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

[Micah Sweet]

How are the players going to tell what the dwarven blacksmith's strength is? They planning on fighting everyone they meet? The dwarven blacksmith is exactly strong enough to sell the party the armour and weapons they need. "10" = "irrelevant".

That is a narrative argument, and isn't going to work for everyone.

 

[Micah Sweet]

If it becomes relevant, you give them an NPC stat block, as suggested in the DMG. Guard would be appropriate.

The whole point of "commoner" is they are a "don't matter" character, so giving them stats would be a waste of time. As soon as their stats matter, they stop being commoners and become NPCs, and get an appropriate stat block.

There is no such thing as a "don't matter" character, and I challenge you to show me any D&D book that says otherwise. Again, you are assigning narrative value in a game not mechanically designed that way (even if it's often played with narrative in mind). You want to make this argument in a PBtA game? No objection here.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That is a narrative argument, and isn't going to work for everyone.

You meet someone in the street. Do you know how strong they are?

 

[CreamCloud0]

You meet someone in the street. Do you know how strong they are?

no i don't know how strong they are, but that doesn't mean they don't have their metaphorical strength score.

 

[Minigiant]

I think again the key issue is good race/species features.

In normal play, the DM rolls a contest or sets a DC

1. They consult a statblock or set a DC
   1. +1 if their species is naturally gifted in that task
   2. +X if the NPC is proficient
   3. +2X if the NPC is an expert

Butfor tasks that aren't straight rolls, species should have features that alter the entire experience if they come up.

A white dragonborn can decrease the temperature to make customers enter on a hot day or hurry up on a cold one via ice magic while remaining unaffected. No haggling for you unless you make the Con check or have cold resistance.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

no i don't know how strong they are, but that doesn't mean they don't have their metaphorical strength score.

Can you prove that they do?

 

[Minigiant]

Isn't it ironic that once again we all have pretty much veered off topic? A little too ironic, don't you think?

Not really.

You can't discuss subspecies if there are are 3-4 competing schools of race building.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Can you prove that they do?

by the sheer fact they don't crumple under their own weight?

 

[Micah Sweet]

You meet someone in the street. Do you know how strong they are?

Probably not, but that doesn't mean they don't have a strength because it doesn't matter to me personally. I don't design a setting or a PC based on narrative roles.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Can you prove that they do?

As soon as you ask the DM, yes, if the setting is designed as I prefer it to me. Ideally that information would have already been determined, actually, and the DM informs me when my PC has reason to know it.