D&D (2024) Bonus languages in One D&D backgrounds goes contrary to their other goals

[Remathilis]

I think the one thing we can all agree on is that, whatever the final form of these Backgrounds in 2024 is, there needs to be proper guidance on how to create your own - as in, how to create the backstory elements - alongside the samples. This UA is just the rules, presented to experienced players, used to coming up with character concepts. One of the strengths of the Traits/Ideals/Bonds/Flaws framework is that it gives you a way to generate a character by rolling on a few tables. I'd like to see these Backgrounds combined with similar tables:

E.g.
Gladiator - Language (d6)
1: Your comrades in the arena included outsiders from the ungoverned lands to the north, many of whom boasted orc ancestry. (Orcish)
2: You were trained by an elven weaponmaster, rumoured to be an exiled noble from a distant land. (Elvish)
3. Your main rival was a dwarf berserker, with whom you traded many insults before bouts to whip up the crowd's fervour. (Dwarvish)
4. You trained in esoteric, mystic fighting styles with a master of unarmed combat whose people revered angelic overlords. (Celestial)
5. A young kobold was your friend and protégé in the fighters' barracks, but you couldn't protect him in the end. (Draconic)
6. The patron of the arena where you fought was a notorious beholder crime lord, and for a time you became one of its inner circle. (Deep Speech)

I'd be fine with this "to see what language you learned" approach, IF

1.) there is a table for the ASI, skills, tool, feat, and equipment choices too.
2..) there are six examples/backgrounds tops. That is a lot of space dedicated to giving sample loadouts multiple choice points.

 

[Remathilis]

But some background is going to need to grant Orcish if Orcish is going to exist as a language. And whatever background does that is going to have unfortunate implications about orcs. This is why I’ve come to the conclusion that the real problem here is that languages are racialized in D&D. They took the languages out of race without taking the race out of languages.

But what's the alternative? You either create a Tower of Babel situation where the only language is Common, or you create languages by region (Illuski, Waelan, Ulou, Thorass, Chessan, Raumtheran, etc) which ties them to a certain setting, which appears to be the opposite of what they want in this edition. The sheer amount of space you'd use to list and explain every language in Faerun, Oerth, Eberron, Krynn, Exandria, the Domains of Dread, etc, would be tremendous, and doesn't even address homebrewers, who I bet nine times out of ten you just say, "uh, the people in the elf lands speak elf".

 

[Thommy H-H]

I'd be fine with this "to see what language you learned" approach, IF

1.) there is a table for the ASI, skills, tool, feat, and equipment choices too.
2..) there are six examples/backgrounds tops. That is a lot of space dedicated to giving sample loadouts multiple choice points.

Yes, I imagined there'd be tables for those as well, though maybe not the ASIs, which perhaps require a bit less narrative justification.

 

[Remathilis]

I’m sure you’re being sarcastic but that feels more intellectually honest than the current “these example backgrounds are very carefully thought out, as shown by the flavor text but feel free to change literally anything you want because we know you’re just picking stuff off a menu” we currently have.

Because you already can do that. It's the first option on the page. But everybody skipped that part on the way to seeing what the new backgrounds looked like, so we'll just repeat it 17 times so that nobody misses the fact that backgrounds are suggestions.

I look at it like a combo meal at a restaurant: you can order anything on the menu but if you want a easy and quick choice that doesn't involve much thinking, order a combo meal # and your all set. But don't look at the combo menu and get angry all the combos come with fries when you want onion rings, the chicken sandwich is shown with a Sprite and you want a Diet Coke, or you wanted the California burrito and that's not on the combo menu so you can't get it with anything else.

 

[Alzrius]

But what's the alternative? You either create a Tower of Babel situation where the only language is Common

That seems to be the ideal for some people, under the paradigm that "having languages none of your PCs speak isn't fun/doesn't move the game along, so why bother?"

Personally, I disagree with that. I think that having problems like that facilitates play, rather than impedes it, since they tend to invite solutions which bring adventure elements forward on their own, e.g. "this prisoner has vital intelligence, but no one here speaks his language. We need you to take him to the capital and find an interpreter there. Be careful though, his organization is likely to try and recover him before you arrive."

 

[Remathilis]

Yes, I imagined there'd be tables for those as well, though maybe not the ASIs, which perhaps require a bit less narrative justification.

Not hard to do.

Acolyte
D4

1.) +2 Wis, +1 int. You spent much time studying the faith's holy scriptures
2.) +2 Cha, +1 Wis. You spent your youth spreading the word of your faith to others
3.) +2 Str, +1 Wis. You were part of the militant wing of your orders, fighting the enemies of your faith
4.) +1 to Str, Wis, Cha. Being a small temple, you were expected to juggle multiple rolls.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

Not hard to do.

Acolyte
D4

1.) +2 Wis, +1 int. You spent much time studying the faith's holy scriptures
2.) +2 Cha, +1 Wis. You spent your youth spreading the word of your faith to others
3.) +2 Str, +1 Wis. You were part of the militant wing of your orders, fighting the enemies of your faith
4.) +1 to Str, Wis, Cha. Being a small temple, you were expected to juggle multiple rolls.

Very hard to do, I'd say instead. I've seen players being impeded by the BIFTs, because they thought they were mandatory instead of roleplaying aids. The crutches had become a prison for them. If we have a table like you propose, I fully expect some people to think ASIs are supposed to be rolled on the table and complain that their CON/STR cleric concept is RUINED because they were put in a small temple. And from the other side of the screen, DMs asking "how is your Nobleman fighter having 18 STR at level 1? Noble background can't give STR, only WIS, CHA and INT!"

 

[Remathilis]

Very hard to do, I'd say instead. I've seen players being impeded by the BIFTs, because they thought they were mandatory instead of roleplaying aids. The crutches had become a prison for them. If we have a table like you propose, I fully expect some people to think ASIs are supposed to be rolled on the table and complain that their CON/STR cleric concept is RUINED because they were put in a small temple.

That's when you show them the part where YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND!!!

Honestly, my feedback to WotC is going to be:

Skip the premade combo options and just give us a "Tika and Artemis" example of how you build your origin. No acolytes, no gladiators, etc, just two examples of characters built using the make your own and done.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

That's when you show them the part where YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND!!!

Honestly, my feedback to WotC is going to be:

Skip the premade combo options and just give us a "Tika and Artemis" example of how you build your origin. No acolytes, no gladiators, etc, just two examples of characters built using the make your own and done.

That's what I have been proposing. No "samples", the create your background, and illustrations on how to do it. Possibly as many illustrations as there are currently background, to show the variance, including within an intended class, using a pretend team of players creating their characters. No table, no anything that would tend to reinforce the idea that this part is "mechanic first, story second" and not "create a backstory that explains your assorted kit of abilities gained at this stage of character creation".

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Not hard to do.

Acolyte
D4

1.) +2 Wis, +1 int. You spent much time studying the faith's holy scriptures
2.) +2 Cha, +1 Wis. You spent your youth spreading the word of your faith to others
3.) +2 Str, +1 Wis. You were part of the militant wing of your orders, fighting the enemies of your faith
4.) +1 to Str, Wis, Cha. Being a small temple, you were expected to juggle multiple rolls.

This is definitely not the way to go if the point of having pre-made backgrounds is to make the choice easier for new players. You have to roll a d4 to figure out if your background has synergy with the stats your class needs? Just nope.