D&D (2024) Character Design Foundations With Bigger Budgeted Species (+)

[CreamCloud0]

This is something that got tangentially mentioned a few days ago in half-elves/orcs SRD thread that got me thinking, What could the 2024 PHB species design look like if they had larger design budgets intended to serve as the foundation of a character, If your species was your 'level 0' and a chunky level 0 at that, something that really influences what your character can do throughout a campaign and gives them a kickstart on their tools at lower levels, how would you design one of the species to fit those criteria?
(while i have used the 2024 tag on this thread i don't expect these designs to precisely fit 2024's balance)

So for example if i were to design dragonborn then maybe something like this:
Dragonborn
Speed:30ft HP:15+2d4 Size:Medium
Enhanced Senses: you have darkvision for 60ft and have advantage on any checks which require smell.
Draconic Ancestry: you are distantly related to a particular kind of dragon, this choice determines the element of certain other associated features pick one of [fire, cold, lightning, poison, acid].
Chromatic Weapons: you have natural weapons that deal the damage type of your ancestry
-Breath Weapon, when you take the attack action you may substitute one attack to make either a 15ft cone/30ft line breath attack, save for half, DC=8+CON+PB, it deals 2d6 damage, 3d6 at 6th, 4d6 at 11th and 5d6 at 16th, this attack recharges on a max d4 roll at the end of your turn.
-Claw Attacks, you make an attack with your claws, they are considered d6 finesse weapons that you are considered proficient in, you gain extra claw attacks with extra attack, you can use your bonus action to make an additional claw attack when you attack with them, if you attack a creature that has resistance or immunity to their element they instead deal d4 Slashing that is considered magical for the purposes of determing resistances.
Tail Sweep: when you make a melee attack you may use your bonus action to attempt to trip a creature adjacent to you, they must make a DEX saving throw or fall prone, if the target is large it has advantage on the saving throw, if it bigger than large the attempt fails.
Scaled Hide: your natural scales provide protection, you resist the damage of the type associated with your ancestry, additionally when not wearing armour you have an AC of 14+DEX(max 3).
Dragon Wings: you have a large pair of wings, as a reaction while in the air you can use them to slow your decent as well as glide a horizontal distance triple the height that you started at, at 5th level you gain a fly speed equal to your walkspeed, you must maintain concentraition to remain airbourne between turns else you safely decend to the nearest available location to land, if your concentration is forcibly broken you fall to the ground, your flyspeed is halved if you are wearing heavy armour.
Frightful Roar: you let out a terrifying roar and all non-allied creatures in a 30ft radius who can hear you must make a WIS saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute, they can reattempt the save at the end of each of their subsequent turns, if you have proficiency in Intimidation the initial save is made with disadvantage, if you have expertise the check is automatically failed(if they resist fear it's made with disadvantage instead), this ability uses the same charge your breathweapon uses.

I know some people would prefer species to be primarily aesthetic or a one-size-fits-all situation for all classes and characters, this is not the thread for those perspectives, this is a + thread for a reason, please respect the premise.

 

[NotAYakk]

When I try to do this, I run into "ok what about humans" issue.

So my slight alteration is beefier Backgrounds that are sometimes species-specific. Maybe even multiple Background "units".

This gives room for humans to join in on this without them being "you get generic feats" style exceptions.

Like "natural talents"? On ths other hand, I like how "chunky" the dragonborn you wrote is, and "natural talents" implies something too modular.

Subspecies is one chunk "pick" system that D&D used. Again, doesn't work well with humans.

Like, one human is 6'6" and a wall of muscle. The other is 5'2" and insanely quick. A third is 5'6" and very smart. Those 3 "natural talents" are in some ways akin to a dragonborn having a breath weapon, claws and scales, but aren't subspecies.

Phenotype?

Dragonborn phenotypes? One that looks like your package?

It gets rid of the subsoecies thing. It allows for dragonborn with/without wings, with/wirhout tails, skinny serpentine dragonborn, 8' tall dragonborn with armored scales, etc.

And we can create multiple human phenotypes without leaning into xenophobia or the like...

 

[CreamCloud0]

When I try to do this, I run into "ok what about humans" issue.

So my slight alteration is beefier Backgrounds that are sometimes species-specific. Maybe even multiple Background "units".

This gives room for humans to join in on this without them being "you get generic feats" style exceptions.

Like "natural talents"? On ths other hand, I like how "chunky" the dragonborn you wrote is, and "natural talents" implies something too modular.

Subspecies is one chunk "pick" system that D&D used. Again, doesn't work well with humans.

Like, one human is 6'6" and a wall of muscle. The other is 5'2" and insanely quick. A third is 5'6" and very smart. Those 3 "natural talents" are in some ways akin to a dragonborn having a breath weapon, claws and scales, but aren't subspecies.

Phenotype?

Dragonborn phenotypes? One that looks like your package?

It gets rid of the subsoecies thing. It allows for dragonborn with/without wings, with/wirhout tails, skinny serpentine dragonborn, 8' tall dragonborn with armored scales, etc.

