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MotM: thoughts on races in Monsters of the Multiverse
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<blockquote data-quote="Kobold Stew" data-source="post: 8516241" data-attributes="member: 23484"><p><strong>2 Goblinoids and other Few (Bugbear, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Eladrin, Shadar Kai)</strong></p><p></p><p>All three goblinoids now have fey ancestry, which is nice – it gives a “dark” spin, making them (pseudo-evolutionary) cousins of Elves, Eladrin, etc. Fey Ancestry gives advantage against being charmed.</p><p></p><p><strong>Goblin</strong>. Not much change from VGTM. Fury of the Small now does more total damage, spread out over multiple attacks. Nimble Escape is an amazing ability, that replicates much of the Rogue’s cunning action, allowing a Hide or a Disengage with a bonus action. Goblins always have something to do with their bonus action. This will disincentivize certain builds: goblins will tend not to use two-weapon fighting, they won’t be monks, they won’t typically be beastmaster rangers (even though they can ride their beast, being small). Most surprising, though: the ability becomes redundant if they are rogues. It’s an interesting design choice: all goblins feel like rogues, but very few actually are. There is seemingly a “genetic” dis-inclination towards rogues.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bugbear</strong>. Surprise Attack gives you a 2d6 bonus to damage if you act early in the first round of combat. This strongly favours dexterity builds (thank goodness, finally something to support Dexterity in 5e), and curiously will therefore reduce the importance of strength builds (since dexterity and strength can both be used as an attack stat). Bugbear characters are also incentivized towards the Alert feat – anything to ensure you act before your opponent in round 1.</p><p></p><p>If the new Bugbear favours a Dexterity build, we can start to make new sense of three other abilities. Powerful Build is making up for the carrying ability that is lost by a lower strength – your effective strength is doubled in this respect. You are comparatively less Athletic, but with Long-Limbed you are still tall and lanky. Curiously, this visual of a long, shaggy-limbed but emaciated creature is reinforced by the curious new ability listed under Sneaky, that you can squeeze into spaces that would otherwise only hold a small creature. All of this is surprisingly coherent.</p><p></p><p><strong>Hobgoblin</strong>. It was very hard to find a way to use the abilities granted to the Hobgoblin in VGTM: they gain proficiency in Light Armor and two martial weapons, which helps… Sorcerers and Wizards, neither of whom really need these abilities. So you could play a dextrous Abjurer with a rapier, which was fun but unnecessary, or give a knowledge, light, or trickery Cleric a longbow if you wanted, but nothing really felt right. This is a big improvement.</p><p></p><p>Fey Gift lets you Help with a bonus action (something only possible otherwise with the Rogue Mastermind). Though its use is limited – proficiency times (2-6)/long rest – at level 3 it also gives THP or 10’ extra speed or disadvantage on the target’s next attack. Fey Gift with this last ability (Spite) will be a good investment for any build. What had been Saving Face in Volo now allows a smaller bonus (up to +3 instead of +5) more often (proficiency times/long rest rather than once/short rest). Not only does this remove the negative valence, but it gives abilities that can benefit pretty much any build. It also works better with smaller parties: small groups are not incentivized to put extra allies into the field of battle so the Hobgob can hit harder. Also, it is an ability that is not wasted, since it kicks in only when you miss (and players usually have a sense of whether they are close to making it or not, even if the DC has not been stated.)</p><p></p><p><strong>Eladrin and Shadar-Kai</strong> are planar elves, from the feywild or shadowfell. Seriously, elves get everywhere unless you spray first.</p><p></p><p>They get the Fey Ancestry advantage on charm saves and darkvision like goblinoids do, and additionally, they all have:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">perception proficiency</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">trance, which means you finish a long rest in 4 hrs not 8 (an important clarification, and apparently a modification on a Sage advice answer), but this additionally gives...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">...two free proficiencies in weapons or tools.</li> </ul><p></p><p>[ooc]TRANCE: How to use the free proficiencies?</p><p></p><p>For most players, the choice of a weapon would be relatively fixed, and would not change from one long rest to the next: you choose to be proficient in longbow, say, and that will be your weapon of choice. In contrast, the choice of a tool will change. As long as you have 4 hours to prep, a character can become a master carpenter, or a card expert, or a concert flautist. That flexibility could be pretty fun at the table.</p><p></p><p>Importantly, we should ask how this will roll-over into the PHB elves. I trust (hope) that it will replace Elven weapon training. That way, any elf charavter can have the free proficiencies in longbow or whatever, but those with martial profs already aren't "trading them in" for skill profs, but it becomes a choice made at the level of determining Trance.</p><p></p><p>Because the proficiencies can rotate, it also means that if the DM throws a fancy trident in the way of the players, an elf character might choose to use it: you can teach yourself trident as needed. This would make for greater variationin character builds. Elves become less same-y, even if they are still overloaded with racial abilities.[/ooc]</p><p></p><p><strong>Eladrin</strong>. Fey Ancestry gives advantage against being charmed, and Fey Step lets you Misty Step without the mist, proficiency times (2-6) per long rest. Nice. At level 3 you add a “seasonal” effect, that is fun and can vary: the autumnal charm or the brumal frightening effects stand out. This offers a strong Fey feel and can be made to fit almost any class. Because Fey Step isn’t a spell, it can even work while a barbarian’s raging. It’s a pretty open design.</p><p></p><p><strong>Shadar Kai</strong>. Basically, a dark-themed Eladrin, with damage resistance instead of one of the seasonal abilities. Resistance to necrotic damage is thrown in for free. It’s not clear this needs to be a separate lineage.