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

[Minigiant]

In my homebrew setting, Dragonborn have a civilization vaguely akin to the Phoenicians/Carthage. They rule a loose confederation of city-states and are kings of maritime trade. They are also occasionally find themselves at odds with the dominant empire (that's a blend of Imperial Rome, Maurya India and Achaemenid Persia). Their cities are very cosmopolitan, with a large human cohort and a sizable halfling presence (the halfling population nearby are nomadic pastoralists, but some are curious about life in the cities).

In mine, it is the same but with lizardfolk and kobolds due to similar dietary needs.

What would the players gain if all of them were equally prevalent in a setting? The fact that they are already a part of that setting's standard line-up of PC species should be all that matters when choosing one of them for your character. You choose a species and pick a place within the setting for them to hail from.

There is most to species that your PC.

Shared experiences and history, speaking similar language, finding racial and class magic items, etc, epitomizing or bucking class or species biases and stereotypes.

 

[Corinnguard]

Shared experiences and history, speaking similar language, finding racial and class magic items, etc, epitomizing or bucking class or species biases and stereotypes.

This is something that players do whenever they role-play as their characters. Whenever we are role-playing as a member of a particular species, we're either confirming the biases and stereotypes that have been associated with our character's species, or we're bucking them by surprising others with our character's individuality. By being nothing at all like others expect our character to be.

This also works for class. And it might be one reason why we have subclasses to begin with. A Bladesinger Wizard bucks the biases and stereotypes typically associated with wizards. Most wizards fight from the rear by being magical artillery. But not the Bladesinger who stands with the party's martials.

 

[Minigiant]

This is something that players do whenever they role-play as their characters. Whenever we are role-playing as a member of a particular species, we're either confirming the biases and stereotypes that have been associated with our character's species, or we're bucking them by surprising others with our character's individuality. By being nothing at all like others expect our character to be.

This also works for class. And it might be one reason why we have subclasses to begin with. A Bladesinger Wizard bucks the biases and stereotypes typically associated with wizards. Most wizards fight from the rear by being magical artillery. But not the Bladesinger who stands with the party's martials.

My point is the blacksmith NPC being an elf or a dragonborn or a having levels in fighter or in wizard or no class or being a noble or peasant should matter.

The encounter with the bandits forcing a toll on the road is different if the bandits are 100% human or 50% tieflings or has a mage in the gang or a cleric.

There's more to the setting when it comes to background and origin then what it allows you to make with your character. The other characters matter as well.

The other characters also matter.

Like I said before many DM have run encounters where the enemies are all Orcs or all Drow. But how many have run an encounter with Dragonborn or Goliath or with Gnomes?

I mean there was a whole big stink where the monster manual only has a generic priest and they put the drought priest in the Faerun book instead (that you have to pay extra for).

I think from 3rd to 4th and 5th the species of the NPCs can matter more because it is more accepted that NPCs have all of these fantastic species and class features and the DM would be allowed to use them against the players.

 

[mamba]

I'm actually pretty OK with a broadly cosmopolitan setting where racial distinctions aren't noticed much.

Which can be true even if you stray pretty far from an even distribution of 8% per species across every country, city, and village...

 

[TwoSix]

Which can be true even if you stray pretty far from an even distribution of 8% per species across every country, city, and village...

I mean, it would be weird and notable if there was absolute parity across every town in the continent, so I don’t think anyone wants that.

I just think it’s ok if most places in this hypothetical setting just have random assortments of every race, and the setting doesn’t have “elven kingdoms” or a “dwarven homeland” or anything like that.

 

[teitan]

I want a new Ptolus, or Sharn from Eberron, or Absalom from Golarion..., but with "modern" sensibilities and a "working" economy.

Monte Cook did a 5e Ptolus.

 

[mamba]

I mean, it would be weird and notable if there was absolute parity across every town in the continent, so I don’t think anyone wants that.

some sound like they do, e.g.

If there aren't enough Dragonborn on the planet for every major city to have a Dragonborn [something], but there are human [same something] in almost every major city, your setting seems insufficient to be that 5.24 setting.

I just think it’s ok if most places in this hypothetical setting just have random assortments of every race, and the setting doesn’t have “elven kingdoms” or a “dwarven homeland” or anything like that.

I would prefer a mix. Have some closed off elven kingdoms and dwarven Morias, etc. Have other regions with more of a mix of species, one or two species can still be pretty dominant (and a few others pretty rare), and in larger cities there is more of a mix so even the dominant species is actually a minority.

Unless you are either in a xenophobic society (the closed off elven kingdom..) or some absolute backwater, everyone is used to seeing all kinds of people travel the roads however

 

[SkidAce]

try saying that to all the organizations that are 90% humans or the elven village in the forest.

The Harpers are a dragonborn institution, with only 10% of its members being other species. Done.

(I'm not being argumentative, its likely that since I've always used a homebrew setting, I'm a little more easy going about making changes for people's reqeusts)

 

[Azzy]

I'm actually pretty OK with a broadly cosmopolitan setting where racial distinctions aren't noticed much.

Me too. My setting is influenced by civilizations and widespread trade of the Bronze Age peoples (and so, the peoples are more exposed to other peoples).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Me too. My setting is influenced by civilizations and widespread trade of the Bronze Age peoples (and so, the peoples are more exposed to other peoples).

If people think the "vibe" of 5.5e is widespread speciesism, they have sure missed the memo!