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Well that is an interpretation, although I am not sure many tables will allow it. That said, why have the background tied to mechanics at all then? If I can play an Acolyte with +1 Wisdom, +2 Dexterity and the Tavern Brawler feat then why even have a sailor with those printed feats and ASIs...

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It is not a houserule it is in the PHB* If WOTC modeled their new backgrounds around the rules they published telling you how to use older backgrounds there would be no issue. *Technically the 50gp option is a houserule, but everything else isn't.

I think it is and I have played with dozens of groups from many countries. I think high fantasy and high magic is the norm for D&D. Official WOTC adventures represent about 50% of games I would say they are mostly high fantasy and high magic as are most 3rd party adventures. Low magic games...

There are specific mechanics associated with the words. You can hombrew this, but if you are playing RAW when you make the command they do what it says in the spell. Approach. The target moves toward you by the shortest and most direct route, ending its turn if it moves within 5 feet of you...

It is super meaningful. I would notice as soon as I put my character together. The Origin Feat is not that great. Looking at it alone compared to other Origin Feats it is probably slightly below average in a combat-oriented game or well below average in a balanced game. I will notice it...

Exactly. The feat given by the background is objectively weaker because of this, and her we are not talking about a class, where you can choose a different one, but a feat that is tied directly to the background. Morover though, while you fail once "more" out of 20 attepmts, your overall...

When you are talking about mechanics this means a 2 point decrease in your primary ability and the loss of a feat that synergizes with your class abilities and replacement with a Feat that is of little value for your class. Constitution is not nearly as important as Dexterity for numerous...

They do say this explicitly for ability score increases though, on page 38 of the 2024 PHB: "If you’re using a species from an older book, ignore those increases and use only the ones given by your background."

Well yeah it bleeds over, it is a high fantasy, high magic game, but I think that is representative of most modern D&D games. Only one of the games I am playing right now is of the low magic variety. That is a Darksun game with a lot of house rules, but we are moving back to Forgotten Realms...

It is not only the best, but you are penalized for taking something more thematic like Sage or Acolyte.

It is a chained feat. The reason to get the origin feat is to follow it with the 4th level Dragonscarred feat and that feat is a huge increase in offense (with the accompanying high wisdom)

They are spells, I don't think they should be easily defended. That is the whole point IMO. We do what is most fun at my tables. To be clear the tables I am a player on have not changed back to the old Mage Slayer or Indomitable (although we have talked about doing it with Indomitable), that...

Hold Person is pretty limited in who it can effect, and 2nd level. Also what makes command great is the lack of concentration.

Command is one round. Tasha's isn't but it causes a resave with every hit.

But what is missing is the 4th level Feat that causes frightened every time you hit (essentially Menacing Strike at will with no damage). That would still be on Wisdom.

Is it a lie, or is that just what those in power (WOTC) want you to believe. :p

The Background does not offer a bonus to Wisdom.

At will frightened as an action by itself is not particularly strong, even with the Heroic Inspiration, because it only lasts one round and can only be used once on a creature. I would say this is an OK Origin feat, but not nearly as good as the best. You are trading your action give an enemy...

It is not 1 point, it is 2-3 points.