</p><p></p><p><strong>Sea Elf</strong>. is pretty great, granting a swim speed, cold resistance, water breathing, and an ability to talk at fish, in addition to all the other elven benefits (perception, shortened long rests, free proficiencies, darkvision, and an advantage on charm saves.) More on them below, when I compare the swimmers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kobold Stew, post: 8516241, member: 23484"] [B]2 Goblinoids and other Few (Bugbear, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Eladrin, Shadar Kai)[/B] All three goblinoids now have fey ancestry, which is nice – it gives a “dark” spin, making them (pseudo-evolutionary) cousins of Elves, Eladrin, etc. Fey Ancestry gives advantage against being charmed. [B]Goblin[/B]. Not much change from VGTM. Fury of the Small now does more total damage, spread out over multiple attacks. Nimble Escape is an amazing ability, that replicates much of the Rogue’s cunning action, allowing a Hide or a Disengage with a bonus action. Goblins always have something to do with their bonus action. This will disincentivize certain builds: goblins will tend not to use two-weapon fighting, they won’t be monks, they won’t typically be beastmaster rangers (even though they can ride their beast, being small). Most surprising, though: the ability becomes redundant if they are rogues. It’s an interesting design choice: all goblins feel like rogues, but very few actually are. There is seemingly a “genetic” dis-inclination towards rogues. [B]Bugbear[/B]. Surprise Attack gives you a 2d6 bonus to damage if you act early in the first round of combat. This strongly favours dexterity builds (thank goodness, finally something to support Dexterity in 5e), and curiously will therefore reduce the importance of strength builds (since dexterity and strength can both be used as an attack stat). Bugbear characters are also incentivized towards the Alert feat – anything to ensure you act before your opponent in round 1. If the new Bugbear favours a Dexterity build, we can start to make new sense of three other abilities. Powerful Build is making up for the carrying ability that is lost by a lower strength – your effective strength is doubled in this respect. You are comparatively less Athletic, but with Long-Limbed you are still tall and lanky. Curiously, this visual of a long, shaggy-limbed but emaciated creature is reinforced by the curious new ability listed under Sneaky, that you can squeeze into spaces that would otherwise only hold a small creature. All of this is surprisingly coherent. [B]Hobgoblin[/B]. It was very hard to find a way to use the abilities granted to the Hobgoblin in VGTM: they gain proficiency in Light Armor and two martial weapons, which helps… Sorcerers and Wizards, neither of whom really need these abilities. So you could play a dextrous Abjurer with a rapier, which was fun but unnecessary, or give a knowledge, light, or trickery Cleric a longbow if you wanted, but nothing really felt right. This is a big improvement. Fey Gift lets you Help with a bonus action (something only possible otherwise with the Rogue Mastermind). Though its use is limited – proficiency times (2-6)/long rest – at level 3 it also gives THP or 10’ extra speed or disadvantage on the target’s next attack. Fey Gift with this last ability (Spite) will be a good investment for any build. What had been Saving Face in Volo now allows a smaller bonus (up to +3 instead of +5) more often (proficiency times/long rest rather than once/short rest). Not only does this remove the negative valence, but it gives abilities that can benefit pretty much any build. It also works better with smaller parties: small groups are not incentivized to put extra allies into the field of battle so the Hobgob can hit harder. Also, it is an ability that is not wasted, since it kicks in only when you miss (and players usually have a sense of whether they are close to making it or not, even if the DC has not been stated.) [B]Eladrin and Shadar-Kai[/B] are planar elves, from the feywild or shadowfell. Seriously, elves get everywhere unless you spray first. They get the Fey Ancestry advantage on charm saves and darkvision like goblinoids do, and additionally, they all have: [LIST] [*]perception proficiency [*]trance, which means you finish a long rest in 4 hrs not 8 (an important clarification, and apparently a modification on a Sage advice answer), but this additionally gives... [*]...two free proficiencies in weapons or tools. [/LIST] [ooc]TRANCE: How to use the free proficiencies? For most players, the choice of a weapon would be relatively fixed, and would not change from one long rest to the next: you choose to be proficient in longbow, say, and that will be your weapon of choice. In contrast, the choice of a tool will change. As long as you have 4 hours to prep, a character can become a master carpenter, or a card expert, or a concert flautist. That flexibility could be pretty fun at the table. Importantly, we should ask how this will roll-over into the PHB elves. I trust (hope) that it will replace Elven weapon training. That way, any elf charavter can have the free proficiencies in longbow or whatever, but those with martial profs already aren't "trading them in" for skill profs, but it becomes a choice made at the level of determining Trance. Because the proficiencies can rotate, it also means that if the DM throws a fancy trident in the way of the players, an elf character might choose to use it: you can teach yourself trident as needed. This would make for greater variationin character builds. Elves become less same-y, even if they are still overloaded with racial abilities.[/ooc] [B]Eladrin[/B]. Fey Ancestry gives advantage against being charmed, and Fey Step lets you Misty Step without the mist, proficiency times (2-6) per long rest. Nice. At level 3 you add a “seasonal” effect, that is fun and can vary: the autumnal charm or the brumal frightening effects stand out. This offers a strong Fey feel and can be made to fit almost any class. Because Fey Step isn’t a spell, it can even work while a barbarian’s raging. It’s a pretty open design. [B]Shadar Kai[/B]. Basically, a dark-themed Eladrin, with damage resistance instead of one of the seasonal abilities. Resistance to necrotic damage is thrown in for free. It’s not clear this needs to be a separate lineage. [B]Sea Elf[/B]. is pretty great, granting a swim speed, cold resistance, water breathing, and an ability to talk at fish, in addition to all the other elven benefits (perception, shortened long rests, free proficiencies, darkvision, and an advantage on charm saves.) More on them below, when I compare the swimmers. [/QUOTE]
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