D&D (2024) How to import "race" flavor into D&D 2024 inclusively

[Yaarel]

Re 2014 "race" ability score increases.

In 2024, the ability scores improvement derives from the "background". This implies the character grew up learning to improve certain ability scores − in the same way that advancing thru levels can also improve certain ability scores. The abilities are occupational. There is no longer any link between "species" and abilities.



For players who want the flavors of earlier "races", there is a safe way to do this in 2024.

For example, suppose a player wants a Dwarf character with an unusually high Constitution. Of course, a player can just do this. But there can also be a "background" that does this in a flavorful way.

In 2024, each dwarven culture is complex with many possible backgrounds that a player can choose. Likewise a Dwarf character can come from any culture, including one where Dwarves are a minority. There are potentially innumerable backgrounds. It is ok if ONE of these backgrounds digs deep into a flavor of the earlier Dwarf. Example for a 2014 "Hill Dwarf".



2024 BACKGROUNDS

GREAT RIFT MINER
Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +1 Wisdom
Skill Proficiency: Perception
Weapon Proficiency (replaces a skill): War Pick, Throwing Hammer, or War Hammer
Toolset Proficiency: Alchemist, Jeweler, Mason, or Smith
Language: Riftspeak dialect of Dwarvish
Feat: Tough or Crafter

Originating from the Gold culture of the Dwarf species, mining traditions have existed at the Great Rift since ancient times. Today, many of these miners of gold and other resources are still Goldans. Certain extended families from various species inherit the rights to mine there. These families coordinate with each other to regulate the mining activity and its commerce at Underhome, the capital city of Deep Realm. Great Rift miners continue time-tested mining traditions, that emphasize perceptiveness and tenacity, to detect and pursue the valuable minerals.



(Remember, a player can choose the Great Rift Miner background, and swap in different ability improvements, skill, tool, language, feat, etcetera. A background only suggests what is typical.)

As the above example of the Great Rift Miner background demonstrates, it is easy to import "Hill Dwarf" flavor − and even its +2 Constitution score and +1 Wisdom score improvements − into 2024.

At the same time, this background is clearly a local culture. There is no biological essentialism. There are many Great Rift miner families that are Nondwarf. Certainly, not every Gold Dwarf is a Great Rift Miner.

Yet there is fun, familiar, flavor.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m not sure what question you’re asking or point you’re trying to illustrate. Yes, the customizability of character origins in the 2024 playtest makes it possible to make a character that embraces their species’s typical narrative, as well as one that deviates from it. That was kinda the whole point.

 

[Yaarel]

I’m not sure what question you’re asking or point you’re trying to illustrate. Yes, the customizability of character origins in the 2024 playtest makes it possible to make a character that embraces their species’s typical narrative, as well as one that deviates from it. That was kinda the whole point.

The point is, in 2024, it is the background that does the heavy lifting for these kinds of cultural flavors, not the species.

 

[Charlaquin]

The point is, in 2024, it is the background that does the heavy lifting for these kinds of cultural flavors, not the species.

Yeah. That was the premise of the Origins UA…

 

[Yaarel]

Yeah. That was the premise of the Origins UA…

Yes, and. UA Origins never gave an example of a background that represents an aspect of a unique culture, such as this one relating to a native Dwarf culture in the Great Rift region.

There are examples of cultural backgrounds in certain official adventures. But the Playtest hasnt gone there yet.

That BACKGROUNDS are where to find cultural options, still needs to be said. And still needs to be done in a cultural sensitive way.

It would be easy for backgrounds to become a vehicle of reallife stereotypes. But because each culture has many backgrounds, and the backgrounds can be diverse and conflictive, this diversity helps prevent a stereotype.

 

[Horwath]

Honestly, I would like to see ASI's dropped completely from character creation and after.
what you have at level 1 is what you get. Outside high level magic items.

Just have modified array/point buy:

array:
18,16,14,14,12,10.
This is what you will have for 20 levels
instead of ASIs, you just get feats.

point buy

6: -1 pt
8: 0 pts
10: 1 pt
12: 2 pts
14: 3 pts
16: 5 pts
18: 8 pts

point pool: 22pts


after that, your choice of feat(s), skills, tools and languages can describe your background good enough.

 

[Vikingkingq]

Yes, that makes sense - no one ever gets stronger or more agile or wiser, we’re all just frozen in our early “twenties,” forever.

 

[Horwath]

Yes, that makes sense - no one ever gets stronger or more agile or wiser, we’re all just frozen in our early “twenties,” forever.

it was before 3e. And it's easier to balance.

 

[Vikingkingq]

it was before 3e. And it's easier to balance.

I remember, and it was a bad idea at the time too. The whole point of having character classes with levels, hell the whole point of having persistent characters rather than just randomly picking playing pieces at the start of every session, is so that you can learn and work and grow over time.

If the game cannot represent that outside of the acquisition of material possessions, it has failed in its objectIve.

 

[Horwath]

I remember, and it was a bad idea at the time too. The whole point of having character classes with levels, hell the whole point of having persistent characters rather than just randomly picking playing pieces at the start of every session, is so that you can learn and work and grow over time.

If the game cannot represent that outside of the acquisition of material possessions, it has failed in its objectIve.

class features, feats, skills, better skills, yes magic items, proficiency bonus that is reliable and predictable, there no need for ability score inflation.