D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook Reveal: Feats/Backgrounds/Species

[Belen]

Yuck.....Action Points, I mean heroic inspiration. That is an immediate house rule to get rid of that garbage.

 

[Parmandur]

There are 19 combinations of ability score boost, and only 16 backgrounds.

Meaning a few combinations won't exist (i.e. Str/Int/Cha might be missing).

I'm sure that gap will be filled shortly.

 

[mellored]

why?

should all guards have same background features(feat+skills)

If you go though the same training, you get the same skills.

So yes.

surely those 4 positions would ask for specialized set of skills?

Pretty sure the job is the same, so the skills are the same.

I'm having a hard time imagining a guard without perception and intimidation. If your letting all the thieves sneak by constantly, and people think you won't stop them, your not doing a good job guardian anything.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

New video just dropped.

• After choosing class, you go to the Character Origins chapter.
• Species and Background combine to give game capabilities.
• There is a sidebar on how to use backgrounds/species from previous books.

Background gives much more than in 2014.

• Backgrounds "determine ability score bonuses"
• each background has 3 ability options, and player chooses +2/+1, or +1/+1/+1 (e.g. Acolyte gives Int, Wis, Cha; Guide is Dex, Con, Wis).
• Backgrounds "interlock" with "appropriate" classes, but greater freedom from the advantageous species/class combos from 2014.
• 16 backgrounds provided.
• DMG will provide guidance for creating additinal backgrounds. (This is a BIG CHANGE from 2014, where customization was a built-in, player-controlled option; now it is "under DM supervision".)

Origin (first-level) feats: still available at later levels.

• Alert and Skilled offered by more than one background

Species (much of this as in playtest docs):

• orc, goliath, and aasimar are new.
• Goliath have the giant-themed flavor from the playtest. They also have the option to become large.
• Tremorsense for dwarves
• dwarves and orcs have 120' darkvision.
• humans get extra origin feat, and start with Heroic Inspiration
• some species have choice-points, but halfling, dwarf, orc do not have choice points (and so a lower complexity level).
• dragonborn can include breath weapon as one of their attacks.
• aasimar can change option for celestial revelation each time it gets used.

EDIT: Here's a list of confirmed backgrounds:
Acolyte (mentioned in video)
Guard
Guide

Spoiler: Hermit

View attachment 367844

Spoiler: Merchant

View attachment 367846

Feat not clear; ends in a Y and so probably Lucky.

Spoiler: Noble

View attachment 367845

Wayfarer

Truly stupid decision that will cause absolute havoc with the backgrounds. People have got used to being able to assigning stats as they want, and restricting it this way is going to force people to be ludicrously suboptimal in ways that people really, really, really hate.

Ways that generally speaking, even race-based limits placement didn't do. Acolyte is a prime example - absolutely NO-ONE wants to primary CHA, INT or WIS, and then put the +1 into the one of the others on that list. They've created a joke background no-one will take.

If this rule goes in on D&D Beyond, people will be insanely mad. They'll have to put in an override or people will literally be demanding refunds.

I imagine 80-90% of groups will ignore it anyway, because it's putting a restriction in after a restriction has been gone for 5+ years, and the restriction makes absolutely no sense and isn't balanced (c.f. Guide vs Acolyte - Guide offers a hugely more advantageous choice - no Cleric will ever be an Acolyte again - but most will be Guides).

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm having a hard time imagining a guard without perception and intimidation.

Someone has never met a soldier or security guard or even a cop (most cops absolutely lack Perception in any trained way).

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm sure that gap will be filled shortly.

Forcing people to spend money to legalize ability combos that have been legal for 5+ years is pretty gross behaviour, even by WotC standards. Pretty damn gross.

 

[mellored]

absolutely NO-ONE wants to primary CHA, INT or WIS, and then put the +1 into the one of the others on that list.

A sorcerer, bard, or warlock who doesn't want to fail a wisdom saving throw would be happy with +2 Cha and +1 Wis.

 

[Belen]

Truly stupid decision that will cause absolute havoc with the backgrounds. People have got used to being able to assigning stats as they want, and restricting it this way is going to force people to be ludicrously suboptimal in ways that people really, really, really hate.

Ways that generally speaking, even race-based limits placement didn't do. Acolyte is a prime example - absolutely NO-ONE wants to primary CHA, INT or WIS, and then put the +1 into the one of the others on that list. They've created a joke background no-one will take.

If this rule goes in on D&D Beyond, people will be insanely mad. They'll have to put in an override or people will literally be demanding refunds.

I imagine 80-90% of groups will ignore it anyway, because it's putting a restriction in after a restriction has been gone for 5+ years, and the restriction makes absolutely no sense and isn't balanced (c.f. Guide vs Acolyte - Guide offers a hugely more advantageous choice - no Cleric will ever be an Acolyte again - but most will be Guides).

Wow, we agree on something.

The optimizers will go insane. We will have people taking backgrounds that have nothing to do with the characters they want to play.

The feats are just as bad. They could have at least allowed a select from a short group.

I preferred ASI tied to species. Backgrounds were great to add flavor and maybe get the optimizers to think about a backstory.

 

[CreamCloud0]

i find it hilarious they said they didn't want to replicate the stat distribution limitations of species and then immediately went into how they basically did just that anyways, granted maybe with a little more leeway in it, but like, after tasha's floating for so long it's by comparason putting restrictions back onto the system rather than removing them.

i would've liked if they'd split the difference between species or background providing your potential ASI placement and had two stat choices given from each.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Given that the DMG has rules for custom backgrounds, a willing DM can work with a player to "customize" with the bare minimum of effort by simply swapping a attribute, skill or feat from one of the prefabs, without having to create a whole new background. In my game, I'd just ask the player to justify it.

Player: "I'd really like to take the Acolyte background for my cleric, with a +2 to Wisdom, but can I put the +1 into Con?"
DM: "Why would your character have received that benefit?"
Player: "They studied meditation during their training, able to keep their body fit even when going without food or water for extended periods."
DM: "Sold!"