D&D 5E [+] Ways to fix the caster / non-caster gap

[Micah Sweet]

And I'm saying that the definition of humanity only functions within this world.

Why?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Of course, past a certain level line. But I would prefer that to be explicitly stated in the text. I dislike unstated assumptions.

Yeah, that’s fair. Same TBH.

 

[Micah Sweet]

i didn't mean that they're fundamentally not humans, i meant that there would be environmental factors that would influence their growth and abilities, it's like heavyworlders and lightworlders, take a group of regular humans split the group in two and put one on a planet with x1.5 gravity and the other on x0.5 gravity, fastforward several thousand years and there's going to be some differences developed between them yet they're still both going to be fundamentally humans, the heavyworlders might have stronger bones and denser muscles and lightworlders might have developed stronger legs to optimise their increased opportunity for mobility but they're still humans.

That idea works great, if it is explicitly stated. I don't want unstated assumptions.

 

[Vaalingrade]

If we can't agree that Superman has magic powers, where magic is obviously being used as a synonym for supernatural, then I don't think further debates will have much traction. We obviously approach these sort of definitions from drastically opposed mindsets.

The problem here being the supernatural is to magic as rectangle is the square and we should stop using the incorrect words to describe things for expediency.

 

[CreamCloud0]

That idea works great, if it is explicitly stated. I don't want unstated assumptions.

magic and supernatural stuff is a pretty explicitly stated assumption of the world and it's inhabitants IMO

 

[Micah Sweet]

magic and supernatural stuff is a pretty explicitly stated assumption of the world and it's inhabitants IMO

Not in mine. You want the human race to be different than everyone would expect? Tell us. The idea that supernatural stuff existing in the world fundamentally changes the nature of people who otherwise look like and act like us, and have the same name, is an unstated assumption, and I don't accept it.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Not in mine. You want the human race to be different than everyone would expect? Tell us. The idea that supernatural stuff existing in the world fundamentally changes the nature of people who otherwise look like and act like us, and have the same name, is an unstated assumption, and I don't accept it.

if magic isn't a basic assumption of your world then i assume casters, dragons and gods aren't a basic assumption of your wolrd too as a result

 

[Micah Sweet]

if magic isn't a basic assumption of your world then i assume casters, dragons and gods aren't a basic assumption of your wolrd too as a result

Now you're just ignoring what I'm saying. Please read and respond to what I actually wrote, or if you think you did that, please state your own unstated assumption so that your response appears relevant to my post, because right now I don't see how it is.

 

[TwoSix]

I'm curious which your no's are now.

Don't really want to go line by line, so I'll try and group them.

Questions about general anatomy would usually be yes, everything is in the expected spot. Aesthetics are important to maintain.

Questions about disease, trauma, and healing are pretty up in the air. The lack of salience of any disease mechanic means germ theory isn't really important to verisimilitude. Anything around trauma means hit points are involved, which involves a different can of worms.

Breathing generally yes, pooping is a probably, but definitely can be obviated by some training. Hearing high pitches seems like a quite reasonable Earth-natural adaptation, so fantasy humans could definitely have it.

General lifecycle stuff would generally be human norms, although humans probably live a little longer.

The bread-and-butter "humans" in my game aren't exactly human, anyway; they're mostly descended from a human-like ancestor, but the standard human is generally about 10-20% elf and 10-20% dwarf by ancestry.

 

[Gammadoodler]

No. The fact that the world has magic is not proof that humans in D&D are actually aliens who just happen to look and act like us and have the same name.

Literally speaking they are aliens. They are as just as much humans from Earth as Superman is.