avin
First Post
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New blog, new poll.
My vote was moderate mechanic, heavy fluff.
New blog, new poll.
My vote was moderate mechanic, heavy fluff.
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Monte Cook - Racial Importance
- Thread starter avin
- Start date
Mark CMG
Creative Mountain Games
The various sentient species of any roleplaying game, particularly those that can be used as player characters, should be presented as distinct from others both in mechanics (how they function within the math of the RPG's system) and in concept and background (how they exist as discreet elements of the RPG's milieu).
trancejeremy
Adventurer
Unless they are dramatically different than humans, I don't think they should be different mechanically from humans.
What is an elf, really? A human with pointy ears and probably slightly skinny.
A dwarf is someone short and stout. A gnome is a short guy with a big nose.
Halfings pose a problem, but someone that tiny being an adventurer requires a handwave anyway.
More exotic stuff should be in a class, IMHO.
What is an elf, really? A human with pointy ears and probably slightly skinny.
A dwarf is someone short and stout. A gnome is a short guy with a big nose.
Halfings pose a problem, but someone that tiny being an adventurer requires a handwave anyway.
More exotic stuff should be in a class, IMHO.
TwinBahamut
First Post
You need really potent racial effects in order to have races that are actually interesting choices. As I've stated in a lot of threads on these boards lately, it would be really nice to be given racial choices that are dramatically different from the human baseline. You'll need a lot of room in the game mechanics for stuff like that.
Now see, that's the type of position that shows the extreme level of customization that the player base really requires to have a one game to fit all approach and why I'm really concerned about the game that's coming out.
You enjoy potent racial effects. I enjoy muted racial differences that are more storyline related than game related. Both are valid to the genre.
TwinBahamut
First Post
Yep, it is certainly a tall order. I do think it is possible to reconcile those differences, though. I mean, let's look at our interests. I like races that are very mechanically different because I like stuff like giants, dragons, fairies, and werebeasts as playable races. I find elves and dwarves boring, because they are fundamentally mostly human with only story/fluff differences. I'm willing to imagine (and correct me if I'm wrong), that you are quite different, and enjoy races like elves and dwarves so long as they have interesting fluff.
I can imagine at least two different ways that we could both be satisfied with 5E's race rules.
1) For the most part, 5E treats races the same way 3E and 4E did, with the primary focus being on humans, elves, dwarves, etc. In addition, it offers several "race as class" options for races that are significantly different from humans, such as playable dragons.
2) 5E divides race and class such that both have vary large mechanical impact on the game. Races like elves and dwarves are fundamentally sub-races of a "human" race, so that there are only minor differences between them. On the other hand, there are a number of significantly different races that have unique strengths and weaknesses, and all can choose their class freely.
Option #1 is the simpler one, and probably favors those who don't care as much about less-humanlike races, while option #2 is a bit more complicated, but gives additional flexibility for those who want more race mechanics. Either could serve as a compromise between our views, I hope...
I like my races with a lot of racial genetic baggage.
Dwarves are tough. Wen you play a dwarf, you are tough and stable no matter if you a fully armored fighter or a wizard in a robe. But they are always slow and uncharismatic.
Halflings are naturally sneaky. No matter the class, a halfing can play like a rogue. Halflings are stealthy fighters, stealthy wizards, stealthy clerics, very stealthy rogues, stealthy paladins, etc. But halfling don't deal much damage with weapons. The much rely of spells and class feature to defeat enemies.
Half-orcs carry a mean melee attack no matter what class they are. But they are dumb and not very complicated.
Elves would be fast, nimble, educated, and hard to hit. But they' be frail. No matter what class they choose, an elf is a glass cannon or fragile speedster. They jut can't take a hit, man.
So I voted Very.
Dwarves are tough. Wen you play a dwarf, you are tough and stable no matter if you a fully armored fighter or a wizard in a robe. But they are always slow and uncharismatic.
Halflings are naturally sneaky. No matter the class, a halfing can play like a rogue. Halflings are stealthy fighters, stealthy wizards, stealthy clerics, very stealthy rogues, stealthy paladins, etc. But halfling don't deal much damage with weapons. The much rely of spells and class feature to defeat enemies.
Half-orcs carry a mean melee attack no matter what class they are. But they are dumb and not very complicated.
Elves would be fast, nimble, educated, and hard to hit. But they' be frail. No matter what class they choose, an elf is a glass cannon or fragile speedster. They jut can't take a hit, man.
So I voted Very.
marleykat
First Post
I voted "very" but would prefer it to be "the" defining feature above class. I like it on the level of MERPs and Rolemaster. Being a demihuman held weight good and bad above mere profession ie. class, it allowed room for human cultural differences to have in game mechanical weight like a demihuman. YMMV
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I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
Moar Racial Mechanics, Plz.
It's a choice that has a storyline effect on par or greater than your choice of class. It should have a mechanical effect that is just as potent.
It's a choice that has a storyline effect on par or greater than your choice of class. It should have a mechanical effect that is just as potent.
I voted "Extremely - Race should be more important than class." This may be a tall order, but it would be my ideal. I want nonhumans to feel different from humans in fundamental ways. I'd almost go so far as to say they should have their own set of classes, or at least their own class variants... though that's probably beyond the amount of development WotC can reasonably put into them.
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