Why can't I have a half-dwarf raised by mixed parents with the skilled feat and tremor sense?
EDIT Added: Sorry, I should explain better. What feels good to people is subjective. I have no straight answer for you here. I just like more options not less. Forcing everyone to pick all of one set of racial features will inevitably feel bad to some. I am one of them. I doubt I could explain why it feels bad to me but it does. It bugs me. If you're fine with playing a half-race with no variety then that's fine. I would like more options to help further customize my characters and a few unique feature to have some RP opportunities.
I really don't understand why they can't just allow you to pick one feature from each race and gain both racial languages. I'd love this. Sure, there would be a couple extra strong min/max options but overall most options would just allow you to make a character that feels like they belong to both races and not just be a single race in disguise.
Why does "belonging to both races" have to be a mechanically enforced thing?
Now that gets into the territory of how fantasy genetics works here. Are the traits of one parent's race recessive mostly, which is why they only have cosmetic traits of that parent?
I really don't understand why they can't just allow you to pick one feature from each race and gain both racial languages. I'd love this. Sure, there would be a couple extra strong min/max options but overall most options would just allow you to make a character that feels like they belong to both races and not just be a single race in disguise.
Why does "belonging to both races" have to be a mechanically enforced thing?
Now that gets into the territory of how fantasy genetics works here. Are the traits of one parent's race recessive mostly, which is why they only have cosmetic traits of that parent?
I'd leave that to each person to decide. The point I want to make is more options is better then less. I think there could be a very easily added interface for picking one racial trait from two different races and getting just that little bit more detail into who your character is.
I really don't understand why they can't just allow you to pick one feature from each race and gain both racial languages. I'd love this. Sure, there would be a couple extra strong min/max options but overall most options would just allow you to make a character that feels like they belong to both races and not just be a single race in disguise.
Why does "belonging to both races" have to be a mechanically enforced thing?
Now that gets into the territory of how fantasy genetics works here. Are the traits of one parent's race recessive mostly, which is why they only have cosmetic traits of that parent?
And lifespan differences. Also there is no such thing as genetics in fantasy. You might be thinking about heredity.
Why can't I have a half-dwarf raised by mixed parents with the skilled feat and tremor sense?
EDIT Added: Sorry, I should explain better. What feels good to people is subjective. I have no straight answer for you here. I just like more options not less. Forcing everyone to pick all of one set of racial features will inevitably feel bad to some. I am one of them. I doubt I could explain why it feels bad to me but it does. It bugs me. If you're fine with playing a half-race with no variety then that's fine. I would like more options to help further customize my characters and a few unique feature to have some RP opportunities.
It's not that I'm fine playing a "half-race" with no variety. It's that I like how they are portraying biracial and multiracial people as just people like any other. Half elves and half orcs have been a source of unease for multiracial players for awhile now, but making a mixed heritage a lore detail and not have to be enforced with some sort of mechanical otherness does a lot to integrate the idea that multiracial people are also regular people and not intrinsically different from everyone else.
And you can absolutely have variation between characters, even of the same mixed heritage, with different Feats and different personalities, etc. You could have the children of an orc and a dwarf pick different sides of the family that they take after. One brother could have the tremorsense and the Alert Feat while his sibling might have the speed and strength and take the Tough Feat.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I really don't understand why they can't just allow you to pick one feature from each race and gain both racial languages. I'd love this. Sure, there would be a couple extra strong min/max options but overall most options would just allow you to make a character that feels like they belong to both races and not just be a single race in disguise.
Why does "belonging to both races" have to be a mechanically enforced thing?
Now that gets into the territory of how fantasy genetics works here. Are the traits of one parent's race recessive mostly, which is why they only have cosmetic traits of that parent?
And lifespan differences. Also there is no such thing as genetics in fantasy. You might be thinking about heredity.
I know what I said. DNA might not be a thing anyone is aware of in fantasy worlds, or something that even really exists in those worlds, but I call it that because that's what dictates what traits are passed down in our world.
You're right though. Heredity is the more appropriate term for this.
I really don't understand why they can't just allow you to pick one feature from each race and gain both racial languages. I'd love this. Sure, there would be a couple extra strong min/max options but overall most options would just allow you to make a character that feels like they belong to both races and not just be a single race in disguise.
