D&D 5E Racial Backgrounds

[Wednesday Boy]

the Gnome who was orphaned in a freak wheelbarrow/lychee incident and grew up ragged and alone in the human city but who is just so unrelenting cheerful All The Time that even the Paladin's fists itch ("coo, it's a nice comfy web, this. I'd've loved a bed as soft as this when I was a nipper in Dickensian Nightmare City. I expect the Giant Horny Spider will attend to it's carnal needs soon enough, but for now, let's look on the bright side, chums").

I love that character already!

 

[Thyrwyn]

Why would an elf raised by humans think differently than a human? ...I get that it's the old "nature vs nurture" argument, but my underlying point was more about who gets to decide how that difference ie expressed, the DM or the Player? Also, that to me, backgrounds are better suited to expressing the "nurture" side of the equation. Limiting who can take or who has to take certain backgrounds seems, to me, a counter-intuitive way to express the "nature" side.

When I DM, I see the setting as my character: it is my job to portray the persona of the various races and cultures that people the world. Each PC is only one representative of a given race/culture: why do I care how far it falls from the proverbial tree? The PC Dwarf isn't greedy or stubborn and actually can't stand the taste of ale? So? Doesn't mean that NPC's won't be surprised by those traits, or that other Dwarves won't think her un-Dwarfy, but as the DM, I couldn't care less.

 

[Parmandur]

Seems to me that some races, Warforged come to mind, almost necessitate separate backgrounds, or at least highly refluffed.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I love that character already!

Heh. Might have to roll him up. I'm thinking Forest Gnome (from his parents), allowing him to speak with the city's rats and cats. Urchin, obviously, as the Background. Maybe go Barbarian, though, for the abilities rather than the culture - for all his cheerful disposition, sometimes he. Just. Gets. Really. Mad. What do you reckon?

 

[Paraxis]

Seems to me that some races, Warforged come to mind, almost necessitate separate backgrounds, or at least highly refluffed.

I don't see why?

Acolyte: served the temple of Silver Flame on constant vigil and in prayer so that no matter the hour a worshiper would find a comforting individual to talk to, even when the other were asleep or away

Charlatan: helped con other warforged with your dwarf friend out of spoils of war after the Last War, selling "repair oil" and "components" that would help them find a new purpose or calling

Criminal: refuges are easy marks and a warforged has to eat, well he doesn't but it is so much easier to send gold to Lord of Blades when you just take it from insignificant lesser races
-Spy: the Black Lanterns always need a good loyal agent that can hire on as just another jobless warforged bodyguard

Entertainer: never saw the war a noble kept you as a jester for his son after watching you trip falling into formation on your first day of coming to the castle, the child hadn't smiled in years now he is older and you bring joy to other children
-Gladiator: a room another sack of flesh to kill on the cold stone floor and then back to your box, you stoped counting the dead, you stopped talking, you stopped living, until she set you free now you serve at her side keeping her safe only killing if some foolish piece of meat tries to kill her

Folk Hero: you were on a delivery mission when the Karnathi soldiers and undead attacked the small town you were in, you did the only thing you could do and stood with the few men folk left, thanks to you many lives were saved that day, they didn't have to build a statue of you in the center of town but it does give you pride.

Guild Artisan: House Cannith, you helped make more like yourself you gave life to other warforged something you are very proud of.
-Guild Merchant : Cannith needed a demo model and that was you

Hermit: war, so much death, some call you a deserter, you try not to think of it, not another life will be lost by your hands ever, only by study of medicine can you help to undue some of the hurt you brought to the world

Noble: Your mother was as they say touched in the head, for you know she isn't your mother, but don't ever let her know that. Her real son died in the war, so did her husband, her brother, and her father. When you escorted the officer to deliver the news she took possession of you and has treated you as child ever sense.
-Knight: trained as a squire for the last five years of the war, the eve before the Mourning you were made knight by Sir Hendrix on his death bed. Now you try to give other warforged a shining example to look up to so they are not tempted by your sworn enemy the Lord of Blades.

Outlander: After falling off the side of that airship and spending years in the wilds, you made some use of your skills leading refuges through the mountain passes

Sage: The giants of Xen'drik hold the key in the history, sent as an aid to a professor from Morgrave University you have spent most of your existence trying to find the lost pieces of the puzzle.

