[Ro3 5/15] Traits? lol wut?

[FitzTheRuke]

I's all starting to sound a bit messy, so now after choosing race and class, you have to choose a background/skills, a theme/feats, and a trait.

I really hope all of that is optional, and that they return to the option of being able to pick a race, pick a class, and off you go.

As far as I know it works like this:

You pick a race, you pick a class, you pick a theme (if you don't want to pick a theme you get a class-related default) you pick a background (if you don't want to pick a background you get a race(?)-related default)

You never pick feats unless you want to customize your theme or create your own theme. You never pick skills or traits unless you want to customize your background or create your own background.

Seems pretty simple and clean to me.

 

[Steely_Dan]

As far as I know it works like this:

You pick a race, you pick a class, you pick a theme (if you don't want to pick a theme you get a class-related default) you pick a background (if you don't want to pick a background you get a race(?)-related default)

You never pick feats unless you want to customize your theme or create your own theme. You never pick skills or traits unless you want to customize your background or create your own background

Groovy, I have no problem with Backgrounds/Feats/Skills/Themes/Traits, I just prefer all of them to be optional (the default thing would work).

 

[Doombybbr]

i personally don't like this - it will force people to have certain types of characters when in previous editions it was entirely up to the player....

 

[Baron Von Mandrick]

It sounds kind of like 4e backgrounds, or as other people have said, perks from something like the Fallout video games.

It could be cool, but it also seems unnecessary as something that could be agreed on during the background part of character creation with the DM.

I like a lot of things that bring out the role playing part of a character, but I'm also worried that piling too much of these things on, can make the whole process seem cluttered. I also worry about it taking on too much importance during game play when characters or the DM sacrifice the story, overall campaign, or adventure to make sure all the bits and pieces of character background to always fit in. I understand that part is at least partially the fault of the players and DM, but it is sometimes easy to get side tracked at least at first with all the new elements involved and wanting to make sure they are being included.

 

[am181d]

i personally don't like this - it will force people to have certain types of characters when in previous editions it was entirely up to the player....

No. DMs/Players will have the option to choose skills/traits/feats rather than using the default Backgrounds/Themes. And DMs will have the option to not use Backgrounds/Themes at all.

So, you know, the opposite of what you just said...

 

[Tovec]

What I'm seeing more and more, and dislike the more I see it, is a continuing trend of adding random words to a character in order to make the character unique.

Take background A, add traits C and D, take class Y and add race Z, add in feats G through K and mix with theme B and aspect F and subclass E.

What happened to the simple human fighter? I know they have said this will be an option, or perhaps the default. But I don't want it to be the "standard" where I still have to record all these fiddly little bits of information somewhere on my character sheet. I want something nice and simple to record, remember and use. The more I see them talk of other aspects to customize your character to make it your own the more I feel that the "Human Fighter" will end up as the human slayer, fighter with noble background, sword and board use and specific skills and feats already determined.

I would rather see human fighter, perhaps with a sword and board expectation but easily swapped with a bow or TWF or greatsword. But emphasis on the EASILY. I don't care about backgrounds, traits and themes. Those are things I roleplay as they occur and not something I need hardcoded into every character.

Next week we'll hear about codified rules about how every PC has 3 NPCs they get automatic "favours" with, or magic item acquisition automatically at 8th level.

I like customization, but I prefer it in a less rigid, ordered and "balanced" way.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Groovy, I have no problem with Backgrounds/Feats/Skills/Themes/Traits, I just prefer all of them to be optional (the default thing would work).

Maybe it is possible to just use a class and be done. The DM may have to reduce combat difficulty a bit and needs mor improvisation with using skills but hey.

What I really like however is that I maybe can just give a character a background and no theme or class and play a zero level game. Maybe I can then add theme elements until level zero, where you can decide on a class.

Feats and skills not tied directly to class would not make the character different from characters created with the usual 1st level creation rules.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Groovy, I have no problem with Backgrounds/Feats/Skills/Themes/Traits, I just prefer all of them to be optional (the default thing would work).

What I'm seeing more and more, and dislike the more I see it, is a continuing trend of adding random words to a character in order to make the character unique.

Take background A, add traits C and D, take class Y and add race Z, add in feats G through K and mix with theme B and aspect F and subclass E.

What happened to the simple human fighter? I know they have said this will be an option, or perhaps the default. But I don't want it to be the "standard" where I still have to record all these fiddly little bits of information somewhere on my character sheet. I want something nice and simple to record, remember and use.

Here's a quote from Rodney:

I can see backgrounds used in several different ways:

DM 1: We’re not using backgrounds at all. Just ignore this stuff.
DM 2: Use the background suggested by your class.
DM 3: Choose a background for your character. It can be the one suggested for your class or a different one.
DM 4: Choose a background for your character. You can trade out one skill for a different one.
DM 5: Come up with your own background by choosing up to four skills.

The same approach to backgrounds also applies to themes...

 

[Steely_Dan]

Here's a quote from Rodney:

So you can completely ignore all 4 (backgrounds-skills, and themes-feats)?

 

[GX.Sigma]

So you can completely ignore all 4 (backgrounds-skills, and themes-feats)?

From later in the article:

...as with backgrounds, a DM might decide he or she doesn’t want to mess with feats and prefers something very old school. If so, the fights might be a touch harder, but you can play the game just fine without them.

I'd personally prefer them to be a bit more explicitly optional than that, but there you go.