D&D (2024) What new jargon do you want to replace "Race"?

[Micah Sweet]

In 5e mechanics, waterbreathing makes more sense.

A slot 1 spell could work, but the cantrip is better for an always on effect.

The old school slot 3 spell seems crazy now.

In any case, worst comes to worst, explicitly describe, "a cantrip can be Darkvision or Waterbreathing instead".

Nah. I'll just stick with Level Up's heritage traits and choice of heritage gifts to handle that. Far less twisting the rules that way. Neither 5e nor 5.5e are designed to do what you want, at least so far.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I mean they're not going to have an official cross reference chart encompassing all sixty + species. It is matter of setting building and different settings will handle the matter differently and I don't really see this changing anything about the established settings. I also assume that answer for half-centaur half tri-kreens will in most cases be "LOL, no."

One of my pet peeves during the 3E era was people could bring in all kinds of templates and optional things. Sometimes it was fine but if it jarred with the setting it always felt very off to me.

 

[Yaarel]

Nah. I'll just stick with Level Up's heritage traits and choice of heritage gifts to handle that. Far less twisting the rules that way. Neither 5e nor 5.5e are designed to do what you want, at least so far.

The 5e spells need a serious revamp anyway.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

So would subraces now officially count as subspecies?

Then again the playtest document with the new species terminology refers to the ardling variations as ancestries.

 

[Yaarel]

Is the term Heredity the clearest and most neutral term?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Is the term Heredity the clearest and most neutral term?

Level Up uses heritage, which at least uses the same root word.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

I don't say this to invalidate the issues, just explaining my perspective, especially prior to hearing it can be used a very contradictory sense to my understanding.

Experiences do indeed vary. But if it was used explicitely as a replacement to race (because the notion that is being replaced is clearly identified), it will sounds as bad (to me) as a warlord class being named a Führer.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Can you then pass the feature on to your children or is it strictly limited to you ?

The way it works in the first playtest packet is strictly cosmetic, no mixing of features. I remember someone referring to it as muppet genetics.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Is the term Heredity the clearest and most neutral term?

Except for all the robots, god touched, reborn, created, etc...

So nope, still 'species'.

 

[Yaarel]

Except for all the robots, god touched, reborn, created, etc...

So nope, still 'species'.

Planar "touched" and undead I would still count as Heredity, albeit asexual reproduction.

The "robots" can be understood as Elemental, whence also asexual reproduction. Creating a construct is one thing. Creating a conscious living being is something else. The transmission is elemental rather than genetic, but Heredity might still work.