D&D 5E Adding Feats to the Existing Backgrounds

[Parmandur]

I’ll be surprised if they give it an edition number, be that 5.5 or 6e. I think 50th Anniversary Edition sounds nice, but I imagine they might prefer to avoid the term “edition” entirely. Maybe “50th Anniversary rules revision.”

I don't think they will make a big deal out of it, like they did with 3E, 3.5, and 4E: like the credits page might note that it is a sixth edition of the game, but the text will emphasize continuity.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I don’t imagine your players are newcomers to the game though, which is what Greg and I were discussing.

My current players are not, but I knew many of them when they were, and it was the same way then too.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I’ll be surprised if they give it an edition number, be that 5.5 or 6e. I think 50th Anniversary Edition sounds nice, but I imagine they might prefer to avoid the term “edition” entirely. Maybe “50th Anniversary rules revision.”

They are unlikely to use rule revision in their marketing at all, IMO. Just plaster "50th Anniversary" on the cover, and watch the sales roll in. Let new players figure out for themselves that the rules aren't the same, if it turns out to matter to that group.

 

[Charlaquin]

They are unlikely to use rule revision in their marketing at all, IMO. Just plaster "50th Anniversary" on the cover, and watch the sales roll in. Let new players figure out for themselves that the rules aren't the same, if it turns out to matter to that group.

You’re probably right

 

[GMforPowergamers]

They are unlikely to use rule revision in their marketing at all, IMO. Just plaster "50th Anniversary" on the cover, and watch the sales roll in. Let new players figure out for themselves that the rules aren't the same, if it turns out to matter to that group.

Stealth edition change MAY be the plan and MAY be a good boom to start...but I think it will still lead to edition war breaks just with messier lines "I use MotM rules and Tasha's but that's not 6e yet, I use the anniversary edition but it doesn't say its 6e, and I only use classic 5e pre tashas'" isn't better then "I playe 3e" vs "I play 5e"

 

[Greg Benage]

Stealth edition change MAY be the plan and MAY be a good boom to start...but I think it will still lead to edition war breaks just with messier lines "I use MotM rules and Tasha's but that's not 6e yet, I use the anniversary edition but it doesn't say its 6e, and I only use classic 5e pre tashas'" isn't better then "I playe 3e" vs "I play 5e"

Sounds very old school: "We play B/X, more or less, but with AD&D classes, races, monsters and spells, but with these house rules, including our own initiative system with simplified speed factor, and..."

If they make it chaotic enough, we could avoid edition wars because no one is sure where the battle lines are drawn.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Stealth edition change MAY be the plan and MAY be a good boom to start...but I think it will still lead to edition war breaks just with messier lines "I use MotM rules and Tasha's but that's not 6e yet, I use the anniversary edition but it doesn't say its 6e, and I only use classic 5e pre tashas'" isn't better then "I playe 3e" vs "I play 5e"

I completely agree. Still think it's the most likely scenario though.

 

[rmcoen]

New players, in my experience, either have no idea what they've gotten themselves into, or they come with an idea they got from a book/show/movie. Which means they are most likely to end up with either a stereotype/archteype character, or some weird munchkinized multiclass abomination a master-crafter rulesmith tries to crunch up for them to accomplish the desired goal. In both cases I've found that one player (sometimes the GM, sometimes not) helps guide the transition from "character idea" to "PC character sheet", and takes care of all the mechanical bits. So if an additional choice needs to be made when picking a background, the "helper player" will either make it for them, or explain it quickly in non-mechanics terms. "Okay, you said you want to be an ex-soldier who still lives by the sword. Do you want to learn an exotic type signature weapon, or have a signature move instead? [Weapon Master or Martial Adept]"

The campaign I run and the campaign I play (the only two in 5e for me) both started players with a bonus feat. I'm okay with this. If Backgrounds add a related feat, I'm okay with that... with the hope that they would be flavor feats. I'm fine with the Charlatan picking up Actor; I don't want to see him picking up Crossbow Expert! So the Tasha-style "take what you want" build-a-bear-background and taking any feat you want? No, that won't fly at my table.

 

[CleverNickName]

Problem with Ritual Caster for Acolyte is that Clerics are already Ritual Casters, so it would be redundant for the intended combo. Sticokg to Feats that arr not invalidated by any core Class Features is probably an important consideration to making the Backgrounds work for any Class anyways.

Yeah, I think such a list would have to have an option of two feats for each Background, and the player gets to choose the one they want. If it's done properly, the Acolyte background could be an interesting choice for characters that aren't clerics or paladins.

Maybe something like:

Acolyte: if your character has the Acolyte background, they can start with their choice of the Healer feat or the Ritual Caster feat.​

​

Soldier: if your character has the Soldier background, they can start with their choice of the Mounted Combatant feat or the Weapon Master feat.​

However this ends up working, I think I'll impose a restriction that characters cannot start with more than one feat at 1st level. That's a bridge too far, in my opinion.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, I think such a list would have to have an option of two feats for each Background, and the player gets to choose the one they want. If it's done properly, the Acolyte background could be an interesting choice for characters that aren't clerics or paladins.

Maybe something like:

Acolyte: if your character has the Acolyte background, they can start with their choice of the Healer feat or the Ritual Caster feat.​

​

Soldier: if your character has the Soldier background, they can start with their choice of the Mounted Combatant feat or the Weapon Master feat.​

However this ends up working, I think I'll impose a restriction that characters cannot start with more than one feat at 1st level. That's a bridge too far, in my opinion.

Well, for Tasha's Custom Lineage or Variant Human, the Feat is key to their balance. I thinknthat is the main reason they have gated so many Feats to Level 4, to put them out of reach as race choices. I imagine that will happen to more Feats in Core if these changes go all the way.