Sailor: House Lyrandar is a good employer you spent the entirety of the last war being the boatswain on a war vessel
-Pirate: after the war the crew mutinied and went pirate

Soldier: well duhh

Urchin: you awoke on the lower streets of Sharn, no memories, no money, no name, taken in by some of the locals they mention things like the Last War and this means nothing to you, apparently making new warforged is a crime but you think that is what you are no nicks or scratches on your body and nothing before that moment you awoke in your head

 

[jrowland]

Heh. Might have to roll him up. I'm thinking Forest Gnome (from his parents), allowing him to speak with the city's rats and cats. Urchin, obviously, as the Background. Maybe go Barbarian, though, for the abilities rather than the culture - for all his cheerful disposition, sometimes he. Just. Gets. Really. Mad. What do you reckon?

While Bard seems obvious, it would make him all the more annoying. Singing songs like, "Don't Worry, Be Happy". "Always look on the bright side of life", "The futures so bright, I gotta wear shades", and the all time classic, feel good song, of course!

 

[dream66_]

Why would an elf raised by humans think differently than a human? ...I get that it's the old "nature vs nurture" argument, but my underlying point was more about who gets to decide how that difference ie expressed, the DM or the Player? Also, that to me, backgrounds are better suited to expressing the "nurture" side of the equation. Limiting who can take or who has to take certain backgrounds seems, to me, a counter-intuitive way to express the "nature" side.

When I DM, I see the setting as my character: it is my job to portray the persona of the various races and cultures that people the world. Each PC is only one representative of a given race/culture: why do I care how far it falls from the proverbial tree? The PC Dwarf isn't greedy or stubborn and actually can't stand the taste of ale? So? Doesn't mean that NPC's won't be surprised by those traits, or that other Dwarves won't think her un-Dwarfy, but as the DM, I couldn't care less.

Ok, I get that you're looking at this from the mechanical angle and really looking at this differently than me.

Let me ask you something, do you think a Martian raised among humans would act human?

It's been tried with chimpanzee's and Dolphins, didn't work there, now the intelligence would have some effect but I do not believe an culture is all that separates an alien species from our own.

I get that limiting Backgrounds strikes you as a bad idea, I already ran it past one of my players and she thought it was great, but let me see what other ideas you have to encourage players to remember that elves are inhuman aliens that just happen to look like people.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

While Bard seems obvious, it would make him all the more annoying. Singing songs like, "Don't Worry, Be Happy". "Always look on the bright side of life", "The futures so bright, I gotta wear shades", and the all time classic, feel good song, of course!

Ok, he's got a name, now. Astley the Gnome. Oh, God, yes.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

It's been tried with chimpanzee's and Dolphins, didn't work there, now the intelligence would have some effect but I do not believe an culture is all that separates an alien species from our own.

The problem is, we are human. By definition, we simply cannot comprehend an alien species. All we can do - all your players can do - is interpret behaviours based on our human experience. It's a big ask to have your players portray non-human species without resorting to human tropes.

 

[DMZ2112]

I don't like the idea of racial backgrounds any more than I like the idea of racial classes. A racial subclass? Sure, I can see that. Modifying an eldritch knight to get a bladesinger, sort of thing. But that would not prevent a demihuman character from being a champion or battlemaster if that's what they wanted to do. Backgrounds, like classes, should be sufficiently broad to incorporate any race (or class, for that matter).

I want to be clear that the degree to which demihumans are alien is /wholly/ a setting conceit and is not mandated by the core rules in either direction, although the official D&D settings do not generally characterize demihumans as particularly alien. If it is important /to your setting/ that demihumans be alien, then I think you need to start working on a whole /set/ of racial backgrounds, subclasses, and feats to accommodate the races of your setting.

I'm not saying you shouldn't force players to conform to your setting -- that is part of dungeon mastery and worldbuilding. It's a prerogative. But be warned that if you take choices away from them that they would have when playing a human character, you'd better be giving them new choices to replace the lost ones, or you're going to end up wasting a lot of effort on detailed demihuman fluff that no one at the table wants to engage because the rent is too damn high.

Seems to me that some races, Warforged come to mind, almost necessitate separate backgrounds, or at least highly refluffed.

Warforged are a great example of how D&D does not typically engage demihuman alienation. By rights, you are correct, the warforged /should/ be ultra-weird, but they're not -- Eberron is pretty clear that they're just, y'know, dudes. Manufactured, metal dudes.

I'm not sold that this is a positive.