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<blockquote data-quote="redrick" data-source="post: 6601540" data-attributes="member: 6777696">Hmm, the problem with backgrounds &quot;leveling&quot; in a similar way that a class does, is that that implies you continue in your background throughout your adventuring career. However, in many cases, your background is something that you have left behind in order to become an adventurer. It's the old, &quot;Mr. Jenkins used to be a corporate lawyer, but he had a mid-life crisis and now he's teaching 4th grade.&quot; A character's background says a lot about who they are, in terms of personality, etc, but not much about what they do. So it wouldn't make sense for every acolyte to gain new features at, say, 6th level, because many characters with an acolyte background have left their church behind. It becomes more up to the DM's discretion to figure out how that background impacts the character at higher levels.That's what I like about backgrounds — they provide a few very practical bonuses (skill proficiencies), a flavorful feature of very situational utility, and some personality hooks that the DM and the player can use to shape hooks for each other. Your personality, bond and flaw should be applicable at all levels of play.Character species works in a similar way. Once you choose to be a dwarf and write down your various features and bonuses, you never have to go back to that section of the PHB to make any additional changes to your character sheet. But your dwarfiness will probably come up. A lot.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="redrick, post: 6601540, member: 6777696"] Hmm, the problem with backgrounds "leveling" in a similar way that a class does, is that that implies you continue in your background throughout your adventuring career. However, in many cases, your background is something that you have left behind in order to become an adventurer. It's the old, "Mr. Jenkins used to be a corporate lawyer, but he had a mid-life crisis and now he's teaching 4th grade." A character's background says a lot about who they are, in terms of personality, etc, but not much about what they do. So it wouldn't make sense for every acolyte to gain new features at, say, 6th level, because many characters with an acolyte background have left their church behind. It becomes more up to the DM's discretion to figure out how that background impacts the character at higher levels. That's what I like about backgrounds — they provide a few very practical bonuses (skill proficiencies), a flavorful feature of very situational utility, and some personality hooks that the DM and the player can use to shape hooks for each other. Your personality, bond and flaw should be applicable at all levels of play. Character species works in a similar way. Once you choose to be a dwarf and write down your various features and bonuses, you never have to go back to that section of the PHB to make any additional changes to your character sheet. But your dwarfiness will probably come up. A lot. [/QUOTE]

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