D&D 5E Witchlight publishes the new official format for player character races.

[HaroldTheHobbit]

I wasn't planning on getting Witchlight anyway, since it's not my cup of tea. But flight at lvl 1 is a hard no at my table. Even though my players aren't min-maxers, if I'd allow it my next parties would be four flying buggers and a land bound brute, since my wife really enjoy STR characters.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

this runs in to make big and bulky the only reason to play the race it needs something else to spice them up?

They are giants. Of course big and bulky is a major selling point!

The problem with ''giant-touched'' race is that giants tends to vary a lot in terms of lore in different settings.

I'd personally go more with an elemental resistance and a ribbon similar to Druidic or Thieve's Cant about runes and the work of giants. Probably instead of the ''increased reach and jump''.

 

[Mind of tempest]

They are giants. Of course big and bulky is a major selling point!

The problem with ''giant-touched'' race is that giants tends to vary a lot in terms of lore in different settings.

I'd personally go more with an elemental resistance and a ribbon similar to Druidic or Thieve's Cant about runes and the work of giants. Probably instead of the ''increased reach and jump''.

I mean you do not what that to be their only selling point.

maybe just make something from scratch then?

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I still think the farthest they'll go with large size is the Bugbear's Long-Limbed ability, which has not the clearest interpretation about having an extra 5 foot reach, which I think it's only on your turn and wielding a polearm or other things that give reach doesn't give one 15+ feet reach.

The designers issue with large meant the character occupies a 10 foot square, and has +5 feet reach. That means they potentially threaten 36 squares including the 4 squares they occupy. It's been a problem ever since 3.5e standardized the space and reach of large size.

Yes I know 5e doesn't have the Combat Reflexes feat, because that would really make large size even stronger. And that Enlarge/Reduce is a 2nd level spell, but since it's a spell it's something that can be turned off if being large is bringing too many other complications that one didn't consider.

 

[Weiley31]

What could be some drawbacks for Large PCs, to balance out the reach and damage? Sure, the DM could throw some curveballs ("...you can all fit in the secret escape tunnel...except Lenny the Half-ogre...") but what about intrinsic drawbacks of the race?

I was thinking that "large target" could be a thing, making you more vulnerable to ranged attacks, and you might have a harder time dodging fireballs and/or take more damage from them (because you're in more of the fire)...but that of course raises the question of why all the Large monsters don't suffer these same penalties.

Any other ideas?

Or do you just make reach and damage the only racial abilities?

Well difficult terrain would make them spend extra movement to get through. Then there's the fact that full cover could become half cover or what not depending on how big and stuff. Plus if your keeping track of food, then a Large sized creature/pc would have to eat double the amount a Medium or Small character would need to eat. Small weapons like daggers and what not would be impossible to use while some stuff would take the place of "light weapons" for em.

 

[jayoungr]

Witchlight uses the new official format for player character races.

Have they announced that this is the new official format, or is that an assumption because it's what appears in the latest published book?

Being Large is a central archetype of mythology and fantasy. D&D has a need for it.

There's being large, and there's being Large.

I am sure, you are not saying this, but the vagueness of your posts, sounds as if you are saying: you want racism, you lost racism, you want racism back.

I think I see where the other person was coming from. Try substituting "worldbuilding" or "flavor" for "racism." (Note: I can see arguments for and against fixed benefits, but that seems to be the one argument for them.)

 

[Mind of tempest]

Have they announced that this is the new official format, or is that an assumption because it's what appears in the latest published book?


There's being large, and there's being Large.


I think I see where the other person was coming from. Try substituting "worldbuilding" or "flavor" for "racism." (Note: I can see arguments for and against fixed benefits, but that seems to be the argument for them.)

those are not mutually exclusive positions sadly, I want races that are both diverse but also clearly not a human at least as far as a different genus.

 

[cmad1977]

Yet your own characters will still have an alignment, ASIs, and size.

I dont understand what the problem is.

If you think a dwarf should be tough, stout, and Lawful Good, you have it.

As the DM, via the monster statblocks, you can even define the dwarf this way for a particular setting or campaign.

I am not getting what you find objectionable.

Some people are desperate to feel persecuted.

 

[jayoungr]

those are not mutually exclusive positions sadly,

They don't have to be; they just have to be not inherently interchangeable.

 

[Umbran]

Some people are desperate to feel persecuted.

Mod Note:
If you are going to be insulting, you can just leave the thread now.

Be better.

 

[Yaarel]

[doublepost]

 

[Yaarel]

Have they announced that this is the new official format, or is that an assumption because it's what appears in the latest published book?

Both.

The new official format is seen in the Witchlight races:
• Type
• Size
• Speed
• ... plus other traits

My analysis of this format is, these other traits fill out a design space of a feat and a half.

 

[Yaarel]

I think I see where the other person was coming from. Try substituting "worldbuilding" or "flavor" for "racism." (Note: I can see arguments for and against fixed benefits, but that seems to be the one argument for them.)

As a DM, I can worldbuild by making the monster statblocks exactly how want them.

Moreover, altho I am less happy with how Witchlight continues to assign an alignment to the statblock of a humanlike lineage, this too perpetuates the traditional world of the Forgotten Realms.

