D&D 5E Everyone Should Play Custom Lineage by Default

[Necrozius]

I think it is fantastic. Makes the game have character creation options that feel more liberated like the Cypher System or Savage Worlds.

Sure, you can’t have dragon breath, but some of the magic Feats could be re-skinned as such. Dragon breath is once a day, and the magic feats provide a level 1 spell once a day so...

Yeah I’m totally doing this. I always felt that the core 5e races were ridiculously unbalanced. I know that’s a controversial opinion around these parts, sorry.

 

[Olrox17]

Considering I strongly dislike Tasha’s implementation of custom lineages, I must disagree with the OP. Thankfully it is an optional rule that I can safely ban in my games.

 

[Oofta]

If it works for you, great. I wouldn't want it because I don't really see the point. If someone is happy playing a standard lightfoot halfling named Odorf why shouldn't I let them.

I might use the rules from Tasha's now and then in future campaign, I honestly haven't decided. Not going to come up for a while because I probably won't be done with my current campaign for a year or so.

 

[Zsong]

It doesn’t fit certain campaigns. But boy this works for a planescape campaign or campaigns like mos eisley.
It even works somewhat for certain types of all human campaigns when u want everyone to have a mutant like ability, dark sun for example.

 

[Krachek]

In DnD the default allow randomness and some imbalances.
Sharp balance is niche.

 

[Bacon Bits]

I'm perfectly happy with custom lineage, but it feels like a design from a classless RPG to me. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's not what I'm looking for from D&D as a default.

 

[MoonSong]

I have tons of nice races to choose from, I allow a lot of stuff from official books, plus a couple of homebrewed ones. I could allow this as an option, but with the caveat that no bonus from it can go into your primary score. But again it's a could, not a will or even a would.

 

[Mistwell]

The default will be no custom lineage for us. It's an optional rule which, in my view, is not as compelling for the game as feats and multiclassing are. So, my guess is we will only allow it if there is a very good compelling role playing reason for it, and the feat taken with it will have to be a role-playing heavy feat like Actor. It will likely see use just for an invented race a player comes up with.

 

[jgsugden]

GURPS is not D&D, and D&D is not GURPS. That is the customizable system you seek.

I would be fine if they introduced an alternative fleshed out system for 'build an origin' that allowed you to assemble a combination of abilities to flesh out the origin of your PC (including elements of background and humanoid type), but this is not that effort. Instead, it is a patch put in place to fill out the gaps that exist. I believe they'll regret allowing it be the one way you can start with an attribute in an ability score.

 

[Zsong]

GURPS is not D&D, and D&D is not GURPS. That is the customizable system you seek.

I would be fine if they introduced an alternative fleshed out system for 'build an origin' that allowed you to assemble a combination of abilities to flesh out the origin of your PC (including elements of background and humanoid type), but this is not that effort. Instead, it is a patch put in place to fill out the gaps that exist. I believe they'll regret allowing it be the one way you can start with an attribute in an ability score.

No no no. We only play with the d&d logo. If it’s not licensed as d&d we can’t play it. Even if some other system does what we want.