D&D 5E Why do you use Floating ASI's (other than power gaming)? [+]

[doctorbadwolf]

4e did its level best with skill challenges and rituals. It just never fully committed to fleshing either out.

I’m not sure what either needed in terms of fleshing out?

No, for that they had to.

Generalize Height and Weight to 'Human Like.'
Declare canon void.
Specify that language isn't tied to race.

Elf (and everything else) is a few special rules. Coming, to a new Monster book replacing Volos and MtoF, soon.

Except that…and elf is still and elf, and they’ve always just been a few special rules. That’s…all anything is (mechanically) in D&D.

Rabbit people having the same weight range and lifespan as humans is, at worst, a bit boring.

Elves still live for centuries, don’t sleep, and are resistant to charm.

I think we need at least a default, perhaps even a minor penalty for using Tasha's options. Then again, I like playing against type which isn't really a thing any more if the option is in play.

Sure it is. I have a broody jock longsword fighting Paladin halfling. He’s very against type. The type still exists.

It's the way they're doing it. They're purposefully removing differences between races.

Tell ya what. If elves don’t live for centuries, not sleep, and have resistence to charm effects, in the 2024 anniversary books, I will Venmo you $20.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I’m not sure what either needed in terms of fleshing out?

Skill Challenges needed to be broken out into a more freeform structure and especially ditch the 'can't repeat skills between characters' deal.

Rituals just needed... more. More rituals. Tons more hundreds more. Remove the Wizard from PH 1 and replace it with rituals.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Skill Challenges needed to be broken out into a more freeform structure and especially ditch the 'can't repeat skills between characters' deal.

Rituals just needed... more. More rituals. Tons more hundreds more. Remove the Wizard from PH 1 and replace it with rituals.

Huh I’d go the opposite way on rituals and reduce the number but replace many with class specific ones. Maybe work out a way to let PCs improvise rituals (there aren’t enough magic skills to do it with skill challenges IMO).

 

[Vaalingrade]

Huh I’d go the opposite way on rituals and reduce the number but replace many with class specific ones. Maybe work out a way to let PCs improvise rituals (there aren’t enough magic skills to do it with skill challenges IMO).

Class specific rituals sort of murder a lot of the appeal of rituals as something anyone can take a feat and do and removes them as a source of non-combat abilities for everyone.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I’m not sure what either needed in terms of fleshing out?

Except that…and elf is still and elf, and they’ve always just been a few special rules. That’s…all anything is (mechanically) in D&D.

Rabbit people having the same weight range and lifespan as humans is, at worst, a bit boring.

Elves still live for centuries, don’t sleep, and are resistant to charm.

Sure it is. I have a broody jock longsword fighting Paladin halfling. He’s very against type. The type still exists.

Tell ya what. If elves don’t live for centuries, not sleep, and have resistence to charm effects, in the 2024 anniversary books, I will Venmo you $20.

I'll remember that

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Class specific rituals sort of murder a lot of the appeal of rituals as something anyone can take a feat and do and removes them as a source of non-combat abilities for everyone.

I couldn’t disagree more. Not only does expanding the class rituals not need to take away from general rituals (if I couldn’t add class rituals I’d just subtract rituals that do similar things and make individual rituals more pliable), but having them allows for them to contribute to the feel of a class. Bard and Ranger both have travel rituals, for instance, and they’re different in interesting ways that add to those classes.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'll remember that

Cool.

Really, though. Do you honestly think I’m gonna lose this bet? You think they’re going to…what, replace all races with “custom lineage 2.0”? Make the races purely a flavor element? Like…they’re not going to dramatically change the PHB races. They’ll have floating ASIs and some tweaks for balance and satisfaction, at most.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I couldn’t disagree more. Not only does expanding the class rituals not need to take away from general rituals (if I couldn’t add class rituals I’d just subtract rituals that do similar things and make individual rituals more pliable), but having them allows for them to contribute to the feel of a class. Bard and Ranger both have travel rituals, for instance, and they’re different in interesting ways that add to those classes.

Except now the fighter isn't going to get any of them is my point. And the fighter is the class that needs fun things to do outside of inserting numbers into bags of HP.

The magic and fantasy goes back to the caster classes and the martials once more get a poke in the eye.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Cool.

Really, though. Do you honestly think I’m gonna lose this bet? You think they’re going to…what, replace all races with “custom lineage 2.0”? Make the races purely a flavor element? Like…they’re not going to dramatically change the PHB races. They’ll have floating ASIs and some tweaks for balance and satisfaction, at most.

You apparently didn't get the memo that The Sky Is Falling(tm).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Except now the fighter isn't going to get any of them is my point. And the fighter is the class that needs fun things to do outside of inserting numbers into bags of HP.

The magic and fantasy goes back to the caster classes and the martials once more get a poke in the eye.

Why would the fighter not get any? Also the Ranger is martial in 4e.