D&D 5E Unearthed Arcana: Gothic Lineages & New Race/Culture Distinction

The latest Unearthed Arcana contains the Dhampir, Reborn, and Hexblood races. The Dhampir is a half-vampire; the Hexblood is a character which has made a pact with a hag; and the Reborn is somebody brought back to life.

News Archive | Dungeons and Dragons

Read the full archives of Dungeons & Dragons news, Sage Advice, Unearthed Arcana, and D&D Studio Blogs.

dnd.wizards.com

Perhaps the bigger news is this declaration on how race is to be handled in future D&D books as it joins other games by stating that:

"...the race options in this article and in future D&D books lack the Ability Score Increase trait, the Language trait, the Alignment trait, and any other trait that is purely cultural. Racial traits henceforth reflect only the physical or magical realities of being a player character who’s a member of a particular lineage. Such traits include things like darkvision, a breath weapon (as in the dragonborn), or innate magical ability (as in the forest gnome). Such traits don’t include cultural characteristics, like language or training with a weapon or a tool, and the traits also don’t include an alignment suggestion, since alignment is a choice for each individual, not a characteristic shared by a lineage."

 

[FireLance]

So, I think this is pretty revealing. I honestly struggle to understand why people are so attached to racial ASIs, and so resistant to change, and the only reason I find persuasive is that it's just knee-jerk resistance to anything that smells of political correctness. Certainly none of the attempts at "logical" support for racial ASIs that I've read are very convincing.

I like racial ASIs, in the same way that I like the taste of a favourite comfort food from my youth. I have internalized it as a simple, direct way of highlighting the differences between races and reinforcing the racial tropes that I am familiar with. I think it is a pity that it has become politicized to the extent that you see liking racial ASIs as a knee-jerk resistance to political correctness.

I am quite happy for you to dislike racial ASIs and to argue why they should not be the default going forward. However, I would appreciate it if you could extend me the courtesy of not painting me to be somehow morally inferior for liking them.

Thank you.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I have internalized it as a simple, direct way of highlighting the differences between races and reinforcing the racial tropes that I am familiar with.

That's actually one of the most reasonable defenses I've heard. "I just like them."

I think it is a pity that it has become politicized to the extent that you see liking racial ASIs as a knee-jerk resistance to political correctness.

What's weird is that there's no reason it should be politicized. For the most part, the anti-racial-ASI crowd has been saying, "racial ASIs constrain choices". But the pro-racial-ASI crowd keeps slipping in little comments (this thread is rife with them) implying that they think it's really all about denying any difference between races. I mean, it's the same hollow arguments over and over and over.

So apologies if I over-generalize. Certainly not every fan of racial ASIs thinks that way. But, damn, it seems fairly prevalent.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Yeah, since the release of Tasha’s I’ve been planning to ditch racial ASIs (be they fixed or floating) in favor of improved ability score generation. Specifically, my plan is to boost point buy to 32 points, allow you to buy up to 16, allow you to buy a starting feat for 5 points, and change the standard array to your choice of 16, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10 or 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8, and a feat. I don’t anticipate my players wanting to roll ability scores, but if I did I’d allow them to roll a 7th score and choose to either replace one of their 6 with it, or take a feat.

I really like the idea of two arrays, one with better numbers, but the other with a feat.

Looks like you charge 11 points for a 16, to make it work out that a feat is 5 points.

 

[cbwjm]

I'm thinking of doing something like this for races:
Dragonborn, New Stats
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength increases by 2. Another ability score increases by 2, or two ability scores increase by 1, or you can choose a feat, or you can choose a different draconic heritage, gaining an additional breath weapon and resistance.

Darkvision. You have Darkvision 60 feet.

Draconic Heritage. Select one of acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison as the damage type of your draconic heritage. This determines your breath weapon and your resistance. Some dragonborn show signs of multiple draconic ancestries, a gold dragonborn might have scales tinged with blue and be able to breath out fire or lightning.

Breath Weapon. You have a breath weapon due to your draconic heritage. You can use a bonus action to unleash your breath weapon dealing a number of d8s of damage equal to your proficiency modifier. You can use this ability once, you regain the ability to do so when you complete a short rest or long rest.
The DC to save against your breath weapon equals DC is 8 +your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency Bonus.

Resistance. You have damage resistance based on your draconic heritage.

This lets a dragonborn player customise their race quite a bit. They will always have +2 strength but they can pick another one or two stats to gain a bonus or instead gain an additional breath weapon or resistance. Maybe instead they pick a feat which could also be a dragonborn feat to enhance their draconic nature or some other feat they are eligible for.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm coming around to a 4 array system

The Typical Array: 16 14 13 13 9 8 and you must take the suggested racial +2/+1 ASI
The Standard Array: 15 14 13 12 10 8 and you get to chose your +2/+1 ASI
The Elite Array: 17 15 14 12 10 8 and you get no ASIs nor feats
The Variant Array: 15 14 12 11 9 8 and and you get to chose your +2/+1 ASI and one feat

 

[Don Durito]

The Elite Array: 17 15 14 12 10 8 and you get no ASIs nor feats

Yeah just do it this way. Why add bonuses if they're just redundant?

I'd go 17,16,14,14,12,9, personally, because I think generally the system is to punishing on the low end. (And players could move points around freely from 14 to 9 on a 1 to 1 basis).

Balance is seriously unnaffected by increasing the off-stats, while versatility is increased, and saving throws are improved a little.

 

[Charlaquin]

I really like the idea of two arrays, one with better numbers, but the other with a feat.

Looks like you charge 11 points for a 16, to make it work out that a feat is 5 points.

That’s correct. Which checks out with the standard human vs. variant human comparison - standard human with standard array is worth 9 point buy points. Variant human with standard array is worth 4 points (assuming the +1s go to your 15 and your 14 or 13) and a feat, so I figure a feat at 1st level should be worth 5 points.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm coming around to a 4 array system

The Typical Array: 16 14 13 13 9 8 and you must take the suggested racial +2/+1 ASI
The Standard Array: 15 14 13 12 10 8 and you get to chose your +2/+1 ASI
The Elite Array: 17 15 14 12 10 8 and you get no ASIs nor feats
The Variant Array: 15 14 12 11 9 8 and and you get to chose your +2/+1 ASI and one feat

Wow, Variant Array looks great in that system!

 

[JEB]

One of the most interesting things to see will be how Wizards eventually handles humans under this new approach, since their benefits were entirely made up of ability score bonuses. Coming up with new human default traits is a potential minefield of controversy. I suppose variant human could become default human, but that means making feats non-optional.

Or maybe humans will just be an exception to the rule, since they get a bonus to every score, and therefore have no significant advantage or disadvantage over any other species?

 

[Charlaquin]

One of the most interesting things to see will be how Wizards eventually handles humans under this new approach, since their benefits were entirely made up of ability score bonuses. Coming up with new human default traits is a potential minefield of controversy. I suppose variant human could become default human, but that means making feats non-optional.

Or maybe humans will just be an exception to the rule, since they get a bonus to every score, and therefore have no significant advantage or disadvantage over any other species?

Yeah, both versions of human seem fine to me. They either increase everything evenly across the board or increase two abilities of your choice so they don’t favor any class over another, and they can’t increase anything enough to start with a +4, so it doesn’t cause the problem of everyone who doesn’t play one being 1 behind on their primary score compared to people who do.