D&D (2024) Learning to Love the Background System

[EzekielRaiden]

Floor for abilities should be linked to races/species.

We moved away from +X tied to species because it prevents species/class combos for everyone to be at max effectiveness, but some of that flavor can be kept in mechanic as still leave option to have any ability at "17" at start for any combination.

I mean, wouldn't it instead be better to say that Wizards are necessarily smart or observant because they've worked to be smart and/or observant, and Fighters are necessarily strong or agile because they've practiced being strong or agile?

Because that's what 13th Age does, and it allows for us to still recognize the capabilities of each race and get rid of "ew I can't play flumph because it doesn't have +2 Temerity" stuff. It removes the crappy restriction of "pick only optimal things" (because now anything will be at least Pretty Good), without totally rejecting the idea that physiological differences can still be relevant.

As an example. Wizards get either +2 Int or +2 Wis, as long as it doesn't match what you got from race. High Elves get +2 Int or +2 Cha, so you can have Int/Cha, Int/Wis, or (if you really want it!) Cha/Wis as a High Elf Wizard. Meanwhile, a Half-Orc Wizard can be Str/Int, Dex/Int, Str/Wis, or Dex/Wis--lots of choice, and you don't even have to be good at Intelligence if you don't want to be. Meanwhile, a Dragonborn (Str/Cha) Paladin (Str/Cha) doesn't get any choices--they're locked into +2 Str and +2 Cha because both sides give the same bonuses.

This system is even better because it plays nicely with things that might otherwise not work great. Humans, for example, getting a "+2 Any" is actually really quite nice now, because that means humans really are the ultimate flexibility race--they can always bring the best stats to any particular class, or they can be quirky and do something offbeat while still keeping their core competency high. Further, it opens up design space for particularly MAD classes, like the 13A Monk, which gets to pick two out of three stats (so long as nothing doubles up), or Druid, which picks one out of three pairing with its extreme theoretical flexibility but in-practice need for focus.

I really can't sing the praises of 13A design enough. There are just some really, really good design ideas in it.

give floor to one or two abilities for every species.

I.E:
Elves are never clumsy.
So every Elf needs atleast "12" to be asigned to Dex

Orcs need minumum of 12 in Str

Dwarves need minimum of 12 in Con


Simple fix is this:
any +2 fixed ASI for a race is turned into "min 12"
any +1 fixed ASI for a race is turned into "min 10"

and you still keep your floating +2/+1 to put anywhere you need them.

This just seems mostly irrelevant to me. It feels like the opposite of the 13A approach above. You've made the racial bonuses irrelevant unless players optimize to dump those stats (or, if this is "you must buy at least X", a punishment if they weren't going to invest in those stats), while at the same time preserving the "stats are irrelevant, everyone is good at whatever the player needs them to be good at" element.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Floor for abilities should be linked to races/species.

We moved away from +X tied to species because it prevents species/class combos for everyone to be at max effectiveness, but some of that flavor can be kept in mechanic as still leave option to have any ability at "17" at start for any combination.

give floor to one or two abilities for every species.

I.E:
Elves are never clumsy.
So every Elf needs atleast "12" to be asigned to Dex

Orcs need minumum of 12 in Str

Dwarves need minimum of 12 in Con


Simple fix is this:
any +2 fixed ASI for a race is turned into "min 12"
any +1 fixed ASI for a race is turned into "min 10"

and you still keep your floating +2/+1 to put anywhere you need them.

i've participated in enough fixed ASI discussions to feel this would run into a very similar argument to what happens there: "but with fixed ASI/raised floors i can't play my perfect counter-stereotype concept of 'the most sickliest dwarf', oh woe they have 10 CON instead of 8, my fantasy is ruined"

personally i've landed on features being the best way to manifest species strengths, acting as multipliers and modifiers that play off their stats, a halfling has advantage on stealth checks, it doesn't make an 8-DEX halfling a stealth master but they'll be consistently marginally better at it than the next non-halfling 8-DEX guy, and the 20-DEX halfling will basically never fail a stealth check.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

So people didn't like species being pre-packaged combos of ASIs and features, as many players felt that they had to choose one that provided proper ASIs to their class, and now the exact same issue has been shifted to background...

