

[Remathilis]

sorry but i think that if your encounters are being shut down flat by a couple of immunities across your players then i think you might need to reconsider how you're building your encounters? and even if you can't damage that one player that damage is still likely working on the others

I'm sure I could build a party of fire immune PCs that could obliterate a red dragon. Or a bunch of necrotic immune PCs that laugh at nearly every undead in the game.

 

[Clint_L]

You're confusing not perfectly balanced for not balanced. Right now, if I want a dragonborn breath weapon, I get the rest of the not good kit with it. But a hybrid system lets me trade that for better things. Why would I EVER pick a regular dragonborn when there is a hybrid that will be better (even situationally, like water breathing in a high seas game)? There is no cost to being a hybrid, even multi-classing forces you to slow down feature progression as a cost.

Once a hybrid system enters play, you will never see full blooded species on PCs again. The allure of choice and customization will mean everyone takes it. Regular humans, elves and such will be the minority without specifically tailored species traits to keep it in check.

This - it's a fundamental change to character creation that will inevitably change the flavour of the game in a significant way. That's not going to happen in the 2024 PHB, and shouldn't.

 

[Aldarc]

Wouldn't it finally make the half elves work more like in Tolkien (pick the race of elves or the race of men)? And I'm guessing Tolkien was the big reason to have half-elves and half-orcs.

True, but I think that half-elves are closer to Numenoreans or Dunedain than to proper Tolkien half-elves.