D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[Paul Farquhar]

Nope. They don't. There are exactly ZERO dragonborn in Greenest. That's the problem.

Your DM won't let you add a small family of dragonborn to a town?! What you need is a better DM, not a setting book that spells out population demographics in minute detail.

I'm pretty sure the source material does not state that there are zero dragonborn. There will be a whole bunch of inhabitants whose species is not stated.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

what if i want to be from the sword coast? it's difficult because there's no character anchors for my species.

Character anchors are not tied to species. You can use anything you want. You can be from the Sword Coast without being from a monoculture.

setting integrated ones, established historical ones, local political ones. the kinds you don't get when you poof a random community into the setting to excuse a character being there.

The thing is, aside from the "go home" racist connotations, you need a minimum population size to have a monocultural community. There are a few dragonborn on the Sword Coast, but not enough to populate a whole town.

And as we keep saying, the core rules are not the be all and end all of sentient species. There are those that currently who are only listed in the Monster Manual, there are those that will be added over the course of the edition. If every species needs to have a history written into the setting, then you will need to publish a new setting every time you add a new species to the game.

 

[CreamCloud0]

And as we keep saying, the core rules are not the be all and end all of sentient species. There are those that currently who are only listed in the Monster Manual, there are those that will be added over the course of the edition. If every species needs to have a history written into the setting, then you will need to publish a new setting every time you add a new species to the game.

they could at least manage it for all the PHB options which they claim are the 'most common species', that's the point here, no, not every species needs to have a history in the setting but they could at least manage it for the ones they claim are the ones that make up the standard population.

 

[Remathilis]

I wonder, is this phrasing a way to "incorporate" them without doing any actual work? Seems like it.

Again, the benefit of a setting written for the new core is that you don't have to do any of that. You can just create a world that accommodates and truly integrates all the core species and important non-player beings.

But, no, apparently that is too hard and the only solution is to wedge new species and classes and etc into dusty old settings, even if they make no sense at all.

Eberron included four new explicitly Eberron species and didn't bother to give three of them homelands. Greyhawk never had a halfling nation despite halflings being older than Greyhawk. I can't guarantee you that a 5.5 specific setting would have an aasimar or tiefling nation any more than it would have a gnoll or ogre nation.

 

[TiQuinn]

Eberron included four new explicitly Eberron species and didn't bother to give three of them homelands. Greyhawk never had a halfling nation despite halflings being older than Greyhawk. I can't guarantee you that a 5.5 specific setting would have an aasimar or tiefling nation any more than it would have a gnoll or ogre nation.

Yeah, I don’t know that many of the species in D&D 5e make sense to necessarily have a distinct homeland. Tieflings, aasimar, genasi - these are all offshoots of humans who have a unique multiplanar heritage. They likely wouldn’t have a single homeland; they would appear amongst the general population anywhere.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

most common species

Does it actually say that? Because if it does it’s wrong. Goblins are far more numerous than most of the PHB species.

And aasimar are incredibly rare. You don’t get many angels making babies with mortals. There are probably more nothics in the world.

 

[Parmandur]

Eberron included four new explicitly Eberron species and didn't bother to give three of them homelands. Greyhawk never had a halfling nation despite halflings being older than Greyhawk. I can't guarantee you that a 5.5 specific setting would have an aasimar or tiefling nation any more than it would have a gnoll or ogre nation.

Yeah, AD&D Greyhawk treated Gnomes and Halflings pretty much exactly the same as the new FR books treat Goliaths and Dragonborn: even more marginally, if anything.

 

[Parmandur]

Does it actually say that? Because if it does it’s wrong. Goblins are far more numerous than most of the PHB species.

And aasimar are incredibly rare. You don’t get many angels making babies with mortals. There are probably more nothics in the world.

It does not say that anywhere. The 2014 PHB called out Humans, Elves, Dwarves. And Halflings as "Common" and the other options as "Uncommon", but 2024 is notably agnostic on the different Species commonality.

 

[Maxperson]

And I said exactly that. Making stuff up is not really a problem. I am capable. Thanks.

But, the point is, the background that is made up is 100% generic because you can't actually have any history in that place without rewriting that place, and I'm not the DM. It's not like I can suddenly claim that Greenest has a thriving community of Dragonborn, now can I?

No, but you can go with the history that has been provided.

1) The ruler of Djerad Kethendi has sent me out into the world to help others and show the world what Dragonborn truly stand for. We need to raise our standing in the world to gain allies so that we may continue to hold off Unther. - Gold Dragonborn Battle Master

2) The beast of Djerad Kethendi has taken ill. Our spellcasters can only determine that the cure lies somewhere along the sword coast, but not where or what it may be. I will start my search in Baldur's Gate. Whether it grows in a forest or lies in some flask in a long forgotten tomb, I will find it. The dangers will be great, though, so I will likely need help. - Green Dragonborn Paladin

3) My village is(make up name here) near Ash Lake. We are a very poor village that is near to starvation. I have heard tales of the wealthy ruins and tombs that lie near to Baldur's Gate. All it will take is one big haul and my village will be able to eat well. - Black Dragonborn Rogue.

It took a few minutes to come up with three backgrounds tied to existing 5e Dragonborn Lore, and with reason to be in Baldur's Gate.

 

[Reynard]

Eberron included four new explicitly Eberron species and didn't bother to give three of them homelands.

Having a "homeland" is not the only way to "accommodate and integrate" them into the setting. Shifters, for example, are deeply integrated into Eberron, as are changelings. Both the kalashtar and the warforged have homelands.