D&D General Race Has No Mechanics. What do you play?

[Reynard]

My thought was simply why even talk about vibes unless that's what you want?

I was quoting a person who used that term.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Because I don't see them as equivalent. I already said, class is what you DO in the game, and race is who you ARE. You don't need mechanics for the latter (IMO of course). You obviously see them as equally important, if not equivalent.

Seems pretty clear that, at least as far as species is concerned, you do prefer vibes.

 

[Reynard]

Apologies if you have had to repeat yourself on my behalf, I'm selectively skimming pages to try and maintain my sanity.

No problem.

As it relates to the minotaur, this is where it is almost required that the player spend some character defining resource --feats or whatever -- to emulate something about it. "I take Unarmed Attack and Powerful Build" or whatever. The thing is, if you allow a race that forces the player the expend those resources to emulate the race, you might be maintaining some kind of balance, but you aren't really sticking to "cosmetic only" -- you are just moving around the racial abilities.

 

[Reynard]

Seems pretty clear that, at least as far as species is concerned, you do prefer vibes.

I'm saying that you don't need dedicated racial ability mechanics, and that not having them doesn't mean everyone is just a human in a funny hat.

 

[Corinnguard]

I could be misreading some folks, but this thread sure makes it seem like most posters do not care about their characters beyond the mechanics. they aren't interested in the lore surrounding their choice of race, or how it impacts play beyond when they get bonuses or penalties. I am legitimately surprised.

Aside from knowing what my Bugbear Ranger/Rogue can and can't do as a Bugbear, I do care about trying my best to be my character when it comes to role-playing. My character was raised by non-Bugbears. He doesn't think or act like the typical Bugbear. At the same time, however, he realizes that other people are going to see Bugbear and assume that he is like other Bugbears because they don't know him that well. Then I have him do the unexpected.

I think the difference is that class IS what you do, while race is who you are. The latter is easier to do on "vibes."

Level Up has Heritage (Who your parents are), Culture (the society you grew up in), Background (the job you had before you decided to go out and adventure) and Destiny (your goal as an adventurer). Class would have to be your role within the party your character is a part of.

If I was to keep one bit of racial mechanics, it would be that race's signature trait. The one trait that sets them apart from the other races. A Dragonborn's breath weapon, an Elf's Trance, etc.

 

[Corinnguard]

@Reynard. You selected D&D General instead of TTRPG General when submitting your premise. If you had brought up your premise under the latter, you wouldn't gotten as much as pushback from people such as me because we know that there are other RPGs out there that don't place much emphasis on racial mechanics as D&D does. Why select D&D General?

 

[Reynard]

@Reynard. You selected D&D General instead of TTRPG General when submitting your premise. If you had brought up your premise under the latter, you wouldn't gotten as much as pushback from people such as me because we know that there are other RPGs out there that don't place much emphasis on racial mechanics as D&D does. Why select D&D General?

Remember the thread was a question. I was curious how D&D playing folks felt, knowing that other games have and do do it differently. I wasn't really surprised by the number of people that said they like, want or even need racial mechanics. I was surprised by the number of people who said that only mechanical differences matter and that without those differences everyone is basically human. I have always thought of the races as essentially alien (except maybe halflings) and so the non-mechanical aspects as as or more important than the +1 strength or whatever.

 

[Scribe]

I have always thought of the races as essentially alien (except maybe halflings) and so the non-mechanical aspects as as or more important than the +1 strength or whatever.

In my experience very very few play out that way. Nothing in the PHB is truly 'alien', and the longer 5e has been out, the less alien everything has become.

 

[Corinnguard]

Remember the thread was a question. I was curious how D&D playing folks felt, knowing that other games have and do do it differently. I wasn't really surprised by the number of people that said they like, want or even need racial mechanics. I was surprised by the number of people who said that only mechanical differences matter and that without those differences everyone is basically human. I have always thought of the races as essentially alien (except maybe halflings) and so the non-mechanical aspects as as or more important than the +1 strength or whatever.

Well collectively we are a Chaotic Good lot.

 

[Reynard]

Well collectively we are a Chaotic Good lot.

A chaotic, good lot anyway.