Horwath
Legend
or just take background mechanics that work best for your character concept and write your background story how you want to roleplay your character.
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D&D (2024) How to import "race" flavor into D&D 2024 inclusively
- Thread starter Yaarel
- Start date
Yaarel
He-Mage
Choice of background feat is also part of substantiating a background story.
For the player butt also for the world, official backgrounds define the flavors of cultures and regions of each setting.
Laurefindel
Legend
Yaarel
He-Mage
By the way, I posted the following in an other thread, but it might belong here in this form as part of 2024 speculations, critiques, and wishlists. Recently, DnDBeyond published its current stats for the most popular species. Helpfully, @Oofta redid the graph image to make the proportions of popularity more recognizable. There are no surprises. The Genasi is trending. There are twelve species at the top of popularity, not counting the Half-Elf, or the incongruous Lineage that might refer to the Van Richten. Plus there is the do-it-yourself Custom race.
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There will, of course, be Half-Elves in 2024. The update affects its stats. The Half-Elf can use either the Human chassis or the Elf chassis. The update also allows any kind of multispecies mix, such as Dwarf-Elf.
I like this miscibility alot. It is great for Norsesque concepts where individuals often have ancestries from more than one species, and occasionally, one species member can become an other species.
I notice, when one combines the DnDBeyond stats for Elf and Half-Elf, the Elf is far more popular that the Human. Then also add the stats for the Eladrin, Shadar-Kai, Sea Elf, Astral Elf, etcetera for the popularity of the Elf in all its ethnic diversity.
I am glad the Elf concept is still doing well, even while the species demographics are shifting during 5e. I welcome aboard the Dragonborn, which I love. Heh, even the Tiefling which I look askance at.
In 2024, the Orc format will include the Half-Orc. I expect the Orc merge to remain comparable in popularity with the Halfling.
The Halfling seems to be holding its own in popularity, despite its many critics, heh including me. My main difficulty with the Halfling is, it is too much like a normal Human from a pygmy ethnicity, whose average height is roughly 4 feet, but whose individuals can be closer toward 3 feet. At the same time, I recognize the reallife 3-ish feet tall prehistoric Homo florensiensis is a separate hominid species. It even has proportionally large feet and hands. It is plausible to understand a nonmagical Halfling species to be something like the floriensis, tho I wish D&D supplies a meaningful stat to somehow distinguish this species from the Human species. Making short people a separate species is problematic. In any case, the Halfling remains popular. 2024 will grant the choice to build a Halfling or a Small Human with a Lucky background.
I love Elemental themes, and am happy with the popularity of the Genasi, including its ethnicities specific to each element. I feel the stats for the Genasi need more work, including the ability to fully become the respective Element, like an Elemental Wildshaping to actually become watery liquid, airy gas, etcetera.
Due to its popularity, I hope to see the Genasi in the 2024 Players Handbook, despite WotC having never mentioned the possibility.
I love the Gnome and hope it continues to hang in there among the top ten.
The Goliath is the tenth popular species, not counting the merged Half-Elf. I expect the Goliath to continue gaining popularity after it is available in the 2024 Players Handbook.
I want the Orc, Goliath, and even the Human to have a possibility of being Large Size, over 8 feet tall. Possibly Strength and-or Constitution is a prerequisite. The Large Size should be a tag that has no mechanics in itself, but other mechanics might refer to it. There can be feats that grant benefits, like extended reach and heavier damage, to a character meeting the Large Size prereq.
Aasimar is the eleventh species in popularity (without counting the Half Elf separately). Because the Fiend Tiefling is so popular, being fourth, and the Celestial Aasimar is a counterpart, I hope the Aasimar will make it into the 2024 Players Handbook. The Aasimar is to the Angel, as the Tiefling is to the Fiend. These are the Astral species, Celestial and Fiend respectively.
The origins of the Tiefling according to the UAs is something like the following, if one forgives the interpretation. Fiends created Tieflings by means of Fiendish magic. The Tieflings are native to the various Fiend dominions. This creation exhibits humanity, including freewill, thus has the Humanoid creature type. Pretty much immediately, the creations rebelled against their inhumane creators. Most of the Tieflings fled the Astral realms, including to materialize into the flesh and blood of the Material Plane. But there are still Tieflings who inhabit their native Fiend realms. Some but not all of these natives choose to behave inhumanly like their creators.
