Unearthed Arcana WOTC still can't get the backgrounds right in the new FR book.

[Maxperson]

Exactly. The feat given by the background is objectively weaker because of this, and her we are not talking about a class, where you can choose a different one, but a feat that is tied directly to the background.

Morover though, while you fail once "more" out of 20 attepmts, your overall effectiveness decreases by around 10-20% because that failure that was flipped was one of only a subset that would have suceeded.

It's a nearly meaningless difference. You won't even notice that extra failure. The feat itself is far better than any +1 to a stat bonus.

And that 10-20% increase in failure is also meaningless. It sounds good until you realize that the difference is so small you won't be able to notice it.

It's like those studies that say your chances to have a heart attack go up 100% if you do X, but then it goes from .0000001 to .0000002.

 

[ECMO3]

It's a nearly meaningless difference. You won't even notice that extra failure.

It is super meaningful. I would notice as soon as I put my character together.

The feat itself is far better than any +1 to a stat bonus.

The Origin Feat is not that great. Looking at it alone compared to other Origin Feats it is probably slightly below average in a combat-oriented game or well below average in a balanced game.

And that 10-20% increase in failure is also meaningless. It sounds good until you realize that the difference is so small you won't be able to notice it.

I will notice it though. It is a huge deal. I will notice it 100% of the time on any character that has that background.

Heck I have not even built a character with that background or used the ability and I already noticed it!

 

[Maxperson]

It is super meaningful. I would notice as soon as I put my character together.

But not in game play. It's only really meaningful to you because you've psyched yourself into feeling it has meaning. In game play it makes nearly no difference whatsoever.

I will notice it though. It is a huge deal. I will notice it 100% of the time on any character that has that background.

That's because you've put yourself into a mindset where 1 extra hit on a big bag of hit points every 3 or so combats actually matters. Or the extra +1 damage against multiple bags of hit points in most encounters.

I understand that in game play that miniscule amount of extra damage will very rarely make any difference at all, and you generally won't even notice those rare times that it does.