D&D (2024) Is anyone going to use the new 2024 backgrounds?

While true, those skills have never been a stated concern driving this int based sailor tangent. The root problem at the core of this whole tangent is the fact that "sailor" is not the option that makes the concept happen because the primary stated concern is just getting +int instead of whatever sailor allows followed by backstory. All of the story & background stuff is just set dressing to justify it unless there are unstated concerns like the other mechanical elements that sailor grants.

I am the one who created the example and the primary concern for this hypothetical is getting the ability score AND feat that matched the backstory of the hypothetical sailor character.

That backstory was specifically being an Apprentice for the Wizard Rollibar and part of the crew on board the Sea Sprite pirate hunter from the Drizzt novels. That fictional person would be a sailor, and Rollibar the Wizard is sailor in the novel.

That example was specific to the hypothetical backstory and could apply for whatever class was chosen. Whether I want to play a Fighter or Ranger or Paladin or Wizard I should be able to get the +1 intelligence boost and Magic Initiate feat on my Sailor because that is what makes sense with that backstory.
 

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And like I mentioned in my last post, choosing another background would make for an interesting element for that character's backstory. The son of a sage who decided to become an Eldritch Knight. ;)

It would be interesting, and that is why I don't think it should tie to ability scores or feat. Doing that disincentivizes building a detailed "off script" creative backstory.

Sure, I can put a ton of thought, time and effort into creating a really cool Sage-background Barbarian story covering an entire page with friends, relatives and narrative on how I got where I am and I will be hurt mechanically for doing that, even though that includes elements related to being a Barbarian. Meanwhile I can just hit the default Sailor button and say my backstory is "I sailed" and I am rewarded.
 


It would be interesting, and that is why I don't think it should tie to ability scores or feat. Doing that disincentivizes building a detailed "off script" creative backstory.

Sure, I can put a ton of thought, time and effort into creating a really cool Sage-background Barbarian story covering an entire page with friends, relatives and narrative on how I got where I am and I will be hurt mechanically for doing that. Meanwhile I can just hit the default Sailor button and say my backstory is "I sailed" and I am rewarded.
All it means is that you will start out with a 15 Str and since all feats are half feats now at 4th level you will have a 16 Strength. Since the sage will be getting Magical Adept if my memory serves you will have spells which can not be used while raging which makes it worse for a Barbarian but still fine for a Bard, Rogue, Fighter, Ranger, Paladin. You will probably put your points +2 to Wis and +1 to Int which means that you will be well rounded and a good Wis for saves is always nice.
 

This is 100% untrue. I am the one who created the example and the primary concern for this hypothetical is getting the ability score AND feat that matched the backstory of the hypothetical sailor character.
That's great but why does so much of the support for that focus exclusively on backstory & completely ignore even attempting to justify it from a CharOp perspective? If the backstory is the only bit of importance then there's no reason to be concerned about the mechanical bit.

In the OP you did ask if anyone is going to be using the new backgrounds & why anyone would use the more restrictive backgrounds, but that's a totally different thing. I'm going to say "citation needed" and ask for a post where you tried to spotlight the importance of both those specific elements before someone else did rather than simply asking why anyone would use them. Going back to post 87 you reference the mechanical details @mamba tossed out in 85. While indeed you mention a sailor in 80 & 33 the example you "created" seems to be entirely concerned with story & plot.
That backstory was specifically being an Apprentice for the Wizard Rollibar and part of the crew on board the Sea Sprite pirate hunter from the Drizzt novels. That fictional person would be a sailor, Rollibar the Wizard is a Sailor in the novel.
That's certainly something you could take up with your GM, but you are jumping the tracks... There seems to be significant support with multiple posters explaining how you could use some other more fitting background for it & we were talking about you wanting the mechanical elements of sailor over something else. The justification for that naked CharOp desire should focus on something mechanical rather than this kind of track shifting stormwind invocation.
That example was specific to the hypothetical backstory and to that backstory alone and that could apply for whatever class was chosen. Whether I want to play a Fighter or Ranger or Paladin or Wizard I should be able to get the +1 intelligence boost and Magic Initiate feat on my Sailor because that is what my backstory would afford.
See above, the specific mechanical elements were introduced by another poster before you did so as anything other than "why would anyone". The answer to why is "because they are not allowed to use the old ones or choose not to for whatever reason". Given that the only sticking point is the specific mechanical elements all of this talk of story is superfluous support for the fluff & story that nobody is in disagreement over allowing to the point that there have been numerous examples of how you could use a background carrying the +int that appears to have been introduced in post 85 by another poster.
 
