D&D General Race Has No Mechanics. What do you play?

[Reynard]

I could be misreading some folks, but this thread sure makes it seem like most posters do not care about their characters beyond the mechanics. they aren't interested in the lore surrounding their choice of race, or how it impacts play beyond when they get bonuses or penalties. I am legitimately surprised.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I could be misreading some folks, but this thread sure makes it seem like most posters do not care about their characters beyond the mechanics. they aren't interested in the lore surrounding their choice of race, or how it impacts play beyond when they get bonuses or penalties. I am legitimately surprised.

Not so. Like I said, there are legitimate, diagetic reasons why species have traits that matter mechanically, and not having them matter makes no sense to me, especially in light of the narrative-mechanical connection @Lanefan brought up. It doesn't mean I don't care about the lore, it means I care about all of it, and removing one part (the most obvious and player-facing species mechanics) feels artificial and baffling to me.

I know I said I would back off, but your last post here is borderline insulting to a potentially large swath of players.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I could be misreading some folks, but this thread sure makes it seem like most posters do not care about their characters beyond the mechanics. they aren't interested in the lore surrounding their choice of race, or how it impacts play beyond when they get bonuses or penalties. I am legitimately surprised.

that or people are disinclined to play something that exists nigh In Name Only, i expect many people wouldn't want to play a wizard or a rogue either if it came without spells, sneak attack or the associated skills.

 

[Reynard]

that or people are disinclined to play something that exists nigh In Name Only, i expect many people wouldn't want to play a wizard or a rogue either if it came without spells, sneak attack or the associated skills.

Exactly how many racial features would it take to be considered acceptable?

 

[Scribe]

I could be misreading some folks, but this thread sure makes it seem like most posters do not care about their characters beyond the mechanics. they aren't interested in the lore surrounding their choice of race, or how it impacts play beyond when they get bonuses or penalties. I am legitimately surprised.

Even I, care about things beyond mechanics. However if you are going to remove that which has mechanical weight, it greatly diminishes reasons to branch out, especially with the current direction of 'setting' and 'lore'.

Granted, you clarified, but yeah the mechanics for a lot of people are pretty central to the game.

Exactly how many racial features would it take to be considered acceptable?

With mechanical weight? 1.

Oh you have Horns? You should have some kind of Headbutt, or Gore, or maybe you have innate magic as a Teifling.

Species should be different, or its just a silly hat.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Even I, care about things beyond mechanics. However if you are going to remove that which has mechanical weight, it greatly diminishes reasons to branch out, especially with the current direction of 'setting' and 'lore'.

Granted, you clarified, but yeah the mechanics for a lot of people are pretty central to the game.



With mechanical weight? 1.

Oh you have Horns? You should have some kind of Headbutt, or Gore, or maybe you have innate magic as a Teifling.

Species should be different, or its just a silly hat.

Also worth noting is that mechanics are where the game part of role-playing game comes from. Removing them (especially in an arbitrary way) pushes the experience closer to a story telling exercise than I prefer.

 

[Voadam]

i expect many people wouldn't want to play a wizard or a rogue either if it came without spells, sneak attack or the associated skills.

Mages not doing magic and thieves not doing combat or skills better than the average farmer? Sounds like low level B/X or AD&D to me.

The thing for the premise here is that you would still have rogue sneak attack and skills or wizard spells, just that the choice of elf versus dwarf versus human would be roleplay and description and lore differences only.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Exactly how many racial features would it take to be considered acceptable?

personally, i hate how little impact a player's choice of species is on their character, i would want them to have as much oomph as a class's 0th/1st level and a subclass's worth of progression but i think i'm on the further end of that scale than most others.

but imagine if you would, you pick your character's species and it looked like this:
Dragonborn
1st: Elemental resistance, Natural weapons: [breath weapon, claw multiattack, tail sweep], Darkvision, Natural toughness, languages: [common, draconic], Improved senses: [vision, smell].
3rd: Natural armour, Draconic presence.
6th: Fly speed-20ft, Improved natural weapons: [breath weapon, elemental claws].
10th: Elemental immunity, Improved fly speed-30ft.
14th: Magic resistance.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Mages not doing magic and thieves not doing combat or skills better than the average farmer? Sounds like low level B/X or AD&D to me.

The thing for the premise here is that you would still have rogue sneak attack and skills or wizard spells, just that the choice of elf versus dwarf versus human would be roleplay and description and lore differences only.

i'm aware but i was making a comparison, people may care about the lore and the narrative just fine but mechanics are an important part of things too, and i was pointing out you couldn't really play a class many people would want to use that exists purely on it's vibes only either.

 

[Reynard]

i'm aware but i was making a comparison, people may care about the lore and the narrative just fine but mechanics are an important part of things too, and i was pointing out you couldn't really play a class many people would want to use that exists purely on it's vibes only either.

I think the difference is that class IS what you do, while race is who you are. The latter is easier to do on "vibes."