Why does "belonging to both races" have to be a mechanically enforced thing?
Now that gets into the territory of how fantasy genetics works here. Are the traits of one parent's race recessive mostly, which is why they only have cosmetic traits of that parent?
And lifespan differences. Also there is no such thing as genetics in fantasy. You might be thinking about heredity.
Why can't I have a half-dwarf raised by mixed parents with the skilled feat and tremor sense?
EDIT Added: Sorry, I should explain better. What feels good to people is subjective. I have no straight answer for you here. I just like more options not less. Forcing everyone to pick all of one set of racial features will inevitably feel bad to some. I am one of them. I doubt I could explain why it feels bad to me but it does. It bugs me. If you're fine with playing a half-race with no variety then that's fine. I would like more options to help further customize my characters and a few unique feature to have some RP opportunities.
It's not that I'm fine playing a "half-race" with no variety. It's that I like how they are portraying biracial and multiracial people as just people like any other. Half elves and half orcs have been a source of unease for multiracial players for awhile now, but making a mixed heritage a lore detail and not have to be enforced with some sort of mechanical otherness does a lot to integrate the idea that multiracial people are also regular people and not intrinsically different from everyone else.
And you can absolutely have variation between characters, even of the same mixed heritage, with different Feats and different personalities, etc. You could have the children of an orc and a dwarf pick different sides of the family that they take after. One brother could have the tremorsense and the Alert Feat while his sibling might have the speed and strength and take the Tough Feat.
Do you like more options? If yes. Then we could have both. You're taking my idea like it's an attack on your personal rp style. Please rp however you see fit. I'm just suggesting we can have more options and don't understand why we can't.
The main reason is balance. Allowing players to mix and match requires each ancestry trait to be balanced against every other trait, which is a lot harder than just attempting to balance the entire packages (and even that is hard enough).
That said, I see nothing wrong with allowing players to do some trait swapping, depending on what they want and what they are willing to give up. I just think this is better as an option presented in the DMG.
The main reason is balance. Allowing players to mix and match requires each ancestry trait to be balanced against every other trait, which is a lot harder than just attempting to balance the entire packages (and even that is hard enough).
Is every class balanced against every race?
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Probably not, but they do seem to be attempting to make ancestries have traits that work well with every class. But I am also confused why you are bringing up class. Wasn’t this about mixing ancestry traits? It gets very complex if you can trade ancestry traits for class features, and at that point no longer feels like D&D. As always, if you have a good DM you will be able to have all the options you desire. I have made many new classes for my players.
My point is that they don't really make interchangeable options balanced, or at least, they don't try too hard to. I have my own ideas on how they can give you the options of what traits you inherit while maintaining at least some balance, but I'm not convinced balancing will be the major issue here.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
My point is that they don't really make interchangeable options balanced, or at least, they don't try too hard to. I have my own ideas on how they can give you the options of what traits you inherit while maintaining at least some balance, but I'm not convinced balancing will be the major issue here.
Yeah, as a DM I don't really see any racial feature combo's if you took one from each race chosen for a half-race being that makes me think "Oh god no!" some are definitely stronger then others but that's just part of playing a table top RPG.
Part of the balancing comes down to flavor, as odd as it sounds. Tortles might have the best, cheapest AC you can get on many classes... But not everybody wants to play a turtle person.
But if you gave them the option to be half-Tortle? Get all the benefits of a Tortle, but they look like, and are treated by the game world like, an elf? Well, that might change.
I'll say this -- whenever I DM again, I'm not using the playtest's version of half-races for NPCs. I want my players to be able to look at an elf and know he's immune to sleep spells.
Part of the balancing comes down to flavor, as odd as it sounds. Tortles might have the best, cheapest AC you can get on many classes... But not everybody wants to play a turtle person.
But if you gave them the option to be half-Tortle? Get all the benefits of a Tortle, but they look like, and are treated by the game world like, an elf? Well, that might change.
Idk, just a thought.
Wouldn't this example mean they have the turtle shell in their description? Yes, you get the benefit but you still describe your character. I can easily picture a half-tortle that has a human face instead of the turtle one but they still have a shell to pull back into. You don't just ignore the flavor.
