D&D 5E Are you excited for the Backgrounds?

[I'm A Banana]

The one thing I know I'm going to do with Backgrounds is make them an additional point for Inspiration generation.

The Background names plus the BIFT system (Bonds, Ideals, Flaws, Traits) when combined together are almost a recreation of the Aspect system in Fate. Your Background is your High Concept, your Flaw is your Trouble, and the Bonds, Ideals, and Traits are other Aspects of your character. And every time they apply, you acquire an Inspiration (Fate) point, which you can use to re-roll a check. The two systems are very similar.

In my stab at Faction Backgrounds for Planescape, I took this one step further and actually let the backgrounds give you interesting things to spend your Inspiration on aside from advantage.

The idea being that PS Factions require some sacrifice and hardship in adhering to their philosophy -- which is how you're going to get your Inspiration. And once you have it, the PS faction background gives you a special way to spend it. So, like, the Free League just automatically make a Wisdom save by spending Inspiration.

 

[Juriel]

Backgrounds are among the top ideas of 5e. It's nice to see them provide a structured customization/characterization/plot-hook tool.

 

[Elf Witch]

I don't hate them but I am meh about them. I do not like getting mechanical goodies for backgrounds. I think they can be a tool for newbies in helping them formulate a background.

I can see them becoming like feats and skills some will be considered optimal and some sub optimal and powergamers will have a field day with them and put pressure on other players for picking in their opinion sub optimal backgrounds. And soon we will see a bunch of cookie cutter characters with the the same "best" backgrounds.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I don't hate them but I am meh about them. I do not like getting mechanical goodies for backgrounds. I think they can be a tool for newbies in helping them formulate a background.

I can see them becoming like feats and skills some will be considered optimal and some sub optimal and powergamers will have a field day with them and put pressure on other players for picking in their opinion sub optimal backgrounds. And soon we will see a bunch of cookie cutter characters with the the same "best" backgrounds.

I think 5e's solution to this is bounded accuracy.

The difference between "best" and "not the best" is not going to be very significant. (ie, it'll be the lady who picks Perception instead of Sleight of Hand for her skill choice...not the biggest of deals in actual play)

 

[Xodis]

I think 5e's solution to this is bounded accuracy.

The difference between "best" and "not the best" is not going to be very significant. (ie, it'll be the lady who picks Perception instead of Sleight of Hand for her skill choice...not the biggest of deals in actual play)

Agreed, new players are going to find this very helpful IMO, and experienced players are just going to create their own backgrounds like normal while a DM hands out what he thinks they deserve.

 

[Elf Witch]

I think 5e's solution to this is bounded accuracy.

The difference between "best" and "not the best" is not going to be very significant. (ie, it'll be the lady who picks Perception instead of Sleight of Hand for her skill choice...not the biggest of deals in actual play)

Agreed, new players are going to find this very helpful IMO, and experienced players are just going to create their own backgrounds like normal while a DM hands out what he thinks they deserve.

As I said I don't hate them. I just have not had my socks blown off by them. I really don't see how they will really improve my game experience.

 

[I'm A Banana]

As I said I don't hate them. I just have not had my socks blown off by them. I really don't see how they will really improve my game experience.

Oh, sure, I mean, I'm not trying to win you over. Essentially, it's a pre-selected "all PC's get two skill profs, two tool/language profs, and some free equipment." You could play without 'em, just giving players that.

I'm just saying that your specific concern that the "best" backgrounds will diminish others isn't likely to come true in general, because the difference between "best" and "the rest" is going to be pretty marginal and subjective. So I don't think you need to worry too much about people getting mechanical fobs for backgrounds in general principle, if that was your concern.

Them not being generally very impressive is just gonna hafta be reasonable people disagreeing.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Why did you put, "on this" in there? RE, you're an outlier on most polls, and one of the minority negative positions on most threads It's OK, we love you anyway, but you're a cynic in general when it comes to 5e, not just on this topic (at least relative to the EW population of posters).

I don't think that's quite true. Critical and cynical are different things. Cynical is "they will misuse this, le sigh". Critical is "I don't think this works right". I am not critical of backgrounds, beyond the alignment stuff which a lot of people frown at, but is easy to ignore. I am, however, concerned they will be used as a filler. I don't think a huge amount about 5E itself warrants cynicism (some designer comments do, though), but some does warrant a degree of criticism, entirely IMO!

This "full-page" format for an essentially one-off, low-content, infinitely spammable thing just rings alarm bells for me, based on long experience of RPGs from various companies (not just WotC, not by a long shot!).

 

[Elf Witch]

Oh, sure, I mean, I'm not trying to win you over. Essentially, it's a pre-selected "all PC's get two skill profs, two tool/language profs, and some free equipment." You could play without 'em, just giving players that.

I'm just saying that your specific concern that the "best" backgrounds will diminish others isn't likely to come true in general, because the difference between "best" and "the rest" is going to be pretty marginal and subjective. So I don't think you need to worry too much about people getting mechanical fobs for backgrounds in general principle, if that was your concern.

Them not being generally very impressive is just gonna hafta be reasonable people disagreeing.

This is true as long as they don't go nuts in the splat books. That is where things seem to go wrong.

 

[Gradine]

I can see them becoming like feats and skills some will be considered optimal and some sub optimal and powergamers will have a field day with them and put pressure on other players for picking in their opinion sub optimal backgrounds. And soon we will see a bunch of cookie cutter characters with the the same "best" backgrounds.

Well since even the Basic rules say that Backgrounds can be whatever you want I'm fairly certain most charopers will just halfass a Background that gives them the proficiencies they need, in particular Perception*. Oh yes, they will hound the suboptimal Backgrounds with that "trap" nonsense that makes newbies feel terrible, as is their custom. But that's a problem with the way they approach the game**, not with the system itself.

*Just kidding, charopers will all take Perception with their free Human*** skill prof
**I kid, mostly, the issue is with a select few who have a perfectly legitimate style and preference of gaming, but who feel their system mastery gives them the right to belittle those whose gaming style drives towards options for reasons other than optimization. Most charopers I know are perfectly content to allow others to design and play their characters the way they want without admonishing them for their "poor" choices.
***You were going to say "What if they don't pick Human?" but you couldn't do it with a straight face, right?