D&D 5E Companion thread to 5E Survivor: Species

[RealAlHazred]

I'm currently working through some homebrew ideas for removing subtaces from 5E. I like the idea of providing a few flavor feats if you absolutely must be mechanically different from another character of the same ancestry, but for the most part I think "Elf" is a distinct-enough trope without devoting pages to delineating every possible factor which differentiates one from another. Everybody is an individual who will vary from the median example, both player character and non-player character. Devoting pages to figuring out exactly what makes my "wood elf" different from your "high elf" is as useless IMO as devoting pages to figuring out exactly what makes my "Grugach (wood) elf" different from your "Wild (wood) elf." Is a preference for vanilla over chocolate a racial trait? If an extra 5 ft. of movement per turn is due to "long-leggedness," why don't we give it to "Tallfellow" halflings?

 

[Vaalingrade]

wings would get it nuked by dm in less than 5 penta seconds.

Then we need better DMs.

tails yeah that is odd they lack them.

Indeed

stocky lizard man is more which bit is the problem?

D&D dragons are usually sleek, feline designs instead of the dwarven stoutness of Dragonborn.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Then we need better DMs.

Indeed

D&D dragons are usually sleek, feline designs instead of the dwarven stoutness of Dragonborn.

how do you propose to generate those dms?

how on earth are dragons cat-like, that is like say snakes are cat-like they are mythical squamates not some biologically deficient Carnivora derived fuzzy feline?

 

[CreamCloud0]

wings would get it nuked by dm in less than 5 penta seconds.

i really think it would be better all around if winged player species instead provided fallbreaking and gliding at lower levels that upgrades to full flight later, and maybe wings can be used to propel yourself higher/further when jumping with a 'liftoff flap' (*workshop the name)

 

[Riley]

Can everyone please BOLD your votes? Color changes are not easy to see in the giant list.

I managed to do so this time, but it's very hard to format this on my phone. The device's poor little brain is really struggling with just copying-and-pasting this very long species list.

 

[Mind of tempest]

i really think it would be better all around if winged player species instead provided fallbreaking and gliding at lower levels that upgrades to full flight later, and maybe wings can be used to propel yourself higher/further when jumping with a 'liftoff flap' (*workshop the name)

that would infer every flying NPC of that race is high-level it would be easier if we had a way to train dms to better handle flying pc but that will not happen.

 

[CreamCloud0]

that would infer every flying NPC of that race is high-level it would be easier if we had a way to train dms to better handle flying pc but that will not happen.

i mean seeing as Fly is a 3rd level spell i'd let their flight kick in at 5th level which isn't all that high, and while the NPCs might be of 5th level that doesn't have to mean they're a 5th level trained adventurer, (although i don't know if NPC classes are a thing that made it into 5E if they're not then they should be)

 

[Vaalingrade]

how do you propose to generate those dms?

Teaching them tree and ceiling technology.

how on earth are dragons cat-like, that is like say snakes are cat-like they are mythical squamates not some biologically deficient Carnivora derived fuzzy feline?

If you look at the posing and musculature of dragons in D&D art, it's very feline, nothing like a lizard and certainly not a snake. They're sleek, lithe and clearly built for grace in the air and speed. Vs the dragonborn, who are thick, stocky and built to tank and take punishment.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Teaching them tree and ceiling technology.

If you look at the posing and musculature of dragons in D&D art, it's very feline, nothing like a lizard and certainly not a snake. They're sleek, lithe and clearly built for grace in the air and speed. Vs the dragonborn, who are thick, stocky and built to tank and take punishment.

that removes the villain's air escape options and keeping villains alive is hard as it is.

a dragon weight about a ton and murders things with a breath attack it needs as much grace as a bomber plane, why would dragonborn be exactly like a dragon they evolved for team work and bipedal locomotion on the ground.
what niche would you have them occupy if not the warrior race of hard-to-kill guys as they were made to be paladins?

 

[RealAlHazred]

that removes the villain's air escape options and keeping villains alive is hard as it is.

Keeping villains alive is super easy, barely an inconvenience. I announce at the beginning, "I redo all the statblocks for monsters and NPCs," and then redo hit points based on how survivable I want them to be; at best, for me Challenge Rating is a guideline (like every other line in every rulebook).