D&D General No More "Humans in Funny Hats": Racial Mechanics Should Determine Racial Cultures

[Vaalingrade]

Like Vulcans being smart?

This isn't even a good example!

Vulcans are logical, which is both a boon and a hinderance to their intellect.

 

[Scott Christian]

This isn't even a good example!

Vulcans are logical, which is both a boon and a hinderance to their intellect.

Awesome. Now we get to argue over the definition of intelligence.

 

[Maxperson]

This isn't even a good example!

Vulcans are logical, which is both a boon and a hinderance to their intellect.

It was more than logic. They were also smarter than humans were.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

So theoretically, you could give Vulcans in a 5e system a fixed Intelligence ASI boost. But it might be more accurate to instead give them racial features and other traits to instead emphasis their ability control emotions. Perhaps a number of times equal to profiency reaction to give advantage against spells and features targetting Charisma, Wisdom and Intelligence saves, perhaps?

Yes, they could have traits that help them resist mental influence.

Boosts to skills involving logic, like Arcana?

There is a thing that boost skills involving logic. It is called intelligence. Ability scores are supposed to represent things and I am really not a fan of inventing gimmicky rules that represent the same thing the ability scores are supposed to represent.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

This isn't even a good example!

Vulcans are logical, which is both a boon and a hinderance to their intellect.

Being logical is now a hindrance to intellect?

• Intelligence, measuring reasoning and memory

This is what PHB says. Logic is reasoning. Vulcans also are shown to have amazing memories, retaining amazing amounts of encyclopaedic knowledge. In D&D intelligence score explicitly measures things Vulcans are great at. Thus it would be highly illogical to not give them boost in such a score. I really don't understand this trend to deny that ability scores mean, measure or represent anything. If they don't, why even have them?

 

[ReshiIRE]

Profiency bonus to one skill is very different from a boost to intelligence. It could be a gimmick; I'm not versed well enough in 5e design to give coherent suggestions. But you can understand the example I'm making, correct?

I would also argue that logic and intelligence are not equivalent (there are a lot of otherwise intelligent people are very illogical [I am somewhat intelligent in some definitions and I can be very illogical] and there are people not necessarily considered intelligent who can use logic quite well) but that's getting into more complicated discussions.

What 'intelligence' represents is pretty loose in 5e in particular; I would argue that it represents the ability to do well in learning skills and well, learning how to learn, as well as memory functions. Indeed, this is why I'm not typically happy with flat checks, particularly for the mental scores, but also for Dexterity and Strength. It's much easier to parse what exactly someone's intelligence and arcana work together or their athletics and strength together mean rather than just what their strength means.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Let me remind everyone of this post. This thread is not about debating racial ASIs or the new design of races/lineages in D&D 5e.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Let me remind everyone of this post. This thread is not about debating racial ASIs or the new design of races/lineages in D&D 5e.

And to add to that, there is actually now an active ASI thread so perhaps we can take further discussion about that topic there?

 

[Maxperson]

Let me remind everyone of this post. This thread is not about debating racial ASIs or the new design of races/lineages in D&D 5e.

Racial ASIs are part of racial mechanics and are therefore on topic. That you don't want to discuss it is fine. That you would go run and complain to moderators if it doesn't go your way isn't. I didn't cave in to that threat in school when the kids threatened it, I'm not going to accept it from an adult.

 

[Maxperson]

And to add to that, there is actually now an active ASI thread so perhaps we can take further discussion about that topic there?

Sure. This is the proper way to ask. Not threaten to run to moderation.