So with the new rules every PC gets a starting feat. Half species only get traits from one parent. So could WOTC consider making first level feats for each species to allow people to play characters of mixed species from any of the species in the phb. It would probably be the easiest way to make the new rules represent a person stuck between cultures.
Doubt it. I think they are trying to get away from halfsies being a mechanical thing.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I havent see anything that's tipped their plans on racial feats. That's something I am eager to see when I can get my paws on a new PHB.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I can't speak for WotC, but if I were them, I would have this sort of thing tied up in a background rather than a stand-alone feat. The spirit of the game is clearly moving against mechanical benefits for biological differences, but a series of backgrounds can certainly capture cultural differences.
I don't see a problem with Racial feats. A Halfling that's able to share its luck trait with others in the party, or a Tiefling that's so in tune with its fiendish heritage that it can sprout wings, strike me as something that would be pretty cool. Sure, Elven Accuracy was way overtuned, but the rest of them are solid. As written, most of them are legal for use in 2024 anyway since they were printed in Xanathar's.
As for feats or custom backgrounds to let you tap into traits from both parents, I've been proposing this idea for a while; giving up your origin feat is the only way I could see a mix-and-match system being balanced, short of them actually sitting down and coming up with defined traits for every possible hybrid. I don't see that happening.
I'm not super fond of the origin feat implementation that they went with. your idea couldn't make it any worse.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I think racial feats aren't inherently bad if you lean into the more fantastic elements, which is mostly what they did. Tieflings and Dragonborn gained more aspects of their supernatural heritage, elves broadened their innate magic, dwarves had more resilience, halflings more luck, etc. Squat Nimbleness might be a little iffy anymore and the Orcish one could stand to be moved away from interacting with weapon attacks, but overall it's a good basis they could build on.
I doubt they'll want to use that for codifying mixed heritage type characters though; that probably cuts to close too some of the patently incorrect arguments people try to make IRL.
I agree that racial feats isn't problematic. The big problem they had before is that not all races had equal optimized access to classes (which I didn't think was bad). Now, they have been homogenized and I think as long as they don't toss out dumb stuff like elven accuracy to create "master races" so to speak, racial feats is fine. Like seriously, who's going to lose sleep over Flames of Phlegethos?
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Honestly, I think there's a bit of wiggle room for stuff like Elven Accuracy in the general sense. Saying one race can have a slightly higher capacity for target tracking is not really any more out there than saying another can seem to have inordinately good luck. Might need rebalanced a bit, maybe a reroll/bonus on fail to just nudge the odds slightly PB/LR times rather than super advantage, but conceptually it's a niche enough aspect, particularly if elves all innately having Perception prof from Keen Senses is still okay. It's a logical extension of someone coming out on the far end of that innate aspect.
I doubt any new official rules about mixed species will come out- whether feats or something else. However, I will not be surprised to hear or see people develop homebrew solutions for mechanics of mixed species. Probably along the lines of choosing certain features from each species.
I doubt any new official rules about mixed species will come out- whether feats or something else. However, I will not be surprised to hear or see people develop homebrew solutions for mechanics of mixed species. Probably along the lines of choosing certain features from each species.
There are and will continue to be tons of homebrew for that, you're right. The issue of course is Sturgeon's Law, and even if you find a decent one, convincing your DM to allow it.
Honestly, I think there's a bit of wiggle room for stuff like Elven Accuracy in the general sense. Saying one race can have a slightly higher capacity for target tracking is not really any more out there than saying another can seem to have inordinately good luck. Might need rebalanced a bit, maybe a reroll/bonus on fail to just nudge the odds slightly PB/LR times rather than super advantage, but conceptually it's a niche enough aspect, particularly if elves all innately having Perception prof from Keen Senses is still okay. It's a logical extension of someone coming out on the far end of that innate aspect.
"Add a d4 on miss that can potentially turn it into a hit" seems decent for an elf I'd say without being Super Advantage.
I doubt any new official rules about mixed species will come out- whether feats or something else. However, I will not be surprised to hear or see people develop homebrew solutions for mechanics of mixed species. Probably along the lines of choosing certain features from each species.
There are and will continue to be tons of homebrew for that, you're right. The issue of course is Sturgeon's Law, and even if you find a decent one, convincing your DM to allow it.
Honestly, I think there's a bit of wiggle room for stuff like Elven Accuracy in the general sense. Saying one race can have a slightly higher capacity for target tracking is not really any more out there than saying another can seem to have inordinately good luck. Might need rebalanced a bit, maybe a reroll/bonus on fail to just nudge the odds slightly PB/LR times rather than super advantage, but conceptually it's a niche enough aspect, particularly if elves all innately having Perception prof from Keen Senses is still okay. It's a logical extension of someone coming out on the far end of that innate aspect.