I don't really get it. Like I was fine with species ASIs, but if that was deemed undesirable design it seems crazy to just repeat the same structure elsewhere.

I mean, I could explain why, but I doubt you'd like it.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

i've participated in enough fixed ASI discussions to feel this would run into a very similar argument to what happens there: "but with fixed ASI/raised floors i can't play my perfect counter-stereotype concept of 'the most sickliest dwarf', oh woe they have 10 CON instead of 8, my fantasy is ruined"

personally i've landed on features being the best way to manifest species strengths, acting as multipliers and modifiers that play off their stats, a halfling has advantage on stealth checks, it doesn't make an 8-DEX halfling a stealth master but they'll be consistently marginally better at it than the next non-halfling 8-DEX guy, and the 20-DEX halfling will basically never fail a stealth check.

Yep. Even better than that, though, are features that actually...do something. Almost like a, hmm, what word should we use? It's like there's a word right at the tip of my tongue, something simple and straightforward, but I just can't remember what it was. P something. Oh well, call it a "talent" or an "aptitude". Each species has its own species aptitude, something tied to the physiological differences. Then, it's not about what you are, but about what you can do.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Yep. Even better than that, though, are features that actually...do something. Almost like a, hmm, what word should we use? It's like there's a word right at the tip of my tongue, something simple and straightforward, but I just can't remember what it was. P something. Oh well, call it a "talent" or an "aptitude". Each species has its own species aptitude, something tied to the physiological differences.

i get that you're probably doing a bit here but i'm genuinely not getting whatever you're referencing.

Then, it's not about what you are, but about what you can do.

eh, when it comes to fantasy species i kind of feel like those two circles should overlap a fair bit, like, dragonborn do breathe fire, but that's because they are draconic beings, goliath do have significantly stronger muscles because they are giantoids.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

i get that you're probably doing a bit here but i'm genuinely not getting whatever you're referencing.

Power. 4e term.

eh, when it comes to fantasy species i kind of feel like those two circles should overlap a fair bit, like, dragonborn do breathe fire, but that's because they are draconic beings.

That was sort of the idea. Let ability scores be grace notes. Make species powers/actions/whatever be the stars of the show.

 

[Minigiant]

Ive noticed that Linguist and Dungeon Delver didn't make the cut.

The would be good from Merchant or Vaulter backgrounds.

I struggled to boost them up to Origin feat strength and see why they didn't make it.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I mean, I could explain why, but I doubt you'd like it.

Please, go ahead.

 

[Shardstone]

Sidebar in the 2024 PHB btw says that you can take any 2014 background, assign ASIs where you want, and pick any Origin feat you want. Custom backgrounds are already in here. I'm so tired of all this hooplah about nothing.

 

[Krachek]

Sidebar in the 2024 PHB btw says that you can take any 2014 background, assign ASIs where you want, and pick any Origin feat you want. Custom backgrounds are already in here. I'm so tired of all this hooplah about nothing.

Indeed that can be read in actual DnD Beyond.

Using Old Backgrounds at Character Creation
Previous D&D books contain a plethora of backgrounds that are beloved by players. If you don’t see your favorite background listed, don’t despair! The scribes have scrawled some handy tips for converting a background from an older book to work with your new character using the 2024 Player’s Handbook. When using an older background, simply select the ability scores you want to add your 3 total points to, so adjusting one score by 2 and another by 1, or three scores by 1.
This comes in place of your species' Ability Score Improvements. So, if you also choose an older species that has an Ability Score Improvement, ignore it.
If the background you select does not already provide a feat, you gain the Origin feat of your choice.