D&D General Flipping Race And Background Altogether

[Lyxen]

High/low fantasy and low/high magic are different things.
Runequest is low fantasy but high magic ( every PC casts spells).

DND has very predictable magic so is a terrible model for many TV shows.

Glorantha's magic is extremely predictable as well, and is usually of the low caliber, even powerful Rune/Divine magic is well below most D&D spells of even level 2-3 in effect. But this is only considering that Runequest = Glorantha, there were excellent settings for Runequest, for example Viiking or Land of Ninja where magic was entirely optional, and where Runequest's excellent low fantasy combat system could shine without any magic.

 

[John R Davis]

Glorantha's magic is extremely predictable as well, and is usually of the low caliber, even powerful Rune/Divine magic is well below most D&D spells of even level 2-3 in effect. But this is only considering that Runequest = Glorantha, there were excellent settings for Runequest, for example Viiking or Land of Ninja where magic was entirely optional, and where Runequest's excellent low fantasy combat system could shine without any magic.

Well I play Openquest where a spell roll failure can occur, and be quite bad.
And I wouldn't call the RQ/BRP combat system excellent, (but this is verring of the OP thread).

 

[Lyxen]

Well I play Openquest where a spell roll failure can occur, and be quite bad.
And I wouldn't call the RQ/BRP combat system excellent, (but this is verring of the OP thread).

Don't confuse RQ and BRP, in particular in terms of Combat System, and in particular for "Medieval" Fantasy, BRP is very simplistic. Also, RQ has had many different versions, some of which ("Warhammer" / Mongoose) where IMHO quite poor and other quite good, although of course YMMV and all that.

 

[AOieiosle]

Sure. It doesn't quite explain how a 3 ft. 40 pound halfling is just as a strong as an 7 foot 250 pound Goliath but it's a start I guess.

What if that halfling is a powerlifter and that Goliath is sickly at the start of a game? Isn't that the point of 3d6 (or some variation thereof) scores; to illustrate the variable capabilities of all beings?

 

[MGibster]

What if that halfling is a powerlifter and that Goliath is sickly at the start of a game? Isn't that the point of 3d6 (or some variation thereof) scores; to illustrate the variable capabilities of all beings?

Sure. I just find it silly but that's okay because there's a lot of things I accept in D&D and all sorts of other games that are inherently silly. I just find this one particularly hard to swallow. It's a me thing but if it's something you're fine with then all I can say is more power to you. I'm sure there are things I readily accept that you probably think are silly.

 

[overgeeked]

Or simply remove the explicit mechanical benefits of both and leave is as a vague “gain advantage on relevant checks”. You’re a dwarf? Gain advantage on dwarf as race-based things. You’re raised by elves? Gain advantage on elf as culture-based things.

 

[Umbran]

Or simply remove the explicit mechanical benefits of both and leave is as a vague “gain advantage on relevant checks”. You’re a dwarf? Gain advantage on dwarf as race-based things. You’re raised by elves? Gain advantage on elf as culture-based things.

And suddenly, without realizing it, your group started playing Fate.

 

[overgeeked]

And suddenly, without realizing it, your group started playing Fate.

Nah, they realized it. And it was entirely intentional. And they loved it. It's wonderful and freeing to not have dozens of pages of rules to cover something that can be fully detailed in a sentence or two.

 

[Dire Bare]

Sure. It doesn't quite explain how a 3 ft. 40 pound halfling is just as a strong as an 7 foot 250 pound Goliath but it's a start I guess.

Ability scores are abstract, like hit points. Don't overthink it.

 

[Dire Bare]

The simplest thing would be to just combine race and background.

Eg. Elven hunter, Elven battledance, Dwarven runesmith, Halfling riverfolk, Human soldier etc.

This basically helps communicate where the different groups generally fit into the setting and what they're like. Something that risks being lost.

Like backgrounds now, make it clear that you don't have to use these but can recombine to make your own.
This way the combined backgrounds actually make it clear what a human who was raised by elves and recieved elven battledancer should be. You already have both halves of the equation - you just need to pull them out of their existing spaces and put them together.

I've been working on something like this for my home game. When you choose a race for your character, the only thing that really means is what backgrounds are available to your character.