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Bonus languages in One D&D backgrounds goes contrary to their other goals
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<blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 8742498" data-attributes="member: 7635"><p>My problem with "cultural" traits is, it adds another level of complexity to character generation. I know Level Up does it, but my concern rather than simplify generation, you add another step. Further, cultures are complex, highly dependent on the world they originate from, and still run the risk of being problematic (a quick example: what cultural traits and abilities do you assign to the Vistani culture in Ravenloft?) And that doesn't even begin to address potential mechanical imbalances (if you strip out the cultural elements of a PHB dwarf, they lose more than half their racial traits. If you strip out the cultural elements of a tiefling, they lose... a language). </p><p></p><p>I just think that if we're going to say, "Dwarves having a divinely-given knowledge of crafting" or "dragonborn instinctively remember draconic" is problematic but give a free pass to "all elves are perceptive" or "all tabaxi are stealthy" or even "all humans start with an extra skill" and "all elves can trance to learn two proficiencies". Either racial proficiencies are all bad, or we admit you can justify them via magical or biological means.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Remathilis, post: 8742498, member: 7635"] My problem with "cultural" traits is, it adds another level of complexity to character generation. I know Level Up does it, but my concern rather than simplify generation, you add another step. Further, cultures are complex, highly dependent on the world they originate from, and still run the risk of being problematic (a quick example: what cultural traits and abilities do you assign to the Vistani culture in Ravenloft?) And that doesn't even begin to address potential mechanical imbalances (if you strip out the cultural elements of a PHB dwarf, they lose more than half their racial traits. If you strip out the cultural elements of a tiefling, they lose... a language). I just think that if we're going to say, "Dwarves having a divinely-given knowledge of crafting" or "dragonborn instinctively remember draconic" is problematic but give a free pass to "all elves are perceptive" or "all tabaxi are stealthy" or even "all humans start with an extra skill" and "all elves can trance to learn two proficiencies". Either racial proficiencies are all bad, or we admit you can justify them via magical or biological means. [/QUOTE]
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