The main reason is balance. Allowing players to mix and match requires each ancestry trait to be balanced against every other trait, which is a lot harder than just attempting to balance the entire packages (and even that is hard enough).
Might it be a idea if each race came with a feat that would give you some of that race abilities with a pre request of having that race as part of your heritage ? So for having the additional racial abilities if you want them you can spend a feat as a balancing mechanism.
The feat could also be used for situations where evil gnomes capture one of the players and use as a guinea pig for their experimental gnomifying ray as part of their diabolical plan to turn everybody into gnomes.
The feat could also be used for situations where evil gnomes capture one of the players and use as a guinea pig for their experimental gnomifying ray as part of their diabolical plan to turn everybody into gnomes.
You probably gave someone here a campaign idea with this.
The feat could also be used for situations where evil gnomes capture one of the players and use as a guinea pig for their experimental gnomifying ray as part of their diabolical plan to turn everybody into gnomes.
You probably gave someone here a campaign idea with this.
The main reason is balance. Allowing players to mix and match requires each ancestry trait to be balanced against every other trait, which is a lot harder than just attempting to balance the entire packages (and even that is hard enough).
Might it be a idea if each race came with a feat that would give you some of that race abilities with a pre request of having that race as part of your heritage ? So for having the additional racial abilities if you want them you can spend a feat as a balancing mechanism.
The feat could also be used for situations where evil gnomes capture one of the players and use as a guinea pig for their experimental gnomifying ray as part of their diabolical plan to turn everybody into gnomes.
Then you have to commodify them, and where do you draw the line?
Every elf and goblin has Fey Ancestry and Darkvision. So do the feats come from their more unique traits, like the specific elven lineage? Or can we just say a half-whatever is like Eldrond and Elros and call it a day?
The main reason is balance. Allowing players to mix and match requires each ancestry trait to be balanced against every other trait, which is a lot harder than just attempting to balance the entire packages (and even that is hard enough).
Might it be a idea if each race came with a feat that would give you some of that race abilities with a pre request of having that race as part of your heritage ? So for having the additional racial abilities if you want them you can spend a feat as a balancing mechanism.
The feat could also be used for situations where evil gnomes capture one of the players and use as a guinea pig for their experimental gnomifying ray as part of their diabolical plan to turn everybody into gnomes.
Then you have to commodify them, and where do you draw the line?
Every elf and goblin has Fey Ancestry and Darkvision. So do the feats come from their more unique traits, like the specific elven lineage? Or can we just say a half-whatever is like Eldrond and Elros and call it a day?
This is why I like the simple idea of just 1 racial trait from each or all just one set of racial traits. Allows some fun customization but doesn't over complicate it with feats and extra lists and what not.
Why can't I have a half-dwarf raised by mixed parents with the skilled feat and tremor sense?
EDIT Added: Sorry, I should explain better. What feels good to people is subjective. I have no straight answer for you here. I just like more options not less. Forcing everyone to pick all of one set of racial features will inevitably feel bad to some. I am one of them. I doubt I could explain why it feels bad to me but it does. It bugs me. If you're fine with playing a half-race with no variety then that's fine. I would like more options to help further customize my characters and a few unique feature to have some RP opportunities.
Now that gets into the territory of how fantasy genetics works here. Are the traits of one parent's race recessive mostly, which is why they only have cosmetic traits of that parent?
I'd leave that to each person to decide. The point I want to make is more options is better then less. I think there could be a very easily added interface for picking one racial trait from two different races and getting just that little bit more detail into who your character is.
And lifespan differences. Also there is no such thing as genetics in fantasy. You might be thinking about heredity.
It's not that I'm fine playing a "half-race" with no variety. It's that I like how they are portraying biracial and multiracial people as just people like any other. Half elves and half orcs have been a source of unease for multiracial players for awhile now, but making a mixed heritage a lore detail and not have to be enforced with some sort of mechanical otherness does a lot to integrate the idea that multiracial people are also regular people and not intrinsically different from everyone else.
