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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ECMO3" data-source="post: 9797914" data-attributes="member: 7030563">Ok fine, then you admit WOTC doesn't know how to do backgrounds because many of the ASIs are not tied thematically to the backgrounds.No they don't.  The abilities I mentioned don't make as much sense as other abilities.  You even used the Guard as an example and YOU even said one of the ASIs they have don't make sense.Please tell me how these make sense thematically:Constitution on a SageStrength on an Artisan instead of WisdomConstitution on a Charleton instead of Wisdom or IntelligenceIntelligence on a Criminal instead of Wisdom or StrengthStrength for an EntertainerIntelligence for a Guard instead of Constitution (your example)Charisma for a Hermit .... really Charisma for a Hermit!Constitution for a MerchantWisdom for a WayfarerWisdom for a Sailor instead of ConstitutionYour argument about thematics would be a lot better if the ASIs matched thematically, but they don't, and those examples up there are 10 out of 16 backgrounds, which is over half of the backgrounds in the PHB.I am arguing the ones above either don't make sense at all or make sense less than another ASI which could have been used instead.If you think I am wrong tell me why those above make more thematic sense.Moreover, something like Guard should actually have more than 3 ASIs.  While I agree with you that Intelligence does not make sense, both Charisma (for deterrence) and Dexterity do.  So that background should have 4 ASIs.It makes a lot more sense than intelligence, especially when armed with guns.Yes you do.  Many if not most of the people employed as guards are primarily there for deterrence (i.e. Intimidation) reasons.  When you walk into a Jewlery store or a Bank or a movie theater or when someone has a bodyguard they are there not to get in a fight but to deter it from even happening.  In D&D parlance that is Charisma.I will agree intelligence isn't ... yet it is in the background.The vast majority of guards do not patrol on foot for hours.  I will grant that Constitution is important for some guards, but less so than Charisma or Dexterity generally ... and moreover you make my point here.  Constitution is not one of the ASIs for a guard.Most of the backgrounds have stat bonuses that do not make thematic sense.  2 of three stat bonuses that make sense on a background and one that does not means that Background has a stat bonus that does not make sense.Most backgrounds have stat bonuses that do not all make sense thematically.  Most of them are broken thematically, yet this is the reason you think WOTC is doing a good job with them?And yet over and over again they are not.  Many of the ASIs are arbitrary and if we are going to have 1 or more arbitrary non-thematic ASI tied to backgrounds over and over and over, then why can't we have others?No you don't want other players to use stat bonuses that do make sense for their character.  You don't want players to be able to take a Constitution  bonus on a Guard even though you say it makes thematic sense.My DM has nothing at all to do with this thread.  My DM can do whatever he wants, that doesn't change the fact that WOTC doesn't know how to do backgrounds, as per the title of the thread.It is not a misportrayal, you want the rules to limit people from doing things for story reasons even when it has almost no mechanical difference.Exactly.  This does nothing to the min-maxers.  WOTC's background design only affects people who want to use a certain background for story reasons, and why shouldn't I be able to use the WOTC Guard backgroud for my sniper since you agree that is a "Guard" and that "makes sense"They are not trained to be Intelligent yet Intelligence is not a "happy accident"Hermit are not particularly social yet they can get Charisma as not a "happy accident"Don't you see the hypocrisy in your position here?  I can't take dexterity on my Guard, but I can take Intelligence?  I can't take Intelligence on my Hermit, but I can take Charisma?But I can't use the Guard background for that and this is the point.Guards are not trained in Intelligence, yet I can get an Intelligence boost with that BackgroundOk, but most of the Backgrounds have stat bonuses that don't make thematic sense.  I can take Intelligence on that 2024 Guard background, something you said makes no thematic sense.If most of the backgrounds have one or more stat bonuses that make no sense, then most of the Backgrounds are not well designed thematicallyYour claim is Backgrounds provide ASI bonuses that are thematically appropriate.  That is not true.    Most Backgrounds have one or more ASI increases that are either not appropriate at all or less appropriate than one or more other abilities.This is more appropriate in a discussion about class design than one about Background design, but a lot of people would agree with this.</blockquote>

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