Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Chaosmancer" data-source="post: 8827652" data-attributes="member: 6801228">I renamed it Crystalline Mind because in my world Gnomes were originally Slaadi, and it ties into them being born from crystals. They quite literally have brains made of organic crystal. And while Cunning is a personality trait, it isn't something really used to describe gnomes. Cunning means "having skill in achieving one's ends by deceit". When people talk about gnomes, they aren't generally talking about them being highly deceitful. And how would the ability to have advantage on all mental saves tie into lying and deceit? You could use it more vaguely, as with a different definition "crafty in the use of special resources (such as skill or knowledge) or in attaining an end" but even that is just... very vague. What would it mean to use special knowledge to succeed on Charisma saves? At that point it almost sounds like gnomes have passed down special techniques or magic to resist magical effects, which isn't a personality trait at all. So... no, I wouldn't really be okay with them being better schemers and planners than other races, but that doesn't seem to be how the ability is described. Meanwhile, changing "brave" to "Lion-hearted" is just changing to a synonym. It literally means "brave and determined"  Right, but none of these are given mechanical weight. Well, maybe "hardy" is because of the increased hit points. But they don't have a "Boldness" ability or a "Justice" ability. These are just stereotypes, and as true or untrue as the player wants to make them. Halfling practicality doesn't bear mechanical weight., it is a stereotype But let's look at the abilities that DO have mechanical weight you list. Gnomes? Covered above. Half-Orcs being menacing? This has been noted as a problem many times. It is being phased out as well. Orcs being aggressive? This has been noted as a problem many times. And in the most recent iteration of them in Mordenkainen presents, it was gotten rid of in favor of "adrenaline rush". I personally went a bit further and took from Colville's orcs and renamed it "Bloodfire" and tied it even deeper into a series of traits and biology. Bugbear's being sneaky is actually interesting. For a long time it was just proficiency in stealth, which isn't the personality trait of being sneaky, but the actual physical ability to sneak. And as ambush predators this is a thing. Tigers are sneaky, not because of their personality, but because of their bodies blending into their environment. Additionally, in the most recent version of Bugbears, sneaky was expanded. It isn't just their ability to stealth, but they can move through small spaces without squeezing. Considering their massive size (they can be 8 ft tall) being able to move comfortably in a 3 ft space and likely squeeze into smaller? This isn't a personality trait. It is a biological trait for an ambush predator. Hobgoblin's saving face? Again, another ability that was widely decried for its flavor. Just like grovel and beg, just like menacing, just like aggressive. And again, one that was altered in Mordenkainens. And it isn't weaponizing their "sense of hospitality". Their first ability is called "Fey Gift" and the other is "Fortune from the Many" and says that they "draw on your bonds of reciprocity". This isn't a personality trait, it is flat out fey magic, using the belief's surrounding fey and the mystical weight of concepts like hospitality. Sure, I can agree it is a systematic problem. So can many people who have repeatedly identified things like "Menacing", "Aggressive", "Saving Face", "Grovel, Cower and Beg" as problems to the point that every one of those abilities is being altered, re-flavored, or flat dropped.And Brave falls under that same umbrella. And sure, we could have a thread discussing why those abilities that we have gotten rid of were bad, but considering the majority of them are gone it would be a rather short conversation. However, halflings have more than just that single point to discuss, and this thread was made to discuss halflings, not a larger systematic problem that also touches on halflings.</blockquote>

Verification