"Add a d4 on miss that can potentially turn it into a hit" seems decent for an elf I'd say without being Super Advantage.
If it's balanced for Bless, I don't think it's out of line for a racial feat, especially if you cap it with prof bonus times per day.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
So with the new rules every PC gets a starting feat. Half species only get traits from one parent. So could WOTC consider making first level feats for each species to allow people to play characters of mixed species from any of the species in the phb. It would probably be the easiest way to make the new rules represent a person stuck between cultures.
Doubt it, but check back in 10 years when they will probably do a 2034 revision.
So with the new rules every PC gets a starting feat. Half species only get traits from one parent. So could WOTC consider making first level feats for each species to allow people to play characters of mixed species from any of the species in the phb. It would probably be the easiest way to make the new rules represent a person stuck between cultures.
Doubt it. I think they are trying to get away from halfsies being a mechanical thing.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
And racial feats too as I understand.
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I havent see anything that's tipped their plans on racial feats. That's something I am eager to see when I can get my paws on a new PHB.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Since we’ve heard nothing about them, I take that as a sign there are none.
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Although since we will have species and not races in 2024 they would not be racial feats but special feats no? 😎
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I can't speak for WotC, but if I were them, I would have this sort of thing tied up in a background rather than a stand-alone feat. The spirit of the game is clearly moving against mechanical benefits for biological differences, but a series of backgrounds can certainly capture cultural differences.
I don't see a problem with Racial feats. A Halfling that's able to share its luck trait with others in the party, or a Tiefling that's so in tune with its fiendish heritage that it can sprout wings, strike me as something that would be pretty cool. Sure, Elven Accuracy was way overtuned, but the rest of them are solid. As written, most of them are legal for use in 2024 anyway since they were printed in Xanathar's.
As for feats or custom backgrounds to let you tap into traits from both parents, I've been proposing this idea for a while; giving up your origin feat is the only way I could see a mix-and-match system being balanced, short of them actually sitting down and coming up with defined traits for every possible hybrid. I don't see that happening.
I'm not super fond of the origin feat implementation that they went with. your idea couldn't make it any worse.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I think racial feats aren't inherently bad if you lean into the more fantastic elements, which is mostly what they did. Tieflings and Dragonborn gained more aspects of their supernatural heritage, elves broadened their innate magic, dwarves had more resilience, halflings more luck, etc. Squat Nimbleness might be a little iffy anymore and the Orcish one could stand to be moved away from interacting with weapon attacks, but overall it's a good basis they could build on.
I doubt they'll want to use that for codifying mixed heritage type characters though; that probably cuts to close too some of the patently incorrect arguments people try to make IRL.
I agree that racial feats isn't problematic. The big problem they had before is that not all races had equal optimized access to classes (which I didn't think was bad). Now, they have been homogenized and I think as long as they don't toss out dumb stuff like elven accuracy to create "master races" so to speak, racial feats is fine. Like seriously, who's going to lose sleep over Flames of Phlegethos?
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Honestly, I think there's a bit of wiggle room for stuff like Elven Accuracy in the general sense. Saying one race can have a slightly higher capacity for target tracking is not really any more out there than saying another can seem to have inordinately good luck. Might need rebalanced a bit, maybe a reroll/bonus on fail to just nudge the odds slightly PB/LR times rather than super advantage, but conceptually it's a niche enough aspect, particularly if elves all innately having Perception prof from Keen Senses is still okay. It's a logical extension of someone coming out on the far end of that innate aspect.
I doubt any new official rules about mixed species will come out- whether feats or something else. However, I will not be surprised to hear or see people develop homebrew solutions for mechanics of mixed species. Probably along the lines of choosing certain features from each species.
There are and will continue to be tons of homebrew for that, you're right. The issue of course is Sturgeon's Law, and even if you find a decent one, convincing your DM to allow it.
"Add a d4 on miss that can potentially turn it into a hit" seems decent for an elf I'd say without being Super Advantage.
If it's balanced for Bless, I don't think it's out of line for a racial feat, especially if you cap it with prof bonus times per day.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Doubt it, but check back in 10 years when they will probably do a 2034 revision.
My group and I are constructing our own half races. We got a Dwarf/Elf character. Don't really need WotC to do anything about half races.
I heard somewhere on YouTube that mixed species and custom backgrounds are going to be in the DMG what all that means will be a wait and see