D&D (2024) First playtest thread! One D&D Character Origins.

[Bill Zebub]

No matter how well a human trains, a equally well trained gorilla will be stronger. Thats what racial ASI represents. A human would not be equal to a sentient gorilla, even when both have the same athlete background.

But these aren’t racial ASIs. They are background ASIs.

Soooo…..

 

[Cadence]

But these aren’t racial ASIs. They are background ASIs.

Soooo…..

Well, they're proposed to be background ASIs instead of racial one's, and WotC is seeking comments on everything, right?

I'm going to comment that I wish they just let the ASIs float and folks could justify it however they want.

 

[Faolyn]

Posted too soon.

 

[Azzy]

Putting ASI into backgrounds makes no sense. ASI are something you are born with and are genetic.

No, they're not.

 

[Charlaquin]

Depends on what fantasy means to you. It seems to me that to you it means, "literally anything is possible, and reality as we Earth humans understand it has no meaning". That's not a world, even a fantasy one, that I want to play in.

There’s a line somewhere between "literally anything is possible, and reality as we Earth humans understand it has no meaning" and “my character who is ostensibly a hero in a fantastical world just feels like Some Guy who happens to own a sword.” Where exactly that line is varies from person to person, and it tends to be a rather fine line wherever it lies.

Personally, I think the best benchmark to use is heroes of myth like Heracles. I think that should be the benchmark for high level (by which I mean like 11+) martial characters. YMMV.

 

[Ixal]

But these aren’t racial ASIs. They are background ASIs.

Soooo…..

Background ASI do not make sense.
Your training and life choices are already reflected by the standard array and a background doesn't necessarily lead to an ASI. A good for nothing ne'er do well would not build any abilities with his lifestyle and a noble is not automatically charismatic.

 

[Bill Zebub]

No, they're not. You're just making things up.

I mean he is making up something that could make (and has made) a plausible mechanical premise for an RPG.

But it’s not true in a universal sense.

 

[Cadence]

No, they're not. You're just making things up.

I mean, it kind of feels like reaching the human maximum takes both? (I'm not going to be the next Michael Jordan no matter how hard I work, and it feels like Michael Jordan wouldn't have been MVP material if he went out for the chess team or had taken up video gaming full time instead of working out for basketball).

 

[Azzy]

I mean he is making up something that could make (and has made) a plausible mechanical premise for an RPG.

It could.

But it’s not true in a universal sense.

Exactly. Level-based ASI exist.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Cloud Strife is the Final Fantasy guy, I think? Who are the other two?

Play Final Fantasy 4, you heathen. It’s the best game in the series (though an argument can be made for FF1).