They've made some questionable decisions.
Ok so they can't figure out how to get the backgrounds right .... like I said in the title.
Thank you for proving my point. So even if I take your list as completely against sense, that's still only 10 out of 48 stats that don't make sense
Right but 9 out of 16 backgrounds that are screwed up.
And this is the key point - I can take an ASI that does not make sense in over half of the WOTC backgrounds already. If your position is only thematic options should be available, then the published backgrounds do not afford that.
Your whole argument rests on the idea that one should not be allowed to take an ASI that does not make sense for a background, and if the printed backgrounds already allow you to do this then what is the difference between that and having someone take a another ASI or just choosing an ASI.
1) Strength makes sense for sculpters and other similar artisans who would have trouble if they were weak. Stone carving requires strength.
For some miniscule examples. Certainly less than guards who would require Constitution. Yet Guards can't get Constitution.
2) Intelligence is a prime requisite for criminal masterminds, a major criminal archetype.
Strength is a prime requisite for many criminals, including numerous criminal archetypea. Charisma is also a prime requisite for most "criminal masterminds" especially con men and for a lot of thugs. Intelligence simply makes less sense than those two attributes
3) Wisdom is essential for a Wayfarer(urchin). It allows you to read people and notice dangers, which are major survival traits. Street smarts is wisdom, not intelligence.
A Wayfarer is a person who travels on foot or more colloquially a travelor. Constitution and Strength are their biggest two abilities this should be tied to, neither of which are available.
Tell me, why do Wayfarers have Charisma?
So 3 of your 10 aren't out of theme.
They all are. You can come up with these corner cases of where those abilities are appropriate, but there are more appropriate abilities in all those examples.
If you opened up every background to all 6 abilities you could come up with equally compelling one offs comparable to a "criminal mastermind" or a "sculptor".
WotC messed up on 7 out of 48 stats, leaving my statement that they got most of the stat bonuses correct to be the true statement, not your statement that they messed up most of the stat bonuses.
But this is about ASIs not matching the background thematically. If WOTC allows me to take an ASI that does not match the background then you agument holds no weight.
Guards rely more on their official status and the might of the government behind them for deterrence.
IN D&D parlance it is Charisma, and most of the time it is dress that distinguishes them, not some official status.
Officers who receive training to be officers would be trained in charisma, but not your rank and file guard.
I am not talking about officers or Law enforcement here, I am talking about guards. Intimidation (and persuasion) is Charisma in D&D and these are both part of the job.
I do agree that some backgrounds would have more than 3 to pick from, but I don't see any that would have all 6.
But they don't have more than 3 and if it is by Thematics some should have less than 3, but they don't - Ergo WOTC can't figure out how to do backgrounds.
It's not charisma. First, if there were no guard in a bank, I wouldn't rob it or get into a fight. Second, it's not the guard that would be deterring me. It would be 1) the law.
It is against the law whether a guard is there or not. IF the law was a deterrent the guard would be useless.
Intimidation!
I don't value death or major injury,
Intimidation!
and lastly 3) For some it's physical size(strength).
Size and Strength are not the same thing, especially in D&D where I can have a 30lb Halfling with a 20 Strength at 1st level (as long as I choose the right background) and swing a sword twice my size.
But when we are talking about big men. IRL I will agree being big does have some inherent advantages when it comes to being physically intimidating, but it still comes down to how you carry yourself. There are plenty of big teddy bears.
The ones that don't patrol for hours on end, stand at attention for hours on end. Very few guards get to sit around all day trying to inspire people with their charisma. Endurance is a major factor in being a guard or soldier.
Soldier is an entirely different background and an entirely different job and GUARDS DON'T GET TO TAKE CONSTITUTION.
You are sitting here telling me this is essential to the job, yet I can't take an ASI in it!
2 out of 3 still results in most stat bonuses making thematic sense, which is my claim.
No it doesn't, not if I choose intelligence as my bonus.
This is the point, the backgrounds as they are allow for non-thematic choices.
Thematically damaged. They are not broken, because with 2 out of 3 making sense, just pick +2, +1 from the two that do make sense and the background functions just fine.
If they allowed all 6 abilities you could still choose those two and it would function "just fine" and if they allow one that isn't, then you can "break the game" by picking it, which is no different than if they allowed all 6.
At the end of the day, if they allowed all 6 abilities you could make a more thematically appropriate character for at least 9 out of the 16 backgrounds by replacing the one that doesn't belong with something else.
:::sigh::: There is no hypocrisy anywhere in my position. You appear not to be able to understand what "most" means.
You appear not to understand that offering one non-thematic option means you can take a non-thematic ASI with that background.
That means that SOME do not make thematic sense. Pulling out these few that don't make sense as some sort of attempt at a gotcha to catch me at "hypocrisy" is not going to be effective.
Your claim: "
To the extent that the bonuses exist at all, they should be tied thematically to the backgrounds. "
That is what you said and as a point of fact in the WOTC published backgrounds there are many examples of ASIs that are not tied thematically to the backgrounds they are part of.
They have flaws, but given that the other two stats make sense, just take +2, +1 in those and the background works perfectly in theme.
And you could do the same thing if they allowed all 6 abilities.
You don't see a contradiction here -
it is fine to allow ASIs that don't make sense .....
you can't allow ASIs that don't make sense.
Acolyte provides three bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
Debatable. I would argue it should be cut to two.
Artisan provides three bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
Not the three that are most appropriate
Charlatan provides two bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
And provides an ASI that is not thematically tied to it, something that you said should not happen
Criminal provides two bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
It provides one that is actually thematically appropriate. You mounted a rather weak defense of intelligence above, what is your excuse for Constitution?
Strength is more appropriate that Constitution or Intelligence certainly.
Entertainer provides two bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
And provides an ASI that is not thematically tied to it, something that you said should not happen
Guard provides two bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
And provides an ASI that is not thematically tied to it, something that you said should not happen
Hermite provides two bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
And provides an ASI that is not thematically tied to it, something that you said should not happen
Merchant provides two bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
And provides an ASI that is not thematically tied to it, something that you said should not happen
Sage provides three bonuses bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
How is Constitution thematically appropriate for a Sage?
Sailor provides three bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
But it leaves off the most appropriate ability thematically - Constitution
Wayfarer provides three bonuses that are thematically appropriate.
Wayfarer leaves off the two most appropriate abilities and provides one that is marginal at best.
That's 100% of the backgrounds providing thematically appropriate bonuses.
And numerous examples, even by your own admission where ability increases exist that are not thematically, something you said should not happen.
