D&D (2024) The 10 Species in "Your Ideal 2024 PHB"

I'm again bewildered by the number of people who take a half-dozen different species and cram them into one mechanical expression. For example, a beastfolk option that is supposed to encapsulate everything from aarakorca to tortles somehow, or a planetouched option that I assume would just be swapping which spells you cast for free.

I suspect it comes from the same desire to combine every spellcaster class into a single option or other class compressions. The ability to fit the whole of D&D into a medium sized sourcebook. I just don't think that a beastfolk magic-user is as evocative as a tortle warlock, reverb if they share similar mechanics. Ymmv.

Mechanically, what is the difference between a fire genasi and a tiefling? Nothing about the flavor mind you. Just the mechanics. There’s not much difference. Resist fire and some sort of fire spell. That’s it. That’s the mechanics of both.

So why do we need a completely different write up for tieflings or genasi. Just have, planetouched or something like that and be done.

It’s like all the hoopla about half elves when there is virtually no mechanical difference between them.
 

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Mechanically, what is the difference between a fire genasi and a tiefling? Nothing about the flavor mind you. Just the mechanics. There’s not much difference. Resist fire and some sort of fire spell. That’s it. That’s the mechanics of both.

So why do we need a completely different write up for tieflings or genasi. Just have, planetouched or something like that and be done.

It’s like all the hoopla about half elves when there is virtually no mechanical difference between them.

When the bar to cross is 5e species design 'depth' well you wouldnt be wrong.

Then again I had hopes after the Eladrin, thats a cool option.
 

Human
Elf (Half Elf subrace)
Dwarf
Halfolk (Halflings, Goblins, Gnomes as subraces)
Orc (Half Orc subrace)
Fae/Sprite
Gith (Yanki and/or Zerai)
Planetouched (Aasimar/Tiefling subraces)
Changeling
Undead of some kind

That way you've got your "Normal" your "Beautiful" your "Ugly" and your "Strange". Covers most character desires though furry is left out.
 
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1 Variant human
2 Promethean (reborn)
3 Spirit-touched (fey/elemental/planar)
4 Lycanthrope (various)
5 Ghost
6 Shadowfolk
7 Gargoyle/Golem
8 Lesnovoi/Trollkin
9 Gnome/Goblin
10 Hag-born
 

Mechanically, what is the difference between a fire genasi and a tiefling? Nothing about the flavor mind you. Just the mechanics. There’s not much difference. Resist fire and some sort of fire spell. That’s it. That’s the mechanics of both.

So why do we need a completely different write up for tieflings or genasi. Just have, planetouched or something like that and be done.

It’s like all the hoopla about half elves when there is virtually no mechanical difference between them.
Let me ask you this: what is the difference between the new Elf and the new Tiefling?

Darkvision? Both get 60 ft.
Spells? one cantrip, one at third, and one at fifth (exact spells determined by lineages)
Resistances? tieflings get one energy resistance, elves get resistance to charm effects
Ribbon effects? tieflings get thaumatugy, elves get trance.
Origin? Tieflings are influenced by the lower planes, elves by the feywild.

Conclusion: elves and tieflings should be combined into a planetouched race. There is practically no mechanical difference between them.

How does that work? One planetouched race to represent tieflings, aasimar, genasi, elves, etc?
 






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