D&D 5E Additional Races! (June 7)
Chris_Nightwing
First Post
Are we up and running now? Gnomes seem ok, but I wonder what use tinkering will be at higher levels - would be better as a bonus for a crafting system that doesn't exist yet.
Half-elves are awfully boring. Not sure I like Half-orcs getting such a great strength bonus when we've apparently established that humans have the best stats ever and other races' characteristic advantages cannot compete.
Half-elves are awfully boring. Not sure I like Half-orcs getting such a great strength bonus when we've apparently established that humans have the best stats ever and other races' characteristic advantages cannot compete.
zoroaster100
First Post
I am concerned about the half-orc getting +2 on Strength. The Rock Gnome seems interesting but his tinker ability seems useless in play other than as roleplaying flavor. The half-elf seems pretty bland. The Forest Gnome was probably the best designed new race in the packet.
Weird -- the original post seems to have been swallowed.
In any case, the addition of new races is long overdue, and we get the quite compelling gnomes and the hurriedly cobbled-together half-elves and half-orcs.
The gnomes seem fun, and actually fun to play.
* It's an interesting choice to make forest gnomes minor illusionists rather than making them somehow better at illusions than others.
* The tinker ability is charming but mechanically limited.
* Gnome Cunning seems pretty powerful, potentially
I've often felt that half-elves and half-orcs have been under-considered, that there's always been disincentives to play them. The spare descriptions here seem designed to put us off. I mean seriously, they couldn't pull a single paragraph together? Still:
* Half-elves are the only medium race with a charisma bonus (other than human).
* They seem to be at least trying something by giving the half-orc +2 Str. How overpowering is it? there have been a number of threads talking about the race-to-the-20 in principal abilities; half-orcs can get there more quickly than other races, but how big an advantage is that after the low levels?
* Giving half-orcs advantage on Intimidation checks is solid, and means they are at least not actively hampered when trying to intimidate (as is more often the case.
* I had hoped that they'd get automatic training or advantage in strength tests to break an object --
What are your thoughts?
In any case, the addition of new races is long overdue, and we get the quite compelling gnomes and the hurriedly cobbled-together half-elves and half-orcs.
The gnomes seem fun, and actually fun to play.
* It's an interesting choice to make forest gnomes minor illusionists rather than making them somehow better at illusions than others.
* The tinker ability is charming but mechanically limited.
* Gnome Cunning seems pretty powerful, potentially
I've often felt that half-elves and half-orcs have been under-considered, that there's always been disincentives to play them. The spare descriptions here seem designed to put us off. I mean seriously, they couldn't pull a single paragraph together? Still:
* Half-elves are the only medium race with a charisma bonus (other than human).
* They seem to be at least trying something by giving the half-orc +2 Str. How overpowering is it? there have been a number of threads talking about the race-to-the-20 in principal abilities; half-orcs can get there more quickly than other races, but how big an advantage is that after the low levels?
* Giving half-orcs advantage on Intimidation checks is solid, and means they are at least not actively hampered when trying to intimidate (as is more often the case.
* I had hoped that they'd get automatic training or advantage in strength tests to break an object --
What are your thoughts?
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The +2 to STR for the halfork seems to me to be a "let's see what the reaction is going to be to this idea" rather than an actual design premise. It's basically saying that they want halforks to be objectively stronger than humans... which will generate further opinions and comments asking why then the other races aren't objectively more powerful in their main abilities (IE why is a dwarf not objectively healthier, or a halfling objectively more dexterous). This might very well be a way to figure out what to do about the +1 to all human's stats-- will people comment and say that a demi-human having +2 to a stat (like halfork STR) is a good design... or will they say they'd rather see humans just lose the +1 across all stats so that the halfork can go back to just a +1 to STR like all the other races (but thereby maintain a bit of a balance of all halforks being stronger than most humans.)
MoonSong
Rules-lawyering drama queen but not a munchkin
I guess I'm an odball case, I really like the +2 to strength from half orcs, but still despise the blanket +1 humans get (I'd rather have humans get something else and not have any ability bonuses whatsoever)
Half elves, mm they really seem very bland, the advanatage on Cha checks is potentially usefull and flavorfull, but it is way too easy to overlook, actaully on a first read it seemed as if they had no actual racial features.
Also did you notice they restored healing word to this package and cure wounds is touch/standard again?
Half elves, mm they really seem very bland, the advanatage on Cha checks is potentially usefull and flavorfull, but it is way too easy to overlook, actaully on a first read it seemed as if they had no actual racial features.
Also did you notice they restored healing word to this package and cure wounds is touch/standard again?
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Kobold Avenger
Legend
I feel that Half-Orcs should get only +1 str, and get something else non-ability increase. Instead +2 str should be reserved for Full Orcs as an optional PC race.
Jester David
Hero
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