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

[mellored]

I think I saw the Noble background stating Str/Int/Cha as the bonuses

Well I had a 80% chance to guess wrong.

B) Forced into picking the literally 1 background that optimizes for their class/spec.

Assuming there is no repeats, there will be 3-4 backgrounds that cover every 2 stats stats combo.

Did you quote the wrong post?

Possibly. Thread is moving quickly.

 

[Parmandur]

Assuming there is no repeats, there will be 3-4 backgrounds that cover every 2 stats stats combo.

Yeah, there will be multiple optimal options for every case it seems, which is a far sight better than Rave/Class combos in the 2014 PHB.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Assuming there is no repeats, there will be 3-4 backgrounds that cover every 2 stats stats combo.

Sure - but that's assuming no repeats and an even distribution, but more importantly, I'm talking about the Skills and Feat.

A bunch of Feats aren't "general purpose" - i.e. they're either bad or only suitable for some characters. Some may even be literally useless - "lightly armoured" is useless to what, 9 out of 12 classes? 10 out of 12? If a Background has that, few will want it. If it has certain stats associated with it, something very close to 100% of PCs will not want it.

Then you have Skills - if they Skills don't line up really well with the Feats and/or aren't general "adventuring skills" (and really, some aren't), people are not going to want that Background.

But I guarantee certain classes will have a Background which has their primary stat, CON and/or DEX (or both!), two skills which work well for that class, and a Feat that works well for that class, and like 70-80% of people playing that class will thus pick that background. And it may be a hilariously inappropriate Background. We can already see Acolyte is a bad pick for virtually all Clerics and Druids, which is pretty funny.

Yeah, there will be multiple optimal options for every case it seems, which is a far sight better than Rave/Class combos in the 2014 PHB.

And far, far worse than Tasha's, which most people have been using for 5 years. So that's a nonsense comparison.

Anyway, I'm going to be laughing when the real choices are here, and one of you guys defending them and claiming your players are god's perfect himbos non-min-maxers is like "Omg why does every Cleric always pick Guide and never Acolyte?! Why are players so dumb?!".

 

[mellored]

Yeah, there will be multiple optimal options for every case it seems, which is a far sight better than Rave/Class combos in the 2014 PHB.

Well to be fair, there will 0 to 1 backgound for every +1/+1/+1 combo.

So if you want to start 16/16/16/8/8/8 your options are limited, if even available.

Also, Bards are clearly the best Rave class.

 

[Yaarel]

I think there is also a financial motive to move the custom background to the DMs Guide. The relocation seems to intentionally reduce the frequency of use.

Then.

Selling official setting books with new official backgrounds, might be one of the player-facing perks to entice customers.

 

[Epic Meepo]

Customizing is also apparently in the DMG. Not rocket science.

One of the problems with background customization appearing in the 2024 DMG is that background customization appears in the 2014 PHB. So the designers have stripped a customization option that appeared in the 2014 PHB out of the 2024 PHB, making the default character creation rules more restrictive on that axis. Lots of people wanted less restrictions on character builds in 2024, not more.

 

[Parmandur]

"lightly armoured" is useless to what, 9 out of 12 classes? 10 out of 12? If a Background has that

To be slightly pedantic, IIRC that is a Level 4 Feat, not a Background eligible one, last we saw.

Anyway, I'm going to be laughing when the real choices are here, and one of you guys defending them and claiming your players are god's perfect himbos non-min-maxers is like "Omg why does every Cleric always pick Guide and never Acolyte?! Why are players so dumb?!".

My friends and family, God love 'em, couldn't min-max their way out of a paper bag. It'snot because they are saints, they juat aren'tengaged that way. So, I suppose experiences can play a big role in perception here.

 

[Parmandur]

One of the problems with background customization appearing in the 2024 DMG is that background customization appears in the 2014 PHB. So the designers have stripped a customization option that appeared in to 2014 PHB out of the 2024 PHB, making the default character creation rules more restrictive in the process. Lots of people wanted less restrictions on character builds in 2024, not more.

But we know the customization is easy, so ot won't be hard to do. Weirdly, I can see people use it more if it is in the DMG.

 

[Yaarel]

A bunch of Feats aren't "general purpose" - i.e. they're either bad or only suitable for some characters. Some may even be literally useless - "lightly armoured" is useless to what, 9 out of 12 classes? 10 out of 12? If a Background has that, few will want it. If it has certain stats associated with it, something very close to 100% of PCs will not want it.

Then you have Skills - if they Skills don't line up really well with the Feats and/or aren't general "adventuring skills" (and really, some aren't), people are not going to want that Background.

But I guarantee certain classes will have a Background which has their primary stat, CON and/or DEX (or both!), two skills which work well for that class, and a Feat that works well for that class, and like 70-80% of people playing that class will thus pick that background. And it may be a hilariously inappropriate Background. We can already see Acolyte is a bad pick for virtually all Clerics and Druids, which is pretty funny.

The rule might still apply that if a background skill is redundant with a class skill (or species skill?), the background can grant an other skill of the players choice. In that case, a player wants to pick a backgrounds whose skills are redundant with classes.

The main challenge will be selecting a feat that comes with appealing abilities and toolset.

 

[mellored]

Sure - but that's assuming no repeats and an even distribution, but more importantly, I'm talking about the Skills and Feat.

You are correct that not every single combination of stats, feats, and skills is available without your DMs permission.

Some may even be literally useless - "lightly armoured" is useless to what, 9 out of 12 classes?

I am sure they are aware of that and balanced according.

Perhaps they specifically don't have Light Armored with any Int, as every wizard would automatically pick it.