D&D 5E A First Look at Tasha’s Lineage System In AL Player’s Guide - Customizing Your Origin In D&D

The new player’s guide for the D&D Adventurers League has been released. Appendix 1 includes the new info from Tasha’s Cauldron on customizing your origin. It‘s a one-page appendix.

The D&D Adventurers League now uses this variant system from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything since it allows for a greater degree of customization. For ease of reference, the relevant information is included as an appendix to this document and doesn’t count against the PH + 1 rule.

You can do any of the following (obviously the full document has more detail):

1. Move your race ability score increases wherever your want to. “...take any ability score increase you gain in your race or subrace and apply it to an ability score of your choice.”​

2. Replace each language from your race with any language from a set list.​

3. Swap each proficiency for another of the same type.​

4. Alter behaviour/personality race-based descriptions.​

Its not clear if that’s the whole Lineage system or just part of it. You can download the player’s guide here.

 

[Flamestrike]

What I think is needed now is revamped or improved monster builds to raise the bar to match the new higher player power levels. This move has definitely given more power to the players, but has put more burden on the DM to try and balance it.

Has it though?

I mean its assumed that Save DCs and attack bonuses at 1st level will be reflective of a 16/17 Main stat (+3) in any event.

You're really just switching one bunch of racial abilities (no sleep for elves, darkvision the cantrip, resistance to charmed, proficiency in Perception etc) with another bunch of racial abilities.

 

[Horwath]

I like this, but I would limit this a little.

I.E. if you have a +2 ability boost on some ability, you could reduce that +2 to +1 and give that +1 to any other ability. Total racial ability bonus CANNOT be higher than +2.

I.E. mt dwarf cannot reduce it +2 con to +1 con to have +3 str. but mt.dwarf wizard could reduce +2 str to +1 str and gain +1 int and have racial modifiers; +1 str, +2 con and +1 int. Or reducin con with str also for +1 str, +1 dex, +1 con, +1 int

point is, that racial +2 bonus is defining and you should keep +1 after this modifications.


Replacing martial weapon should be 2 tool/simple weapons or 1 skill.

racial armor proficiency is also worth a skill or 2 tools.

 

[TheIdeaOfGood]

Hm...meh. Not a fan of ability bonuses being put wherever you want. We are still talking about different species, after all and I think it's not doing anyone a service when that's conflated with human ethnicities. A dwarf is not human. To say so is not racism.
Now, subraces, on the other hand, are somewhat tricky since they are basically the equivalent of human ethnicities. I'd much have preferred to have some bonuses that are set in stone and a toolbox of available options to create an individual character with their own strengths and weaknesses within that framework.
Fortunately, it's all optional.
However, since I am really trying to be more positive these days, I fully intend to use this to set up a little toolbox to create new races. By the way...wasn't there a third-party supplement that already dealt with lineages? Does anyone know the name and whether it's any good?

 

[CubicsRube]

I don't worry too much about how munchkins will abuse this rule, because munchkins will always find a rule to abuse. The only way to keep them from ruining your game is to not play with them.

Such an important point.

I understand the AL perspective, but in home games if I have players or play with people that are only interested in gaming the rules, I find it makes for an unpleasant table anyway, regardless of how robust the rules are.

 

[Markh3rd]

Has it though?

I mean its assumed that Save DCs and attack bonuses at 1st level will be reflective of a 16/17 Main stat (+3) in any event.

You're really just switching one bunch of racial abilities (no sleep for elves, darkvision the cantrip, resistance to charmed, proficiency in Perception etc) with another bunch of racial abilities.

I think there is a reason Yuan ti are banned this season. Maybe it's just because it's cold outside, and maybe it's because now you have a race that has one of the best racial features (You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects) combined with any stat combination you want.

 

[CubicsRube]

It doesn't. It lets you move around ability scores and proficiencies, and that's it. Aarakocra still get wings, Tritons still get swimming, and elves still get darkvision.

Honestly I'm tired of trotting out the argument that a race is more than it's ASIs. Some people are convinced that it's true. Other's talk about racial features.

I'm looking forward to the change.

 

[CubicsRube]

This actually won't affect my next character since they're a non-hexblade gish going Mountain Dwarf.

I don't see how human is poop tier either. It's almost top-tier to begin with. +6 spread evenly is really good when, especially when you're a character like Paladin or Fighter that has uses for multiple different ability scores at once.

Or a barbarian or monk!

 

[CubicsRube]

We really don’t, and I hope 6e finally gets rid of them.

I've made a hack attempt at 5e without ability scores, and if I ever wrote a newbie heartbreaker, that's the first thing I'd do.

 

[CubicsRube]

I've seen a lot of conversation on the racial ASI topic on this forum and I wanted to say my piece.

Many people see no problem with ASIs as it relates to entirely different species. It's seen as accepting why a gazelle is more dextrous than an ape, but the ape is stronger.

I understand this point of view.

However, the climate has changed among consumers, and for those that equate dwarves, elves, humans and the like with different human ethnicities, the ASI limitations strike too close to home.

I also understand this point of view.

Regardless of what side you sit on this fence, I think we need to accept that this is a change that will happen, and we should still enjoy this hobby as it is, and not getting stuck in anger for what we feel it should be.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

What I enjoy most is the ability to create a character who speaks only Infernal and Celestial and cannot communicate with the rest the of party. That's pretty cool.