D&D 5E Questions about the noble background ability Retainers

[Paul Farquhar]

So you do add racial traits to retainers?

"You" = the DM.
"can" = it's optional.

 

[S'mon]

The Underdark is a harsh environment. A "commoner" drow would simply not survive.

But if we are talking FR drow, then any retainers would actually be slaves, and could be any race.

Drow normally live in big cities like Erehei-Cinlu and Menzoberranzan. Drow urban commoners would be much like human commoners. Noble drow of course all have combat training, and drow raider teams are competent.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Drow normally live in big cities like Erehei-Cinlu and Menzoberranzan. Drow urban commoners would be much like human commoners. Noble drow of course all have combat training, and drow raider teams are competent.

Chaotic Evil cities. Where it's not illegal to kill someone if they look at you in a funny way. Even the slaves need to be able to protect themselves from other slaves.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

Nope. The section I am thinking of is in the Monster Manual, page 342: "Racial Traits. You can add racial traits to an NPC. Adding racial traits doesn't alter it's challenge rating. For more on racial traits see the PHB."

No, there is in fact a section in the DMG on adding racial traits to NPCs. There's a whole table of it even. Here's that section.

NPC Stat Blocks

The Monster Manual contains stat blocks for common NPC archetypes such as bandits and guards, as well as tips for customizing them. Those tips include adding racial traits from the Player’s Handbook, equipping NPCs with magic items, and swapping armor, weapons, and spells.

If you want to take an NPC stat block and adapt it for a specific monster race, apply the ability modifiers and add the features listed in the NPC Features table. If the NPC’s AC, hit points, attack bonus, or damage changes, recalculate its challenge rating.

NPC Features

Race	Ability Modifiers	Features
Aarakocra	+2 Dex, +2 Wis	Dive Attack; talon attack action; speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft.; speaks Auran
Bullywug	−2 Int, −2 Cha	Amphibious, Speak with Frogs and Toads, Swamp Camouflage, Standing Leap; speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.; speaks Bullywug
Dragonborn*	+2 Str, +1 Cha	Breath Weapon (use challenge rating instead of level to determine damage), Damage Resistance, Draconic Ancestry; speaks Common and Draconic
Drow*	+2 Dex, +1 Cha	Fey Ancestry, Innate Spellcasting feature of the drow, Sunlight Sensitivity; darkvision 120 ft.; speaks Elvish and Undercommon
Dwarf*	+2 Str or Wis, +2 Con	Dwarven Resilience, Stonecunning; speed 25 ft.; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Common and Dwarvish
Elf*	+2 Dex, +1 Int or Wis	Fey Ancestry, Trance; darkvision 60 ft.; proficiency in the Perception skill; speaks Common and Elvish
Gnoll	+2 Str, −2 Int	Rampage; darkvision 60 ft.
Gnome*	+2 Int, +2 Dex or Con	Gnome Cunning; Small size; speed 25 ft.; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Common and Gnomish
Gnome, deep	+1 Str, +2 Dex	Gnome Cunning, Innate Spellcasting, Stone Camouflage; Small size; speed 20 ft.; darkvision 120 ft.; speaks Gnomish, Terran, and Undercommon
Goblin	−2 Str, +2 Dex	Nimble Escape; Small size; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Common and Goblin
Grimlock	+2 Str, −2 Cha	Blind Senses, Keen Hearing and Smell, Stone Camouflage; can’t be blinded; blindsight 30 ft., or 10 ft. while deafened (blind beyond this radius); speaks Undercommon
Half-elf*	+1 Dex, +1 Int, +2 Cha	Fey Ancestry; darkvision 60 ft.; proficiency in two skills; speaks Common and Elvish
Half-orc*	+2 Str, +1 Con	Relentless Endurance; darkvision 60 ft.; proficiency in the Intimidation skill; speaks Common and Orc
Halfling*	+2 Dex, +1 Con or Cha	Brave, Halfling Nimbleness, Lucky; Small size; speed 25 ft.; speaks Common and Halfling
Hobgoblin	None	Martial Advantage; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Common and Goblin
Kenku	+2 Dex	Ambusher, Mimicry; understands Auran and Common but speaks only through the use of its Mimicry trait
Kobold	−4 Str, +2 Dex	Pack Tactics, Sunlight Sensitivity; Small size; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Common and Draconic
Kuo-toa	None	Amphibious, Otherworldly Perception, Slippery, Sunlight Sensitivity; speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.; darkvision 120 ft.; speaks Undercommon
Lizardfolk	+2 Str, −2 Int	Hold Breath (15 min.); +3 natural armor bonus to AC; speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.; speaks Draconic
Merfolk	None	Amphibious; speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.; speaks Aquan and Common
Orc	+2 Str, −2 Int	Aggressive; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Common and Orc
Skeleton	+2 Dex, −4 Int, −4 Cha	Vulnerable to bludgeoning damage; immune to poison damage and exhaustion; can’t be poisoned; darkvision 60 ft.; can’t speak but understands the languages it knew in life
Tiefling*	+1 Int, +2 Cha	Infernal Legacy (use challenge rating instead of level to determine spells), resistance to fire damage; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Common and Infernal
Troglodyte	+2 Str, +2 Con, −4 Int, −4 Cha	Chameleon Skin, Stench, Sunlight Sensitivity; +1 natural armor bonus to AC; darkvision 60 ft.; speaks Troglodyte
Zombie	+1 Str, +2 Con, −6 Int, −4 Wis, −4 Cha	Undead Fortitude; immune to poison damage; can’t be poisoned; darkvision 60 ft.; can’t speak but understands the languages it knew in life