And we can create multiple human phenotypes without leaning into xenophobia or the like...

yeah humans really do run into that issue where it's hard to give them much that's unique that's not just not more skills, feats and proficiencies, not that i think that's the worst possible thing but it lacks flash, at least in 2024 they got heroic inspiration i think it was, and i think you could definitely riff off abilities like Jack of all Trades and Reliable Talent for them, one ability i originally designed thinking about fighters but could fit for humans is the ability to be temporarily trained to be proficient in a skill/proficiency over the course of a short/long rest(adjusting duration) by someone else who already has it, pick up arcana from the wizard on a short rest and inspect magic things for 6 hours, or let the rogue tutor you in thieves tools overnight and pick locks for the next 24 hours.

(also my lack of subspecies was more forgetting to do anything there than intentional design, oops!)

 

[Stormonu]

For the longest time, I'd wish we'd seen a long tail (pun unintentional) on racial abilities, getting access to additional race abilities, say at level 3, 5 and 7. We see some of this in 5E with the delayed Drow and Tiefling abilities, I think Dragonborn wings? and some of the other.

In the best case it would be an either/or option at those levels. For humans, a choice of another feat to account for their disparity.

So for Dragonborn, it might be:

1st level (automatic): Breath + Resistance
1st level (choice): Natural Armor or Claws
3rd level (choice): Improve Natural Armor or Improved Breath
5th level (choice): Wings or Draconic spells
7th level (choice): Breath carrier ability or Draconic "war" form

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

I've always thought that the species space was untapped and a missed opportunity. It would be kind of neat to level up your 'dwarvishness' etc. If it is something along the lines of x amount of species/race feats being offered in addition to the regular progression or even getting a race/species ability every x level would be kind of neat. I think it adds some depth to the species choice you make. Something like what Stormonu kind of envisioned above.

 

[Tonguez]

I've always thought that the species space was untapped and a missed opportunity. It would be kind of neat to level up your 'dwarvishness' etc. If it is something along the lines of x amount of species/race feats being offered in addition to the regular progression or even getting a race/species ability every x level would be kind of neat. I think it adds some depth to the species choice you make. Something like what Stormonu kind of envisioned above.

so racial paragons? - improved darkvision, improved tremorsense, Con +2

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

I'm not sure if ASIs would be part of it but further development of a species traits or species feats. So improved darkvision would be something. Or, to take Tremorsense for instance: tremorsense gets bigger as your level increases; then maybe becomes considered a form of 'sight' at some point and then ultimately act almost like a flashback ability to recreate who/what passed within "x" amount of time etc. With a dragonborn, develop the breath weapon as one increases (beyond just adding damage) etc. Something to that effect where species traits - especially the iconic traits, are expanded. That's just my two cents for whatever it's worth.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I've always thought that the species space was untapped and a missed opportunity. It would be kind of neat to level up your 'dwarvishness' etc. If it is something along the lines of x amount of species/race feats being offered in addition to the regular progression or even getting a race/species ability every x level would be kind of neat. I think it adds some depth to the species choice you make. Something like what Stormonu kind of envisioned above.

While that is a neat idea to consider the concept in this thread I’m presenting is from the other direction, namely front-loading species benefits.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Halfling
Speed:25ft HP:13+1d8 Size:Small
Innate Luck: when you roll a 1 on a d20 for an attack roll, saving throw or ability check you may reroll the dice, you must use the new result.
Lucky Strikes: you have increased chances of striking a critical hit with any simple weapon you are proficient in or any cantrips that require an attack roll, your critical range is increased by 1 meaning deal critical damage on a 19-20, at 10th level your range is increased by 2 (18-20), these increases stack with any other adjustments to your critical range.
Nimbleness: you may move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than you, additionally as a bonus action you may dash and increase your walking speed by 15ft.
Naturally Stealthy: you have advantage on all Stealth checks you make, additionally you may attempt to hide when obscured by a creature at least a size larger than you.
Undisturbed Passage: your movement speed is not impeded by nonmagical difficult terrain and attempts to track you are made at disadvantage.
Braveheart: you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Sacred Hospitality: if you offer food, rest or shelter to someone in good faith and it is accepted the recipients must make a WIS saving throw to subsequently attempt any action intended to bring you harm or sabotage, this effect ends either an hour after you part ways, immediately when you declare the event over or if you attempt to bring harm or sabotage to your guest(s), additionally add a d6 to any check you make to use any of cook's utensils, brewer's kit or herbalism kit.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Elf
Speed:35ft HP:12+1d6 Size:Medium
Enhanced Senses: you have darkvision for 60ft and advantage on perception checks, you may add a d6 to any check you make to notice the presence of magic.
Trance: instead of sleeping you meditate for 4 hours in a semi-concious state.
Fey Ancestry: you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and magic cannot put you to sleep.
Elven Magic: you learn any three cantrips of which's effects do not deal damage(Shillelagh and Magic Stone are not considered to deal damage), you may also cast detect magic as a ritual, pick your casting modifier of INT, WIS or CHA when you create this character.
Arcane Blademastery: if you are proficient with any of the following weapons: dagger, sickle, spear, shortsword, scimitar, rapier, longsword or greatsword, you may use it as an arcane focus, additionally you may also substitute your INT in place of the usual attack modifier required when attacking with it.
Long Learned Life: when making a skill check for arcana, history, nature, religion and one other skill you choose that you are proficient in, you may treat any roll of 9 or below as a 10 instead.
Shifting Step: once per move action up to 15ft of your movement can instead be teleportation to a location you can see, however you must walk at least 5ft before you can teleport.