D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[Maxperson]

I agree that Dragonborn would make great Flaming Fists, but my point was more on the story telling potential being a Flaming Fist has compared to something like a far traveler or from a remote poor village. I believe the position is Humans of Thay, the Dwarves of the Mithral Hall or the Elves of Highwood have far greater story potential for a PC than Dragonborn because they have deeper connections to the setting beyond a wandering mercenary.

Although if the DM makes it so that the Dragonborn species have a decently interesting connection/history to the setting similar to other cultures/groups/factions so Dragonborn don't feel tacked on then the whole discussion is moot. I imagine most here would do so, assuming your setting allows for Dragonborn of course.

I think you are probably correct if looking at ancestral ties. Dragonborn in the Realms are tied to a country that has not been written up as a location in 5e, and there's not a ton online, either. The DM would have to do some work to make those ties, buuuuuuut, it's also not likely to come up much in game play, at least not any more so than Thay would.

Most of the storytelling potential for Thay and Tymanther would come up if you went to Thay or Tymanther. Otherwise you just have a bit on Thayan Enclaves and Red Wizards, and a bit about Dragonborn being mercenaries, fighting for their freedom in Tymanther, and being big on honor and tradition. To really dig deeply into either location would involve the DM going outside of 5e and/or making up a lot of stuff.

Mithral Hall and the High Forest(Elves of Highwood) are both along the Sword Coast/North and so are much more likely to come up in game play since those are the areas WotC has stressed for 5e/5.5e. They have the highest storytelling potential for adventuring on the sword coast.

Now if you tied your Dragonborn to the Flaming Fists and/or some other Sword Coast entities, the storytelling potential would also be fairly high.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Backstory, not options.

I meant the entire character package which would include background.

But I didn't say it was unique, I said it's not universal.

Even so I find it hard to to believe that players do not discuss their character (which would include their background) with the DM.
Sometimes there is no need to, but when a player is prepared to lean into it, have the background be meaningful in some way or that they are selecting something which may require DM approval or input - then that conversation is had.

 

[Yaarel]

If such percentages actually dictate whether they are kept in the game or not. I'm not sure those stats actually matter in this context. I still feel like it's a solution in search of a problem.

100%, popularity determines if a feature enters or exits core. If Halfling and Gnome do exit core, they still stay in the D&D game because certain settings will feature them. Forgotten Realms will continue to have Gnomes and Dark Sun will continue to omit them.

By the way, I am a fan of Gnome. I feel they can as easily be a variant of Dwarf with an Illusionist culture. While I would like an option for Tiny Gnome a young Small is this.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Wait. What notable traits does the 2014 Half Elf have? They are Charisma boost like the 2024 Human can be. They are skillful like the Human is. The traditional Half Elf stats are Human.

The only thing missing is Darkvision, but this should be a cantrip anyway. And if a trait, an origin feat is a reasonable mechanic.

Moreover, assuming Elf has Darkvision is problematic. Underground Drow and nocturnal Wood should have it, but High (Sun!) and Astral shouldnt. Eladrin and Sea could go either way.

Making Darkvision a cantrip fixes everything.

focusing on the wrong things yarrel, the point is they had something that represented both sides of their parentage, they might have done so poorly but they did do so.

i don't believe all traits should be turned into cantrips either as you seem to be attempting.

 

[Yaarel]

focusing on the wrong things yarrel, the point is they had something that represented both sides of their parentage, they might have done so poorly but they did do so.

Because these separate species dont normally reproduce together the anomalous individuals are each unique, and dont merit write up as a separate species. Also, even when the anomalies occur, the story typically has one parent magically shapechange into the other species - thus the stats of the normal species are in play.

For the same reason a Human-Dragon offspring doesnt merit a writeup as a separate species. Nor a Human-Plasmoid offspring, nor a Human-Unicorn offspring, nor whatever. Any such offspring dont result from "biology".

i don't believe all traits should be turned into cantrips either as you seem to be attempting.

The species format already uses cantrips for species traits in the context of magical "lineages". To make Darkvision one of these cantrips seems obvious when a Darkvision lineage may or may not be situationally appropriate.

 

[Yaarel]

I think you are probably correct if looking at ancestral ties. Dragonborn in the Realms are tied to a country that has not been written up as a location in 5e, and there's not a ton online, either. The DM would have to do some work to make those ties, buuuuuuut, it's also not likely to come up much in game play, at least not any more so than Thay would.

Most of the storytelling potential for Thay and Tymanther would come up if you went to Thay or Tymanther. Otherwise you just have a bit on Thayan Enclaves and Red Wizards, and a bit about Dragonborn being mercenaries, fighting for their freedom in Tymanther, and being big on honor and tradition. To really dig deeply into either location would involve the DM going outside of 5e and/or making up a lot of stuff.

Mithral Hall and the High Forest(Elves of Highwood) are both along the Sword Coast/North and so are much more likely to come up in game play since those are the areas WotC has stressed for 5e/5.5e. They have the highest storytelling potential for adventuring on the sword coast.

Now if you tied your Dragonborn to the Flaming Fists and/or some other Sword Coast entities, the storytelling potential would also be fairly high.

In other words, a regional or local setting would feature Thay Undead or Tymanther Dragonborn character options.

 

[Maxperson]

In other words, a regional or local setting would feature Thay Undead or Tymanther Dragonborn character options.

Until/unless they write up the Unther/Tymanther/Thay/Mulhorand region(s), you're not likely to see anything like that. That wasn't what I was specifically referring to, though. What I was talking about would be that Thay and Tymanther would receiver write-ups covering the country, groups in power, societies, etc. that could be used in background for greater storytelling potential.

Right now those two things don't exist in 5e outside of some small bit of lore in the books.

 

[Yaarel]

Perhaps for a half-celestial, but Aasimar just have some blood passed down for generations. It's too diluted to overcome biology. Not that I necessarily agree that even a half-celestial would overcome the biology, but at least that would be direct and strong enough that I could see that as a possibility.

What makes an Awsimar an Awsimar is the individuals soul. The body is the normal characteristics of the parents, albeit slightly transfigured.

Thus Human Awsimar would reproduce with an other Human, a Dwarf Awsimar would reproduce with an other Dwarf. I dont expect a Human Awsimar to be able to reproduce with a Dwarf Awsimar.

In all cases, I dont expect any offspring from Awsimar to be Awsimar.

 

[Yaarel]

Until/unless they write up the Unther/Tymanther/Thay/Mulhorand region(s), you're not likely to see anything like that. That wasn't what I was specifically referring to, though. What I was talking about would be that Thay and Tymanther would receiver write-ups covering the country, groups in power, societies, etc. that could be used in background for greater storytelling potential.

Right now those two things don't exist in 5e outside of some small bit of lore in the books.

I agree. I think the Dragonborn are important enough to enough players, that we should have seen a deep dive into the region of Tymanther in the Heroes of Faerun book. It would also help sort out the cultural changes that happened there recently, and mention neighboring Mulhorand and Chessenta.

Possibly the book minimized Tymanther to downplay the names of reallife gods around there. But if so, the book should have supplied other regions where Dragonborn cultures are prominant.

 

[Maxperson]

What makes an Awsimar an Awsimar is the individuals soul. The body is the normal characteristics of the parents, albeit slightly transfigured.

That's not true. Otherwise the PC would also have all of the characteristics of a human. The spark is in the soul, but the spark affects the characteristics as well. Darkvision is a physical characteristic. Resistance to damage is a physical characteristic. Age is a physical characteristic. Features like metallic freckles, luminous eyes, and the skin color of an angel are physical characteristics.