Primal Power Backgrounds

[Dice4Hire]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Excerpts: Primal Power Backgrounds)

Well, new excerpt out. Backgrounds ala many books before. Adding the racial specific ones is a nice touch.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Excerpts: Primal Power Backgrounds)

Well, new excerpt out. Backgrounds ala many books before. Adding the racial specific ones is a nice tough.

Is it okay if I say "meh"? I find backgrounds a little... bland. Not much crunch and I prefer fluff dealing with the setting (be it POL or any other setting), something detailing the world.

 

[Klaus]

Is it okay if I say "meh"? I find backgrounds a little... bland. Not much crunch and I prefer fluff dealing with the setting (be it POL or any other setting), something detailing the world.

I see the backgrounds as a "mix-n-match" world-building exercise. Say, your character choose Broken Lands, Occupation Criminal and Society Noble. Mix those up and see what cooks.

 

[Garthanos]

Is it okay if I say "meh"? I find backgrounds a little... bland. Not much crunch and I prefer fluff dealing with the setting (be it POL or any other setting), something detailing the world.

I like backgrounds to have more crunch and snap Forgotten Realms and Scales of War, potency work fine for me...

 

[Nahat Anoj]

I very much like PH2-style backgrounds (of which the Primal Power excerpts are an example). They don't have weird, feat-like effects, and they add a nice touch of flavor to characters. They remind me of Aspects from Spirit of the Century, although admittedly they are a bit smaller in scope.

 

[Garthanos]

I very much like PH2-style backgrounds (of which the Primal Power excerpts are an example). They don't have weird, feat-like effects, and they add a nice touch of flavor to characters. They remind me of Aspects from Spirit of the Century, although admittedly they are a bit smaller in scope.

see sans the feat like potency of effects I do not need anything at all from WOTC about them... ie they are improvise-able totally...

I would let somebody have the benefits of 3 of them.

 

[Garthanos]

I see the backgrounds as a "mix-n-match" world-building exercise. Say, your character choose Broken Lands, Occupation Criminal and Society Noble. Mix those up and see what cooks.

you have a soup that tastes like one of your ingredients only...

 

[Klaus]

you have a soup that tastes like one of your ingredients only...

Mechanics-wise, you only get one.

But world-building-wise?

 

[Hellzon]

I like bite-sized fluff, like in the backgrounds.

Hey, teaser? "Gray dragons and cobalt dragons are the most common totem dragons for dragonborn characters, because they are the most rapacious hunters among dragonkind." (emphasis mine)

I haven't read my MM2 that thoroughly, but that sounds like a teaser for Draconomicon II.

 

[MrMyth]

I tend to be torn on backgrounds. The FR/Scales of Wars ones tended to offer more unique abilities that really make those backgrounds feel character-defining. But by that same element, it made backgrounds almost too relevant, too much an invitation to optimize... by keeping them simple in the PHB2 fashion, I can really feel free to entirely just pick ones that fit the character while still gaining some relevant effect, if a small one.

In terms of their presence in books like this... I tend to simply skim right on past them every time, without fail. But I recognize they might be much more useful for those looking for inspiration, and a great tool for newer gamers.