D&D General What it means for a race to end up in the PHB, its has huge significance

[CreamCloud0]

Right, the fact that it if fluff rather than mechanics is a good thing: not everything should be mechanics, and this is precisely one thing that shouldn't be.

your species should be more than just a bunch of fluff, this is something i believe regardless of if you're talking about them as their own species or as mixed offspring, if my species doesn't change anything about how my character plays then why bother offering it as an option.

 

[Belen]

Right, the fact that it if fluff rather than mechanics is a good thing: not everything should be mechanics, and this is precisely one thing that shouldn't be.

It is fluff that kind of breaks me out of the fantasy though. You are a orc that looks like a halfling, for example.

It also goes against the whole species thing. I would have preferred they use ancestry...

I think this is mostly going to be for those people who want to have the Orc stats but look human etc.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

That requires every species ever made to be redesigned to allow for such hybridization, and the list would grow larger with every new species. Effectively, that's a wholesale redesign of 60+ species and every new one added.

And while you as DM may ban certain combos, the rules itself wouldn't.

I mean, the new PHB has redesigned all species in it, and DnD 5e is going through a revamp. Seems like it could have been the opportunity to do it. Far too late now though.

If some speculative 6e turns up in 2030, then I'd hope to see it then.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

It is a system I will not use at my table. I will retain the old versions.

Next time I DM and a player wants to play a hybrid, I'll offer them two choices:

1: Use the 5.5e reflavouring option.
2: Work with them to homebrew rules for the hybrid species they want to play. Already did that when I had a player who wanted to play a pumpkin leshy.

 

[Belen]

I mean, the new PHB has redesigned all species in it, and DnD 5e is going through a revamp. Seems like it could have been the opportunity to do it. Far too late now though.

If some speculative 6e turns up in 2030, then I'd hope to see it then.

I think you are seeing the D&D Beyond designs constraints here. There version is easy to implement. The other version would have meant some serious coding as well as added resources from the tabletop designers.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

It is fluff that kind of breaks me out of the fantasy though. You are a orc that looks like a halfling, for example.

It also goes against the whole species thing. I would have preferred they use ancestry...

I think this is mostly going to be for those people who want to have the Orc stats but look human etc.

Feels like a slippery slope and next thing which comes around will be making all species just reflavouring, and the complete removal of individual species mechanics. I know quite a few people would prefer it that way.

 

[Belen]

Next time I DM and a player wants to play a hybrid, I'll offer them two choices:

1: Use the 5.5e reflavouring option.
2: Work with them to homebrew rules for the hybrid species they want to play. Already did that when I had a player who wanted to play a pumpkin leshy.

Do I want to know what a pumpkin leshy is?

 

[Remathilis]

I mean, the new PHB has redesigned all species in it, and DnD 5e is going through a revamp. Seems like it could have been the opportunity to do it. Far too late now though.

If some speculative 6e turns up in 2030, then I'd hope to see it then.

I hope I don't see 6e in 5 years...

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I hope I don't see 6e in 5 years...

But 2030 is over ten years awa....

Oh god.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Do I want to know what a pumpkin leshy is?

Leshy's are a playable plant species in pathfinder, and they're insanely cute. There are subspecies for different plants.

Gourd leshy (pumpkin leshy) can use their head as a container.

I don't understand why dnd has no plant playable species option.