Balance bwtween Class, Race, and Background

[El Mahdi]

I chose 75%.

But I do like cheese...

 

[Narkaious]

In the spirit of the goal: Everyone's D&D

I think it should be up to each player what emphasis each has.

If I want to play a wizard who just destroys everything, then why would I care about the other 2? If on the other hand I want to play the outsider always looking in, my class is of very little importance, or maybe it is just as important as everything else.

Really they should just have things you trade out from each.

Like a class has features X, Y, Z
race then could have L, M, N
and then them/bg has A, B, C

if each piece is balanced, you get to pick any 3 pieces you want, have fun. That's what I think at least, YMMV.

 

[airwalkrr]

D&D has always had class as the most important choice a player has to make because that choice represents who the character is. It needs to stay that way. I voted 90%. Race and background ought to play a small part of the character, but there should not be vast mechanical differences between an elf fighter from the woods and a human fighter from the city.

 

[Mallus]

Here's how I'd like to see it work:

Class - provides the PC's principle, adventuring-related abilities, ie to-hit and toughness for fighters, spells for mages and clerics, a set of highly specialized skills for thieves. These abilities are level-dependent.

Race - modifies the PC, both in terms of mechanics and fiction, ie elves get +1 to spot and usually like nature, dwarves get +2 vs. poison and usually like mines. These abilities are not level-dependent, but an option to gain more extraordinary racial abilities at higher level would be nice.

Background - establishes the PC's starting skills, in addition to grounding them in the game fiction, ie Black Bart used to sail on a pirate ship, so +1 to climb, rope use, balance and balance checks, plus, he might be recognized/wanted in certain ports. These are not dependent on level, either. Characters can gain more skills, but not an ever-escalating bonus to existing skills. Level-scaling abilities should belong to class.

Mix and match to taste.

 

[BobTheNob]

I voted 50% class, but the poll didnt have exactly what I was hoping for...you didnt mention themes as a separate contributor, you just kinda bundles them against race.

I want characters to be the definition of race/class/theme in equal measures.

 

[Aldeon]

I think it'd be best to have it majority based on class, probably around 80% or so, with 10% race and 10% background. My character could be a smite-slingin' and evil-detectin' paladin of Bahamut, but it's largely irrelevant that he was a goat herder before adventuring. Besides maybe a +2 to handle animal or survival, I don't think that matters as much as his paladinhood does.

 

[Tistur]

I think the question is flawed. The percentages should change with level.

When I start playing at 1st level, I think Class and Race should each be around 40-45%, with the remainder being Background. By the time I hit 20th (or 30th, or whatever the highest is), I think Background should have receded to less than 5%, and Race to maybe 20%.

Advancement should matter.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I think the question is flawed. The percentages should change with level.

When I start playing at 1st level, I think Class and Race should each be around 40-45%, with the remainder being Background. By the time I hit 20th (or 30th, or whatever the highest is), I think Background should have receded to less than 5%, and Race to maybe 20%.

Advancement should matter.

I'll disagree with this. The balance should explicitly not change as you advance in levels. In other words, race and background should advance along with level and keep pace.

I suppose I'm in favor of something like a 50-40-10, 50-30-20, or 40-40-20 split between Class, Race, and Theme. If the Race and Theme are going to be meaningful decisions, they can't be worth any less than that.

 

[Tistur]

I'll disagree with this. The balance should explicitly not change as you advance in levels. In other words, race and background should advance along with level and keep pace.

Ah. I was reading Background as "your life up to 1st level", and not as Theme. I think Theme should be built up as you level, so Theme would be a PART of the Class at the end. If Background did mean what I was thinking, though, I stand by my statement that it should matter more at 1st than at 20th.

 

[BobTheNob]

Got me thinking though, I had always assumed that the rate of growth should be consistant.

But what if it wasnt? What is "combat" growth (i.e. class) was flattened out significantly, yet thematic growth was more dynamic?

Its got me thinking.