And you can absolutely have variation between characters, even of the same mixed heritage, with different Feats and different personalities, etc. You could have the children of an orc and a dwarf pick different sides of the family that they take after. One brother could have the tremorsense and the Alert Feat while his sibling might have the speed and strength and take the Tough Feat.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
I know what I said. DNA might not be a thing anyone is aware of in fantasy worlds, or something that even really exists in those worlds, but I call it that because that's what dictates what traits are passed down in our world.
You're right though. Heredity is the more appropriate term for this.
Do you like more options? If yes. Then we could have both. You're taking my idea like it's an attack on your personal rp style. Please rp however you see fit. I'm just suggesting we can have more options and don't understand why we can't.
The main reason is balance. Allowing players to mix and match requires each ancestry trait to be balanced against every other trait, which is a lot harder than just attempting to balance the entire packages (and even that is hard enough).
That said, I see nothing wrong with allowing players to do some trait swapping, depending on what they want and what they are willing to give up. I just think this is better as an option presented in the DMG.
Is every class balanced against every race?
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Probably not, but they do seem to be attempting to make ancestries have traits that work well with every class.
But I am also confused why you are bringing up class. Wasn’t this about mixing ancestry traits? It gets very complex if you can trade ancestry traits for class features, and at that point no longer feels like D&D. As always, if you have a good DM you will be able to have all the options you desire. I have made many new classes for my players.
My point is that they don't really make interchangeable options balanced, or at least, they don't try too hard to. I have my own ideas on how they can give you the options of what traits you inherit while maintaining at least some balance, but I'm not convinced balancing will be the major issue here.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Yeah, as a DM I don't really see any racial feature combo's if you took one from each race chosen for a half-race being that makes me think "Oh god no!" some are definitely stronger then others but that's just part of playing a table top RPG.
Part of the balancing comes down to flavor, as odd as it sounds. Tortles might have the best, cheapest AC you can get on many classes... But not everybody wants to play a turtle person.
But if you gave them the option to be half-Tortle? Get all the benefits of a Tortle, but they look like, and are treated by the game world like, an elf? Well, that might change.
Idk, just a thought.
I'll say this -- whenever I DM again, I'm not using the playtest's version of half-races for NPCs. I want my players to be able to look at an elf and know he's immune to sleep spells.
Wouldn't this example mean they have the turtle shell in their description? Yes, you get the benefit but you still describe your character. I can easily picture a half-tortle that has a human face instead of the turtle one but they still have a shell to pull back into. You don't just ignore the flavor.
Might it be a idea if each race came with a feat that would give you some of that race abilities with a pre request of having that race as part of your heritage ?
So for having the additional racial abilities if you want them you can spend a feat as a balancing mechanism.
The feat could also be used for situations where evil gnomes capture one of the players and use as a guinea pig for their experimental gnomifying ray as part of their diabolical plan to turn everybody into gnomes.
You probably gave someone here a campaign idea with this.
YES!
Then you have to commodify them, and where do you draw the line?
Every elf and goblin has Fey Ancestry and Darkvision. So do the feats come from their more unique traits, like the specific elven lineage? Or can we just say a half-whatever is like Eldrond and Elros and call it a day?
This is why I like the simple idea of just 1 racial trait from each or all just one set of racial traits. Allows some fun customization but doesn't over complicate it with feats and extra lists and what not.
I've thought of an amusing concept. A party composed of an Elf and his Half-Elf children. I guess he's a "horny warlock".
Male Elf Hexblade Warlock, High Elf, background with skilled feat. 750 year lifespan.
Female Half-Elf/Human Swashbuckler Rogue, Human, magic initiate (Arcane) feat (must have vicious mockery), background with savage attacker feat. 415 year lifespan.
Male Half-Elf/Orc Zealot Barbarian, Orc, background with savage attacker feat. 415 year lifespan.
Female Half-Elf/Dwarf Gloomstalker Ranger, Dwarf, background with magic initiate (Primal) feat. 550 year lifespan.
Female Half-Elf/Gnome War Wizard, Rock Gnome, background with Crafter feat. 587.5 year lifespan.
Female Half-Elf/Tiefling Light Domain Cleric, Infernal Tiefling, background with magic initiate (Arcane) feat. 425 year lifespan.
Male Half-Elf/Halfling Devotion Paladin, Halfling, background with magic initiate (Primal). 450 year lifespan.