D&D 5E (2014) Everyone Should Play Custom Lineage by Default

[TwoSix]

I'm sure they'll write a very tragic and convincing background story that'll justify the concept flawlessly

Hmm, it's almost like building convincing narrative around mechanical concepts is one of the main points of roleplaying.

 

[Olrox17]

Hmm, it's almost like building convincing narrative around mechanical concepts is one of the main points of roleplaying.

I was kidding, but yeah, you're right about that.

 

[Mistwell]

Exactly.

That's how race works. In order to (for example) be an Indigenous Australian, you need to be accepted by other Indigenous Australians as one, self identify as one, and have an element of decent (usually biological) from one.

If I'm an Elf, who is born to Elven parents, living in an Elven society, view myself as an Elf, and am accepted as an Elf, who are you to tell me I'm not an Elf?

Or is that I am an Elf, who views himself as an Elf, is accepted as an Elf by everyone else, and lives in Elven society... but somehow also NOT an Elf?

Schroedingers Elf? Both an Elf, and not an Elf simulateously?

How does that work exactly?

You can describe yourself as an elf in the game just fine. But mechanically, the racial feats specify you had to select a PHB racial option and not a Tasha's Cauldron option to take that feat. That's my point. It's a question of mechanics and wording of the racial feat rule, not role playing.

 

[embee]

What about if a character wants to play a Lizardfolk? There's no natural armor feats, or natural weapon feats. Or a Thri-Kreen? There's no feats that give extra arms. Dragonborn have a breath weapon and damage resistance, there's no feats that would emulate that.

Hey now! Slow your roll!

This is WOTC we're talking about. They just officially brought in psionics. Thri-kreen will show up in the Dark Sun setting (tentatively subtitled "All Of The Sand, None Of The Problematic Slavery"), alongside muls and the Athasian variants of halfling, elves, and dwarves.

And they'll bust Athas out of the crystal sphere and make it a-ok and hunky-dorey to use magic all willy-nilly without societal repercussions.

 

[embee]

They wouldn't know what to call you-- maybe a pseudo-halfling?

Now my Halfling is more than trouble
You see he stands 'bout six foot four
All those downtown ladies call him "Treetop Lover"
All the Shirefolk just call him "Sir."

 

[DND_Reborn]

Now my Halfling is more than trouble
You see he stands 'bout six foot four
All those downtown ladies call him "Treetop Lover"
All the Shirefolk just call him "Sir."

Oi...

Don't encourage people.

 

[embee]

Oi...

Don't encourage people.

Someone is not a fan of the RPG classic anthem, "Bad Bad Leeroy Jenkins."

 

[Flamestrike]

I suppose it depends on your definition of markedly better. I would argue that any custom lineage with darkvision and a feat is markedly better than a variant human, and variant human was already considered a great candidate for strongest race in the game. But I suppose that depends on how valuable darkvision is to you: IMO, it's one of the most important features in the game, and I strongly believe that variant human and its all-mighty extra feat was entirely balanced on the lack of darkvision. No such balancing on custom lineages.

Then we have the appalling mess that is the mountain dwarf after Tasha, but that's another can of worms entirely.

Dude, the light spell is a cantrip and you can just buy a torch.

Dark vision is so overrated here its not funny. Id take the skill over darkvision unless playing a race that usually has darkvision

 

[Flamestrike]

Oh good. I can't wait for PCs who want elven accuracy, snirvneblin magic and infernal constitution on thier yuan-ti purebloods [emoji849]

Who cares if they do?

Its not broken.

 

[Flamestrike]

You can describe yourself as an elf in the game just fine. But mechanically, the racial feats specify you had to select a PHB racial option and not a Tasha's Cauldron option to take that feat. That's my point. It's a question of mechanics and wording of the racial feat rule, not role playing.

I get that but I expect them to chance that just like they changed bladesinger.

I personally don't have a problem with it. People are complaining for balance reasons when there is nothing unbalanced about a human taking elven accuracy or infernal constitution or whatever.