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All it means is that you will start out with a 15 Str and since all feats are half feats now at 4th level you will have a 16 Strength. Since the sage will be getting Magical Adept if my memory serves you will have spells which can not be used while raging which makes it worse for a Barbarian but still fine for a Bard, Rogue, Fighter, Ranger, Paladin. You will probably put your points +2 to Wis and +1 to Int which means that you will be well rounded and a good Wis for saves is always nice.

It is awful mechanically for a Barbarian and it is still not clear what the purpose of tying the feat or abilities to that is.

What you start with depends on what you roll, but if it is point buy then yes it is a 15 Strength and a 15 Constitution which is a lot worse than a 16/16 or 16/17

There is another concern with point buy as well and that is the mechanical advantage of using your bonus on an ability with a base 13 or higher because the +1 is worth 2 points on point buy and +2 is worth 4 points and this means the abilities you got bonuses in are no better. For example with +2 Wisdom and +1 Intelligence my point buy Barbarian is S15 D14 C15 W12 I9 CH 8. With a +2 Strength, +1 Constitution my abilities are S16 D14 C16 W12 I8 CH8.

So on point buy getting the +2 Wisdom and +1 Intelligence my actual Wisdom and Intelligence modifier are not any better than they would be without it.
 

I am the one who created the example and the primary concern for this hypothetical is getting the ability score AND feat that matched the backstory of the hypothetical sailor character.

That backstory was specifically being an Apprentice for the Wizard Rollibar and part of the crew on board the Sea Sprite pirate hunter from the Drizzt novels. That fictional person would be a sailor, and Rollibar the Wizard is sailor in the novel.

That example was specific to the hypothetical backstory and could apply for whatever class was chosen. Whether I want to play a Fighter or Ranger or Paladin or Wizard I should be able to get the +1 intelligence boost and Magic Initiate feat on my Sailor because that is what makes sense with that backstory.
Does being a sailor assist this hypothetical wizard in increasing their intelligence? Should it? What does their previous job have to do with their intelligence score?
 

It would be interesting, and that is why I don't think it should tie to ability scores or feat. Doing that disincentivizes building a detailed "off script" creative backstory.

Sure, I can put a ton of thought, time and effort into creating a really cool Sage-background Barbarian story covering an entire page with friends, relatives and narrative on how I got where I am and I will be hurt mechanically for doing that, even though that includes elements related to being a Barbarian. Meanwhile I can just hit the default Sailor button and say my backstory is "I sailed" and I am rewarded.
How exactly is your PC "hurt"? It's not like there's no benefit to being a sailor.
 

It is awful mechanically for a Barbarian and it is still not clear what the purpose of tying the feat or abilities to that is.

What you start with depends on what you roll, but if it is point buy then yes it is a 15 Strength and a 15 Constitution which is a lot worse than a 16/16 or 16/17

There is another concern with point buy as well and that is the mechanical advantage of using your bonus on an ability with a base 13 or higher because the +1 is worth 2 points on point buy and +2 is worth 4 points and this means the abilities you got bonuses in are no better. For example with +2 Wisdom and +1 Intelligence my point buy Barbarian is S15 D14 C15 W12 I9 CH 8. With a +2 Strength, +1 Constitution my abilities are S16 D14 C16 W12 I8 CH8.

So on point buy getting the +2 Wisdom and +1 Intelligence my actual Wisdom and Intelligence modifier are not any better than they would be without it.
"Awful" seems a little strong. 15 is a bonus of +2 and well above average, and nothing in 5e's math makes that "awful".
 

"Awful" seems a little strong. 15 is a bonus of +2 and well above average, and nothing in 5e's math makes that "awful".

For a point buy Barbarian it is awful, it is lower than the quick build Barbarian. Further even if we are sticking with that it is still mechanically inferior.

If 15 is good enough it is even worse. A Barbarian with a +2 strength and +1 Constitution and a 15 in those scores on point buy could have a 14 Wisdom (S15 D14 S15 W14 I9 CH8). That is doable with a +2 Strength and +1 Constitution.

With the bonuses put on Intelligence and Wisdom my Wisdom score is actually LOWER on point buy if I want a 15 Strength and 15 Constitution! Yet the "high Wisdom" Sage background drives you to a lower Wisdom Barbarian on point buy if you assume the same Strength and Constitution.
 

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