I am trying out a gritty, realistic Lovecraft inspired camapign without classes or backgrounds, and I created the following human variant to reflect that theme.
Instead of the usual Standard Array format, allocate the following scores to your abilities according to preference: 8, 10, 10, 12, 12, 14.
Ability Score Modifiers: Two ability scores of your choice increase by 2, and one ability score of your choice decreases by 2.
Human Feature: Mortal Grit. You gain advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, and Saving Throws while you are at 1 or 2 Hit Points.
I have elements of this - kind of - in my campaign world. I'm experimenting with the idea of how non-human ( and non-humanoid ) quasi-immortal creatures would react if Humans showed up one day, and started breeding and expanding all over the place. So ... there's a genocidal war about 500 years back in my word history - and the surviving Human inhabit a string of islands and sub-continental land masses - having been pushed off the continental land masses.
Like what you're proposing - Humans are outclassed.
However - in my humble opinion - most D&D games are about heroic fantasy. Players want to be heroic bad-asses, and giving them weaker characters may take away from that. Clearly I don't know your game, or your players, at all. Maybe your players would really enjoy, and fully embrace, the concept of more average ability characters.
This is - after all - how characters in Call of Cthulhu are - they are just ordinary people, forced into contact with the eldritch impersonal evil of the true nature of the universe. C-of-C characters are also pretty short lived, and ultimately doomed to death or insanity.
However, I think you can have your cake and eat it too. The approach may be not to nerf humans, but simply scale up the abilities of the creatures they are facing.
Perhaps let them be heroic, but still ultimately doomed. There is both grit, and heroism, in that combination.
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I agree with you. Most players play D&D because the idea of creating a dragon-slaying warlord is an appealing one to them. I am definitely leaning towards a Call of Cthulhu RPG-style game with D&D rules, and that is why I created such an underpowered human race.
I am trying out a gritty, realistic Lovecraft inspired camapign without classes or backgrounds, and I created the following human variant to reflect that theme.
Instead of the usual Standard Array format, allocate the following scores to your abilities according to preference: 8, 10, 10, 12, 12, 14.
Ability Score Modifiers: Two ability scores of your choice increase by 2, and one ability score of your choice decreases by 2.
Human Feature: Mortal Grit. You gain advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, and Saving Throws while you are at 1 or 2 Hit Points.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
I have elements of this - kind of - in my campaign world. I'm experimenting with the idea of how non-human ( and non-humanoid ) quasi-immortal creatures would react if Humans showed up one day, and started breeding and expanding all over the place. So ... there's a genocidal war about 500 years back in my word history - and the surviving Human inhabit a string of islands and sub-continental land masses - having been pushed off the continental land masses.
Like what you're proposing - Humans are outclassed.
However - in my humble opinion - most D&D games are about heroic fantasy. Players want to be heroic bad-asses, and giving them weaker characters may take away from that. Clearly I don't know your game, or your players, at all. Maybe your players would really enjoy, and fully embrace, the concept of more average ability characters.
This is - after all - how characters in Call of Cthulhu are - they are just ordinary people, forced into contact with the eldritch impersonal evil of the true nature of the universe. C-of-C characters are also pretty short lived, and ultimately doomed to death or insanity.
However, I think you can have your cake and eat it too. The approach may be not to nerf humans, but simply scale up the abilities of the creatures they are facing.
Perhaps let them be heroic, but still ultimately doomed. There is both grit, and heroism, in that combination.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I agree with you. Most players play D&D because the idea of creating a dragon-slaying warlord is an appealing one to them. I am definitely leaning towards a Call of Cthulhu RPG-style game with D&D rules, and that is why I created such an underpowered human race.
Thanks for your advice!
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash