A grouping of ideas for Variant Human feat fluff (mostly _____ blooded)

[Belac93]

So, Variant humans get a feat, but there haven't really been any ideas on why. So, I'm going to share some. Please let me know if you have any ideas!

Actor: What if you are a part-doppelgänger? A changeling is a half, and changelings are a true-breeding race, so what if you are the child of a changeling and a human?

Durable: This gives increased healing, right? What about fluffing it as having troll-blood?

Elemental Adept: Child of a genasi and a human?

Tough: Half dwarves!

[SLIMEPRIEST]

I think variant humans get a feat because they are an extremely diverse and adaptable humanoids.
And because they are the heirs to everything, destined to drive out or destroy all the other humanoids and savage humanoids and monsters and all the non-variant humans.

[Slipperychicken]

Because humans are the jack-of-all-trades race in dnd. PHB page 29 says we're supposed to be super diverse, ambitious, and adaptable.

We don't get to be the strong race, or the smart race, or even the lucky race, so that's what's left to us. Being a human doesn't preclude any role, nor does being a human railroad a person down a given path; a human can be anything.

[Corran]

To expand on the ideas in the op,

Skulker: Part human part (wood) elf. The feat already kind of replicates a wood elf racial trait and it is very themaic imo.

Lucky: Part human part halfling, though lucky outperforms the halfling racial trait, still, there is some relevance.

Skilled: Part human part halfelf, in which case that small drop of elven blood manifests in how resourceful (skilled) this character is.

Savage attacker: Part human part halforc.

Magic initiate: Part human part highelf sounds jst about right, although with the right selection of spells you might consider another race for the second part, one that comes with innate spellcasting (eg, pick hellish rebuke, firebolt and another cantrip for tiefling, or light, sacred flame and bless(?) for aasimar, etc).

Inspiring leader: Aasimars are naturally charismatic, maybe it would make sense for a part human part aasimar to have this feat? Maybe...

*Dungeon delver sounds cool for part huma part an Underdark race, though I am not sure if it fits all that well in term of benefits.

[Grod_The_Giant]

We don't get to be the strong race, or the smart race, or even the lucky race, so that's what's left to us.
Actually, the standard human IS something of a superpowered race. They get bonuses to every stat- everyone else has one thing they're better than humans at, one thing they're tied at, and everything else is inferior.

[Joe the Rat]

To be glib from Grod: Other races are #1 at something, Humans are #2 at everything. Variant channels that omniversatility into the flexibility of focus - the feats.

That said, Given Human proclivities (half-elves, half-orcs, tieflings, cambions, half-dragons... centaurs...), having a few drops of something in your heritage makes for a good backstory explanation. I'd favor the "(great)grandparent was an X" approach here - mostly human, with a bit of a kick. Having the feat trait be more potent than the source races could easily fall into the "Hybrid Vigor" concept.


Charger (don't laugh!) could also reflect some Orc blood, what with their relentlessness.
Tough works for any high con or high hp race. Even a trace of giant.
Resilient could tie into several different potential heritages. INTWISCHA is a bit gnomish or fey, Con could be dwarven to stout to giant to troll.
Magic Initiate (Druid) may be a trace of Nymph or Dryad, Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) could be Draconic, or Drow, or Infernal (you get more "hellfire" options here vs. Warlock). (Wizard) could also go devilish - Having innate power that feeds on being innately clever.
Mobile carries a hint of wood elf, but it could reflect a variety of nimble races. I'd put a touch of fey here for an unearthly grace in movement.
Observant is another Elf source. or Draconic. Or something feral (beast-like senses). Alert parleys this into Danger Sense.
Lucky could literally be anything supernatural. Divine Favor, Devil's Luck, Micro-wishes from a Splash of Djinn, etc.
Weapon Master (hush now) may be less in the blood, and more in the relations - having a Dwarven "Aunt" or a X-many-generations-back elven progenitor tutor you in the traditional ways... by which I mean weapons.

Mind you, I'd also carry this concept into class fluff as well. Bear totem, particularly Bear 6, just screams "Giant blood." Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters could be caplitalizing as much on trace high elven heritage as training. I've seen Warlock ideas that are more Paternal rather than a Patron. Sorcerer has this baked in as a rationale for magic. I have a player that just multiclassed Storm Sorcerer. Turns out he has a Storm Giant in his family line. Which also explains why he's green.

[Cybren]

Actually, the standard human IS something of a superpowered race. They get bonuses to every stat- everyone else has one thing they're better than humans at, one thing they're tied at, and everything else is inferior.

You know, i imagine if there were more rules intrinsic to ability scores the standard human would be real good (rather than niche good). But then, I'd imagine they wouldn't have made a race with +1s to every stat.

[DeAnno]

Crossbow Expert: Half human, half machine gun.

[DanyBallon]

Have you looked at the new Planeshift: Innistrad (http://d1bf78c87087c77d76ca-be4120a00702a7d33079a120750230c5.r45.cf1.rackcdn.c om/Plane%20Shift%20Innistrad%20SFG_2.pdf) free supplement that WotC just released? They statted 4 human subraces, the Gavony, Kessig, Nephalia and Stensia.

- Gavony are the standard human
- Kessig are variant human with +1 to Dex and Wis, and the mobile feat splitted between three features
- Nephalia are variant human that gets +1 to Int and Cha, with the skilled feat worded in a feature that combine the bonus skill from Variant human
- Stensia are basicaly variant human having +1 to Str and Con, and getting the tough feat.


While I don't care much about the MtG conversion to 5e, I think they did a nice design with these new human subraces. As this can inspire us to stat other subraces in existing or homebrew settings.

[Joe the Rat]

Specific feat selections (or feat options) as VHuman culture groups is an interesting way to put a little crunch into the fluff of "not all humans are the same."


You know, i imagine if there were more rules intrinsic to ability scores the standard human would be real good (rather than niche good). But then, I'd imagine they wouldn't have made a race with +1s to every stat.
I guess a dumpstrength build having an extra foot of leaping and 15 pounds of carry might be worth something...

Niche builds, and the fact they can do just about any niche build is probably good enough. Standard humans are the best at handling MAD builds. The only races that can match their focused spread options are half elves (triple 16's, one of them CHA, or 16 16 14 with 10 or better CHA), variant humans (triple 16 with one of the +1 stat feats) or Mountain Dwarves (16 16 14 with high STR/CON). Hell, you can go 5 14's and an 11, or 3 14's 3 13's (all positive, all multiclass) for the ultimate 2nd placer stat lineups.

However, that doesn't make them better at their focus, just less bad everywhere else.

[Cybren]

Specific feat selections (or feat options) as VHuman culture groups is an interesting way to put a little crunch into the fluff of "not all humans are the same."


I guess a dumpstrength build having an extra foot of leaping and 15 pounds of carry might be worth something...

Niche builds, and the fact they can do just about any niche build is probably good enough. Standard humans are the best at handling MAD builds. The only races that can match their focused spread options are half elves (triple 16's, one of them CHA, or 16 16 14 with 10 or better CHA), variant humans (triple 16 with one of the +1 stat feats) or Mountain Dwarves (16 16 14 with high STR/CON). Hell, you can go 5 14's and an 11, or 3 14's 3 13's (all positive, all multiclass) for the ultimate 2nd placer stat lineups.

However, that doesn't make them better at their focus, just less bad everywhere else.

My thought was more along the lines of, in a hypothetical system where str and int had as much intrinsic value to a character as dex and con (and to a lesser extent, wisdom) do, having +1s to everything is a very significant ability, but as it is, is a fairly insignificant one unless you happen to roll all odd numbers and are playing a MAD class.

[Joe the Rat]

My thought was more along the lines of, in a hypothetical system where str and int had as much intrinsic value to a character as dex and con (and to a lesser extent, wisdom) do, having +1s to everything is a very significant ability, but as it is, is a fairly insignificant one unless you happen to roll all odd numbers and are playing a MAD class.

Something like the 2nd edition skill system then, where you roll under your attribute on a d20 (with modifiers for proficiency and difficulty). It doesn't expand the STR role much, but it did make every point count.
I always liked the simplicity, but it takes tasks from "ridiculously hard" to "impossible to fail" based on stats alone. Plus the whole "roll under" thing, but you could do "higher is better, without going over."