I hope the 2024 Aasimar has flexible features to represent the archetypes of the different Celestial realms. Traditionally, the Aasimars derive from LG Mount Celestia, but also reside elsewhere like NG (or TG, True Good) Elysium. Technically, the Tabaxi species is a kind of Aardling which is a kind of Aasimar that is native to the GCG Beastland. Aasimar traits might make it possible for a player to build a Tabaxi or other animal form using the Aasimar traits, as well as other kinds of angelic beings. Encouraging the Aasimar species to exhibit a wide range of appearances − humanlike, elementlike, or animallike − can help represent the various angelic beings of the G alignment realms. What was the old school 2e "Eladrin" of CG Arborea is in 5e a kind of Angel. It is unclear if the 5e Eladrin which is the Feywild native, also includes populations who are native to CG Arborea, or if there is an Eladrin-like Aasimar there. In any case, the Aasimar concept and its many versions needs a diversity of appearances and abilities to help represent this.
Heh, I hope 2024 officially spells the name of the species, Awsimar, so as to avoid the giggles at assy-mar.
Because the Genasi ranks higher than the official Gnome and Goliath which will be in the Players Handbook, and because the Tiefling and Aasimar are counterparts, these DnDBeyond stats for the "most popular" species, might in fact be a hint at what we will see in the 2024 Players Handbook.
In other words, the options for Genasi, Aasimar, an Aarakocra might be in the Players Handbook, among the others that will be.
Re the Aarakocra, I dislike full flight at level 1. But there are ways to make winged flight balance, even at level 1. If flight is available at level 1 in a way that doesnt cause the DM headaches, I am all for it. Notice that one can use the Aarakocra to represent ANY kind of bird: eagle, crow, raven, humingbird, parrot, stork, swan, etcetera. What were earlier Owlin and Kenku might merge in to become ethnicities of the 2024 Aarakocra species.
I expect 2024 to include an option to customize ones own species. I am unsure if this Custom species will be in the Players Handbook or in the DMs Guide as a variant rule. If in the DMs Guide, it is anyway a situation that "both you and your DM agree on" it. But in either book I hope normal games see heavy use of the Custom species option.
−
There will, of course, be Half-Elves in 2024. The update affects its stats. The Half-Elf can use either the Human chassis or the Elf chassis. The update also allows any kind of multispecies mix, such as Dwarf-Elf.
I like this miscibility alot. It is great for Norsesque concepts where individuals often have ancestries from more than one species, and occasionally, one species member can become an other species.
I notice, when one combines the DnDBeyond stats for Elf and Half-Elf, the Elf is far more popular that the Human. Then also add the stats for the Eladrin, Shadar-Kai, Sea Elf, Astral Elf, etcetera for the popularity of the Elf in all its ethnic diversity.
I am glad the Elf concept is still doing well, even while the species demographics are shifting during 5e. I welcome aboard the Dragonborn, which I love. Heh, even the Tiefling which I look askance at.
In 2024, the Orc format will include the Half-Orc. I expect the Orc merge to remain comparable in popularity with the Halfling.
The Halfling seems to be holding its own in popularity, despite its many critics, heh including me. My main difficulty with the Halfling is, it is too much like a normal Human from a pygmy ethnicity, whose average height is roughly 4 feet, but whose individuals can be closer toward 3 feet. At the same time, I recognize the reallife 3-ish feet tall prehistoric Homo florensiensis is a separate hominid species. It even has proportionally large feet and hands. It is plausible to understand a nonmagical Halfling species to be something like the floriensis, tho I wish D&D supplies a meaningful stat to somehow distinguish this species from the Human species. Making short people a separate species is problematic. In any case, the Halfling remains popular. 2024 will grant the choice to build a Halfling or a Small Human with a Lucky background.