So you do add racial traits to retainers?

Yes; consult the above table.

 

[S'mon]

Chaotic Evil cities. Where it's not illegal to kill someone if they look at you in a funny way. Even the slaves need to be able to protect themselves from other slaves.

I assume female (at least) drow nobles can kill non-nobles with impunity, but there's no indication that every drow commoner is a badass. And drow cities certainly do have laws - chaotic evil laws!

 

[Li Shenron]

No, there is in fact a section in the DMG on adding racial traits to NPCs. There's a whole table of it even. Here's that section.

NPC Stat Blocks

The Monster Manual contains stat blocks for common NPC archetypes such as bandits and guards, as well as tips for customizing them. Those tips include adding racial traits from the Player’s Handbook, equipping NPCs with magic items, and swapping armor, weapons, and spells.

If you want to take an NPC stat block and adapt it for a specific monster race, apply the ability modifiers and add the features listed in the NPC Features table. If the NPC’s AC, hit points, attack bonus, or damage changes, recalculate its challenge rating.

Yes; consult the above table.

I don't believe anything is mandatory, not even giving stats to retainers.

That's a good table however. I was already thinking that I would consider adding only racial traits that represent biological features (e.g. vision, poison resistance, charm immunity...) and avoid stuff representing training (bonus proficiencies and spells). That table pretty much fits with my idea.

I was specifically worried about Drow spells and Halfling luck, which seemed too much and I don't know if everyone in the world of those races should really have it. However I was forgetting that Drow spells are based on level and NPCs don't have levels, so a Drow commoner or noble only has Dancing Lights. And retainers do only mundane tasks so even though Lucky is a powerful feature, they are only going to use it on an occasional skill check for a mundane task that requires a check at all.

It should also be kept in mind that background features are all intended to be only a bit more than ribbon abilities to help outside the combat and exploration phases, and always provide non-essential benefits. NPC stats in general are meant for adversaries first, and allies later (which don't need stats in most cases). It makes sense to use these hard rules for mercenaries who will join your fights, but not so much for those who only do "mundane tasks". But then, I see no harm in having drow retainers casting Dancing Lights out of combat, and say that it is in fact considered mundane among the drow.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

So the thing is the “retainers” thing just my characters travel buddies that he has met before the adventure. He once had a noble name is now on the run. What I dislike like about background features is that they are stuck with story strings attached to it. Why couldn’t I have just met them on my travels and decided to come with me. Like a rogue that’s very good at stealing could have the bad reputation modified to where he can do minor crimes nobody notices.

Assuming that you're not going the Drow route, that is entirely possible. They will still stick to the actual rules about retainers (won't fight or go into danger etc.)
I think that an ex-noble having picked up a couple of good-time carousing buddies who scram at the first sign of actual trouble fits. However the actual decision lies with your DM.

What is your character's race, and what race were you wanting your retainers to be? And why?

The example of the Rogue is trickier, but as long as the crimes you do don't have an actual mechanical benefit, I'd probably allow it. Stealing the occasional apply or bread roll is fine, but its not going to come into play if you try to nick gold pieces or jewellery for example.

 

[gyor]

Thanks for the clarification. Now I see it as humans are not good retainers. Can a retainer be a variant human, or a high elf with fire bolt?

The retainers aren't supposed to be combatants so go with Minor Illusion or Friends cantrips.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

@TrueBagelMan Just remember one thing, since you are asking about this for Adventurer's League play, about 95% of what people are telling you in this thread will be invalid for use in organized play, so you need to ignore them. You need to go to an official source for this, and since it looks like no one who runs AL games comes here any more, you should go and ask this in the AL group on Facebook or Twitter.

 

[TrueBagelMan]

I have decided to have the other noble ability since there is too many complications.