I'm just going to get right to it, for my homegames, I'm replacing every racial "weapon familiarity" type trait with something new. For the PHB, that mean dwarves and elves will be getting replacement traits, along with the duergar and variant half-elves from the SCAG, and the Hobgoblin from Volo's Guide.
I'm replacing these traits because I don't really see a whole lot of use for them. I understand the idea of them, but they provide no real benefit for most race/class combinations. Let's take the Dwarves for example. Yes, a dwarf wielding an axe or a hammer is a classic image, and it's a classic because it's just plain cool. But here is the problem: If you play a Fighter, or a Paladin or other traditionally "dwarfy" classes, your racial proficiency with those weapons becomes redundant, because those classes grant proficiency with ALL martial weapons. If you decide to play against type, the trait becomes a bit more useful, but only a little. A Dwarf Wizard isn't hurt by knowing how to clobber something that manages to get into melee, but an attack cantrip can do the job too. Similarly, a dwarven Rogue doesn't get a lot of bang for it's buck, because none of the weapons listed under Dwarven Combat Training are finesse weapons. The Hobgoblin gets it a little bit better, in that you get proficiency with two martial weapons of your choice plus light armor proficiency thrown in, but still only really useful if you're playing a Sorcerer or Wizard.
Keep in mind, I'm not saying you're wrong if you like traits like this, or if you find them useful, nor am I saying they should be removed from the official rules. This is just a personal houserule for my own table and setting, nothing more. I'll post the replacement traits when I'm satisfied with them, in case anyone else is interested. I'm also curious to hear other peoples opinions on the matter.
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I'm just going to get right to it, for my homegames, I'm replacing every racial "weapon familiarity" type trait with something new. For the PHB, that mean dwarves and elves will be getting replacement traits, along with the duergar and variant half-elves from the SCAG, and the Hobgoblin from Volo's Guide.
I'm replacing these traits because I don't really see a whole lot of use for them. I understand the idea of them, but they provide no real benefit for most race/class combinations. Let's take the Dwarves for example. Yes, a dwarf wielding an axe or a hammer is a classic image, and it's a classic because it's just plain cool. But here is the problem: If you play a Fighter, or a Paladin or other traditionally "dwarfy" classes, your racial proficiency with those weapons becomes redundant, because those classes grant proficiency with ALL martial weapons. If you decide to play against type, the trait becomes a bit more useful, but only a little. A Dwarf Wizard isn't hurt by knowing how to clobber something that manages to get into melee, but an attack cantrip can do the job too. Similarly, a dwarven Rogue doesn't get a lot of bang for it's buck, because none of the weapons listed under Dwarven Combat Training are finesse weapons. The Hobgoblin gets it a little bit better, in that you get proficiency with two martial weapons of your choice plus light armor proficiency thrown in, but still only really useful if you're playing a Sorcerer or Wizard.
Keep in mind, I'm not saying you're wrong if you like traits like this, or if you find them useful, nor am I saying they should be removed from the official rules. This is just a personal houserule for my own table and setting, nothing more. I'll post the replacement traits when I'm satisfied with them, in case anyone else is interested. I'm also curious to hear other peoples opinions on the matter.