I love Elemental themes, and am happy with the popularity of the Genasi, including its ethnicities specific to each element. I feel the stats for the Genasi need more work, including the ability to fully become the respective Element, like an Elemental Wildshaping to actually become watery liquid, airy gas, etcetera.
Due to its popularity, I hope to see the Genasi in the 2024 Players Handbook, despite WotC having never mentioned the possibility.
I love the Gnome and hope it continues to hang in there among the top ten.
The Goliath is the tenth popular species, not counting the merged Half-Elf. I expect the Goliath to continue gaining popularity after it is available in the 2024 Players Handbook.
I want the Orc, Goliath, and even the Human to have a possibility of being Large Size, over 8 feet tall. Possibly Strength and-or Constitution is a prerequisite. The Large Size should be a tag that has no mechanics in itself, but other mechanics might refer to it. There can be feats that grant benefits, like extended reach and heavier damage, to a character meeting the Large Size prereq.
Aasimar is the eleventh species in popularity (without counting the Half Elf separately). Because the Fiend Tiefling is so popular, being fourth, and the Celestial Aasimar is a counterpart, I hope the Aasimar will make it into the 2024 Players Handbook. The Aasimar is to the Angel, as the Tiefling is to the Fiend. These are the Astral species, Celestial and Fiend respectively.
The origins of the Tiefling according to the UAs is something like the following, if one forgives the interpretation. Fiends created Tieflings by means of Fiendish magic. The Tieflings are native to the various Fiend dominions. This creation exhibits humanity, including freewill, thus has the Humanoid creature type. Pretty much immediately, the creations rebelled against their inhumane creators. Most of the Tieflings fled the Astral realms, including to materialize into the flesh and blood of the Material Plane. But there are still Tieflings who inhabit their native Fiend realms. Some but not all of these natives choose to behave inhumanly like their creators.
I hope the 2024 Aasimar has flexible features to represent the archetypes of the different Celestial realms. Traditionally, the Aasimars derive from LG Mount Celestia, but also reside elsewhere like NG (or TG, True Good) Elysium. Technically, the Tabaxi species is a kind of Aardling which is a kind of Aasimar that is native to the GCG Beastland. Aasimar traits might make it possible for a player to build a Tabaxi or other animal form using the Aasimar traits, as well as other kinds of angelic beings. Encouraging the Aasimar species to exhibit a wide range of appearances − humanlike, elementlike, or animallike − can help represent the various angelic beings of the G alignment realms. What was the old school 2e "Eladrin" of CG Arborea is in 5e a kind of Angel. It is unclear if the 5e Eladrin which is the Feywild native, also includes populations who are native to CG Arborea, or if there is an Eladrin-like Aasimar there. In any case, the Aasimar concept and its many versions needs a diversity of appearances and abilities to help represent this.
Heh, I hope 2024 officially spells the name of the species, Awsimar, so as to avoid the giggles at assy-mar.
Because the Genasi ranks higher than the official Gnome and Goliath which will be in the Players Handbook, and because the Tiefling and Aasimar are counterparts, these DnDBeyond stats for the "most popular" species, might in fact be a hint at what we will see in the 2024 Players Handbook.
In other words, the options for Genasi, Aasimar, an Aarakocra might be in the Players Handbook, among the others that will be.
Re the Aarakocra, I dislike full flight at level 1. But there are ways to make winged flight balance, even at level 1. If flight is available at level 1 in a way that doesnt cause the DM headaches, I am all for it. Notice that one can use the Aarakocra to represent ANY kind of bird: eagle, crow, raven, humingbird, parrot, stork, swan, etcetera. What were earlier Owlin and Kenku might merge in to become ethnicities of the 2024 Aarakocra species.
I expect 2024 to include an option to customize ones own species. I am unsure if this Custom species will be in the Players Handbook or in the DMs Guide as a variant rule. If in the DMs Guide, it is anyway a situation that "both you and your DM agree on" it. But in either book I hope normal games see heavy use of the Custom species option.
CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing (He/They)
This is a timely topic; I've been mulling this over for my next D&D campaign. I want the players to have as much customization as possible for their characters, but I also don't want to muddle everything together so much that every character is essentially the same. I'll be following this thread with interest.