There lacks a disruption to worldbuilding.

The new race format empowers the player to build a character concept. At the same time, the DM continues to build the world that the character is in.

 

[Yaarel]

From an other thread:

He did say they tried removing alignment but that proved unpopular, so they decided to go with the advise in the Monster Manual and double down on it in the stat blocks themselves.

I can see the designers are doing what they can.

Also humanoids or creatures with the full gamut of human choices/desires/etc do not get an alignment.

In Witchlight, the harengon lineage seems an example this approach, where it is a race and its monster statblock says, "Any Alignment".

Individual non-player characters, including Strongheart, a Lawful Good human, will continue have a statblock with the individuals alignment.

Note, statblocks with the "Unaligned" tag (glasswork golem, mushroom campestri) suggest automaton or instinct.



I am guessing, the designers will handpick which humanlike lineages will get a statblock with the "Any Alignment" tag?

Probably, any player-character race will have its future monster statblocks with the Any Alignment tag?

Probably, the future elf statblocks, including for the eladrin, will switch to Any Alignment?

But what will the humanlike "monster races" look like: the future orc and hobgoblin? I hope these become Any Alignment.

 

[Mind of tempest]

They don't have to be; they just have to be not inherently interchangeable.

on this, we are certainly in agreement as neither of us what that.

Both.

The new official format is seen in the Witchlight races:
• Type
• Size
• Speed
• ... plus other traits

My analysis of this format is, these other traits fill out a design space of a feat and a half.

I would prefer chucker races honestly they need like three feats worth of traits so we can get some good stuff.

 

[jayoungr]

Both.

Do you have a link to the announcement, then? I must have missed it, and I'm curious about what it said.

As a DM, I can worldbuild by making the monster statblocks exactly how want them.

That's part of the old "official product versus personal table" debate, which I'd rather not get into personally; just be aware that there are people on this board who are strongly on the "official product" side.

 

[Yaarel]

Do you have a link to the announcement, then? I must have missed it, and I'm curious about what it said.

The Witchlight adventure itself publishes two new races, the fairy and the harengon. These two races use a new format that differs from the format in the Players Handbook.

The new format retains:
• Size (but no longer exact feet and inches and weight)
• Speed
• Age (mentioned separately as typically about a century)

The new format adds:
• Creature Type (since Humanoid is no longer assumed)

The new format removes:
• Ability Score Increase (moving to Ability Score Generation)
• Alignment (strictly individual)
• Languages (each character gets Common plus one depending on culture)
• Subrace description of skin color, hair and eyes.

That's part of the old "official product versus personal table" debate, which I'd rather not get into personally; just be aware that there are people on this board who are strongly on the "official product" side.

To "worldbuild" means to homebrew ones own setting.

To use the Forgotten Realms is to use an official setting.

In both cases, the needs of the DM remain unchanged. The DM can create new statblocks to homebrew or use official statblocks for Forgotten Realms.

The new race format doesnt impact the DM in any way.

 

[jayoungr]

The Witchlight adventure itself publishes two new races, the fairy and the harengon. These two races use a new format that differs from the format in the Players Handbook.

But I asked whether they had announced the new format and you said they had. Was there an announcement, and if so, where?

To "worldbuild" means to homebrew ones own setting.

I disagree with this definition. Writers of official settings also worldbuild. The only difference is that their worldbuilding gets nicely printed up in bound books.

 

[Yaarel]

But I asked whether they had announced the new format and you said they had. Was there an announcement, and if so, where?

I said they published the new format in the Witchlight book.

That said, many of these items, such as removing alignment, were announced earlier. The removal of the height-weight and complexion is a bit of a surprise to me, but is consistent with earlier announcements.

I disagree with this definition. Writers of official settings also worldbuild. The only difference is that their worldbuilding gets nicely printed up in bound books.

Heh, of course, official designers do worldbuilding, such as the worlds of Forgotten Realms. The point is, the monster statblocks continue these FR worlds unchanged. And if the DM wants to homebrew a world, the DM continues to do it via monster statblocks. The race format has no impact on worldbuilding.

 

[Yaarel]

I would prefer chucker races honestly they need like three feats worth of traits so we can get some good stuff.

I moreorless agree.

I am ok with the new format. The default "typical" race is now:
• Type: Humanoid
• Size: Medium or Small
• Speed: 30
• Age: century lifespan
• Racial Traits: about 1½ feats (which can modify a default trait, such as a non-Humanoid creature type, Large or Tiny, etcetera)

Some settings grant a kind of setting feat, like Theros granting a Supernatural Gift, and presumably Darksun will grant a Psionic Talent.

So, including both the racial feat-and-half and the setting feat, each character starts off at level 1 with about 2½ feats.



With regard to the racial traits, I think the player should get a set of racial traits to choose from. For example, the elf character might choose Elven Accuracy, Fey Teleport, Lucky, Flight, faster speed, or so on, for a racial trait for the elf character. Thus there only needs to be one elf race without any elf subraces. Various elven cultures may or may not regard certain trait choices as "prestigious", but an elf player character can be any choice, whether in the majority or the minority of that culture.