D&D (2024) No Dwarf, Halfling, and Orc suborgins, lineages, and legacies

[Scott Christian]

I don't recall seeing anything in the book stating that PCs are "just better" than other members of their heritage.

To be truthful, I am not sure if it was in the PHB. I do recall very specifically people citing Crawford saying the PCs are more remarkable than their common brethren. These were during racial (species) debates. So, I am probably pulling from that. But I will go look to be sure.

 

[Scott Christian]

Nobles and Knights are literally the Elite.
Commoners, guards, and tribal warriors are normal people.

You conveniently left out the spy, priest, and my etc. The etc. is goblin guards, cult members, names NPCs in adventures, common guards in adventures such as the goliath guards in Rime, the common drow (and don't even get me started on the stats of the other listed drow), the common orc (and don't get me started on that orc warchief), and the common almost everything. I mean, a flipping Thug has a 15 strength and 14 con and a veteran has a 16 strength and 14 con. Those are not uncommon people.

 

[Minigiant]

Before I jump into the array. I had a 2e fighter whose highest attribute was a 13. We played that campaign for over a year.

Meaning your PC had no bonuses in 2e.

Meaning alll your PC's dice rolls were straight d20s and thus their success was a complete crapshoot.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Nope. Multiple ways to play elves is fine, but they still need something that makes them an elf as opposed to something else, and I would prefer that thing not be primary what they look like.

Living for 750+ years and having trances where they connect with previous lives isn’t enough? Get fey ancestry and their inherently otherworldly nature is somehow less important to their identity than a +2 to Dexterity?

You have a really weird idea about what defines a race. A +2 to Dexterity isn’t important to their thematic identity. It is to their mechanical identity, as it limits which classes/party roles they get to be effective as.

 

[Minigiant]

You conveniently left out the spy, priest, and my etc.

Special people in the psuedo Medieval/Renaissance RPG settings of D&D as well

The etc. is goblin guards, cult members, names NPCs in adventures, common guards in adventures such as the goliath guards in Rime, the common drow (and don't even get me started on the stats of the other listed drow), the common orc (and don't get me started on that orc warchief), and the common almost everything. I mean, a flipping Thug has a 15 strength and 14 con and a veteran has a 16 strength and 14 con. Those are not uncommon people.

Veterans aren't common.
The Thug of the MM is a criminal organization enforcer. Again not common.
Warchiefs arent common. Thre is only 1-3 in the tribe (the current one and the successor and maybe the predecessor)

 

[Scott Christian]

Special people in the psuedo Medieval/Renaissance RPG settings of D&D as well

Veterans aren't common.
The Thug of the MM is a criminal organization enforcer. Again not common.
Warchiefs arent common. Thre is only 1-3 in the tribe (the current one and the successor and maybe the predecessor)

Here is what you said:

Normal people don't have a 15 and a 14.

Normal means "normal." The thug, the spy, the blacksmith with a 17 strength, the stupid goblin guard with a 15 dex, etc. They are all "normal."

 

[Minigiant]

Here is what you said:

Normal means "normal." The thug, the spy, the blacksmith with a 17 strength, the stupid goblin guard with a 15 dex, etc. They are all "normal."

The thug and spy aren't normal people.

They are elite who had special training (nobles, knights), had strong vetting (spies and cult leaders) , or undergone intense weeding process (thugs and veterans).

 

[Micah Sweet]

To be truthful, I am not sure if it was in the PHB. I do recall very specifically people citing Crawford saying the PCs are more remarkable than their common brethren. These were during racial (species) debates. So, I am probably pulling from that. But I will go look to be sure.

Well, Crawford and I have never seen eye to eye. I disagree with nearly every call he's made when asked.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Living for 750+ years and having trances where they connect with previous lives isn’t enough? Get fey ancestry and their inherently otherworldly nature is somehow less important to their identity than a +2 to Dexterity?

You have a really weird idea about what defines a race. A +2 to Dexterity isn’t important to their thematic identity. It is to their mechanical identity, as it limits which classes/party roles they get to be effective as.

Incorrect. You don't need to peg your prime stat to be effective.

 

[Minigiant]

Incorrect. You don't need to peg your prime stat to be effective.

Depends on the edition and your role in the group.

Certain aspects (damage and control) of the game benefited heavily from high prime stats. Others don't (healing, tanking, and buffs)