So far, I've gathered the following ideas from this thread.
Ability Score Increases
A character's ancestry will give a single +1 ASI to one stat of the player's choice. It will otherwise be per the "Custom Lineage" framework in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
A character's background will give them another +1 ASI. This will usually be a choice between two different stats--characters with the Soldier background will gain a +1 to their choice of Strength or Constitution, for example, and characters with the Sage background will get a +1 bonus to Intelligence or Wisdom.
A character's class will give them a third (and final) +1 ASI. Like background, the player can choose between a narrow list of options. Paladins start with a +1 bonus to Strength or Wisdom, Artificers start with a +1 to Intelligence or Constitution.
Ancestral Flavor
A LOT MORE WORK is needed for the framework in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything to be viable for all characters. Swapping out skill proficiencies and darkvision alone isn't going to make a werewolf (for example) feel unique. The Custom Lineage framework is a good start, but it needs more "signature features" for certain concepts.
The dragonborn's breath weapon is an excellent example: it's something that only dragonborn have. I'd like to see that expanded to all ancestries because in my opinion? if you can't think of a single such feature for your concept, you probably don't need a whole new Ancestry to describe it.
Size Needs to be Meaningful
I go back and forth on this topic. Lately I'm leaning in the direction of 3rd Edition's size adjustments. They weren't perfect, but at least they mattered, ya know? Perhaps one or more of the following?
So far, I've gathered the following ideas from this thread.
Ability Score Increases
A character's ancestry will give a single +1 ASI to one stat of the player's choice. It will otherwise be per the "Custom Lineage" framework in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
A character's background will give them another +1 ASI. This will usually be a choice between two different stats--characters with the Soldier background will gain a +1 to their choice of Strength or Constitution, for example, and characters with the Sage background will get a +1 bonus to Intelligence or Wisdom.
A character's class will give them a third (and final) +1 ASI. Like background, the player can choose between a narrow list of options. Paladins start with a +1 bonus to Strength or Wisdom, Artificers start with a +1 to Intelligence or Constitution.
Ancestral Flavor
A LOT MORE WORK is needed for the framework in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything to be viable for all characters. Swapping out skill proficiencies and darkvision alone isn't going to make a werewolf (for example) feel unique. The Custom Lineage framework is a good start, but it needs more "signature features" for certain concepts.
The dragonborn's breath weapon is an excellent example: it's something that only dragonborn have. I'd like to see that expanded to all ancestries because in my opinion? if you can't think of a single such feature for your concept, you probably don't need a whole new Ancestry to describe it.
Size Needs to be Meaningful
I go back and forth on this topic. Lately I'm leaning in the direction of 3rd Edition's size adjustments. They weren't perfect, but at least they mattered, ya know? Perhaps one or more of the following?
- Small-sized characters gain a +1 size bonus to AC; Large-sized characters gain a -1 size penalty to AC.
- Small-sized characters use smaller damage dice on weapons; Large-sized characters use larger damage dice.
- Small-sized characters have a +1 size bonus to Dexterity saves and a -1 size penalty to Strength saves; Large-sized characters have a +1 size bonus to Strength saves and a -1 size penalty to Dexterity saves.
Horwath
Legend
this could simply be addressed by improving pointbuy/array and not fiddling with added procedure of +1/+1/+1 or +2/+1 or +2/+1/+1 or whatever...
improve rolling to 3×5d6D2 and 3×4d6D1
here is my simple idea:
Custom lineage for 5.5E. Build your own race:
Inspired by custom lineage from Tasha's, but let's take it a bit further. PF1 style. Pick your racial traits; you have 6 trait points: skill proficiency, max 2 times combination of 3 tools, languages and/or weapons, max 2 times expertise in one racial tool or skill darkvision 60ft darkvision...
www.enworld.org
sure, more "features" can be added and point costs can be added to it.
100% yes, there should be clear mechanical advantages and disadvantages to being small/large in comparison to medium size.
Yaarel
He-Mage
With regard to options, each setting has its own array of options, according to the themes, tropes, and moods that define the specific setting. This setting might be local and only true nearby, or regional, planetary, planar, or multiversal forming connections and interactions between all that exists. Each context has its own characteristics. The character options correspond accordingly.
I hope the 2024 PH (Players Handbook) makes crystal clear to any player who reads it, that the options in the PH are there because they are popular, but they may or may not exist in the setting that the players are playing in. When the players and the DM agree on a setting, it is this setting that determines all options that exist. Forgotten Realms (the kitchen sink setting) has all of the options in the PH, as-is, but most settings dont. Eberron strives to include all of the options but via a unique context for it, and sometimes a mechanical tweak to make it fit within Eberron. Many settings, especially homebrew settings will have only some PH options, while adding other options from other rule books, whether official or indy.
The player is responsible for their character concept. The DM is responsible for the setting concept. Sometimes there are conflictive needs. I player seeks an unavailable option. In this situation, both the player and the DM need to figure out how to make the character concept work in a way that makes sense within the constraints of the setting.
The 5e formula, an option "that both you and the DM agree on", is spot on.
I hope the 2024 PH (Players Handbook) makes crystal clear to any player who reads it, that the options in the PH are there because they are popular, but they may or may not exist in the setting that the players are playing in. When the players and the DM agree on a setting, it is this setting that determines all options that exist. Forgotten Realms (the kitchen sink setting) has all of the options in the PH, as-is, but most settings dont. Eberron strives to include all of the options but via a unique context for it, and sometimes a mechanical tweak to make it fit within Eberron. Many settings, especially homebrew settings will have only some PH options, while adding other options from other rule books, whether official or indy.
The player is responsible for their character concept. The DM is responsible for the setting concept. Sometimes there are conflictive needs. I player seeks an unavailable option. In this situation, both the player and the DM need to figure out how to make the character concept work in a way that makes sense within the constraints of the setting.
The 5e formula, an option "that both you and the DM agree on", is spot on.
Bagpuss
Legend
If every ancestry is getting it and they can put it anywhere then it isn't really tied to or have anything to do with their ancestry.
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Bagpuss
Legend
Lower damage for small characters was never popular in 3rd Ed. Not sure there is a good reason to bring it back even if it makes sense.
I think Size bonuses and penalties are worthwhile if the DM is hoping for stereotypical species and class combinations in their specific campaign. Because if particular class selections are more useful based upon the species bonus or penalty... (general) your players will go along with it more often than not. The desire to play "off-brand" will be minimal if the penalties are just too onerous or the bonuses too worthwhile.
Large creatures getting larger weapon damages will just mean that any player who wishes to play a melee character will select a large species, because why wouldn't they? If this is a PC the player is going to play for a year, two years, four years etc... they aren't going to hamstring themselves out of the gate. They will take the pairing of least resistance. And by the same token if certain Small species have features that make stealth much easier for them... then anyone who wishes to play a stealthy character will do so, because why not? Nothing wrong with Halfling Rogues, so if you're going to get a juicy bonus for it, then go for it!
Which is great, if that's what the DM is hoping for! If the DM is wanting to avoid the Mos Eisley Cantina effect of the myriads of species/class combinations out there... setting up the rules to silo species into certain classes for a particular campaign makes sense. WotC themselves will never do it obviously (because why would they want to restrict options?)... but there's no reason why a specific DM can't choose to.
Large creatures getting larger weapon damages will just mean that any player who wishes to play a melee character will select a large species, because why wouldn't they? If this is a PC the player is going to play for a year, two years, four years etc... they aren't going to hamstring themselves out of the gate. They will take the pairing of least resistance. And by the same token if certain Small species have features that make stealth much easier for them... then anyone who wishes to play a stealthy character will do so, because why not? Nothing wrong with Halfling Rogues, so if you're going to get a juicy bonus for it, then go for it!
Which is great, if that's what the DM is hoping for! If the DM is wanting to avoid the Mos Eisley Cantina effect of the myriads of species/class combinations out there... setting up the rules to silo species into certain classes for a particular campaign makes sense. WotC themselves will never do it obviously (because why would they want to restrict options?)... but there's no reason why a specific DM can't choose to.
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