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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Second Variant Human (Feedback Appreciated)



Ninjadeadbeard
2019-03-29, 01:54 AM
What it says on the tin.

Ability Score Increases. Increase one of you ability scores by +2, and increase two others by +1.

Age. Humans reach maturity in their teens and can live up to a century.

Alignment. Any.

Size. Medium. Humans come in all ranges of size and shape.

Speed. 30 foot movement.

Languages. Common, plus one of your choice.

Skilled. You gain Proficiency in two skills of your choice. You may substitute a language or tool proficiency for either.

Inspiring. Grant yourself Inspiration if you don't already have it. You must finish a Short Rest before using this ability again.


Ability Score Increases. Because Half Elves gotta get it from somewhere!
Skilled. Again, Half Elves.
Inspiring. I'd consider it as good as a feat.

R.Shackleford
2019-03-29, 05:30 AM
What it says on the tin.

Ability Score Increases. Increase one of you ability scores by +2, and increase two others by +1.

Age. Humans reach maturity in their teens and can live up to a century.

Alignment. Any.

Size. Medium. Humans come in all ranges of size and shape.

Speed. 30 foot movement.

Languages. Common, plus one of your choice.

Skilled. You gain Proficiency in two skills of your choice. You may substitute a language or tool proficiency for either.

Inspiring. Grant yourself Inspiration if you don't already have it. You must finish a Long Rest before using this ability again.


Ability Score Increases. Because Half Elves gotta get it from somewhere!
Skilled. Again, Half Elves.
Inspiring. I'd consider it as good as a feat.


Inspiring should be a short rest mechanic.

My resoning is that it's already super easy to get advantage in 5e and a 1/long rest feature will be forgotten.

Also, I def don't think 1/long rest inspiration is worth a feat.

Supermorff
2019-03-29, 06:36 AM
I don't know if Inspiring is worth as much as a feat (which is fine if it isn't, anyway), but it does mess with the incentive structure of game being played, which I would think is a bad thing to do in a character option.

R.Shackleford
2019-03-29, 08:50 AM
I don't know if Inspiring is worth as much as a feat (which is fine if it isn't, anyway), but it does mess with the incentive structure of game being played, which I would think is a bad thing to do in a character option.

That's pretty much the goal of racial and class features, mess with the structure of the game.

Gnomes have advantage on Int, Wis, and Cha saves versus magic (so, all of them). Halfling can hide in crowds. Halforcs don't die too easy.

Inspiration works, along the same lines.

Potato_Priest
2019-03-29, 12:06 PM
If you want to make a playable variant human that doesn't give an extra feat, my suggestion is always to give them expertise in a skill.

Variant human is supposed to represent human drive and ambition leading to the development of a great amount of skill even in such a young body compared to the other races, and granting them expertise in a skill also represents this well, while not being quite as powerful as a feat.

In other words, it still allows the (variant) human to specialize in something of their choice, rather than giving them bland and generalist features like advantage 1/rest.


That's pretty much the goal of racial and class features, mess with the structure of the game.


I believe that Supermorff's objection is that inspiration is described as something the DM gives out for good roleplaying or bringing pizza to share, so a feature that interferes with that system of incentives is not a good idea.

Supermorff
2019-03-29, 12:42 PM
That's pretty much the goal of racial and class features, mess with the structure of the game.

Gnomes have advantage on Int, Wis, and Cha saves versus magic (so, all of them). Halfling can hide in crowds. Halforcs don't die too easy.

Inspiration works, along the same lines.

Those things provide incentives rather than remove them. Halflings are good at hiding in crowds, so they are incentivised to do that when it's appropriate. Halforcs don't die easy so they are incentivised to take more risks than other characters.

On the other hand, being able to generate inspiration for free with no narrative hook means that players are instead disincentivised to go through the hoops of gaining advantage or generating inspiration through the usual methods (I'd say hitting their traits, ideals, bonds and flaws, but Potato_Priest's description of roleplaying or buying pizza works too).

Ninjadeadbeard
2019-03-29, 12:45 PM
Inspired is now a Short Rest mechanic.

I find Inspiration an odd mechanic. Good, but odd due to its meta nature. My table currently hands out two inspiration points every session to each player. One can be used by yourself, the other can be given to an ally or fellow player. After hard-fought battles or plot-important encounters or revelations the DM (me or another guy) will hand out more.

I say this to give you all a better understanding of why I’m messing with Inspiration.

Also, I value more skills over higher skills, but that’s just me.

R.Shackleford
2019-03-29, 01:31 PM
If you want to make a playable variant human that doesn't give an extra feat, my suggestion is always to give them expertise in a skill.

Variant human is supposed to represent human drive and ambition leading to the development of a great amount of skill even in such a young body compared to the other races, and granting them expertise in a skill also represents this well, while not being quite as powerful as a feat.

In other words, it still allows the (variant) human to specialize in something of their choice, rather than giving them bland and generalist features like advantage 1/rest.



I believe that Supermorff's objection is that inspiration is described as something the DM gives out for good roleplaying or bringing pizza to share, so a feature that interferes with that system of incentives is not a good idea.

The gnome had advantage on saving throws.

Rogue 3 gives access to help action at 30'.

The player can always take the help action at a 5' range.

Sorry, but advantage is already something a ppayer can decide to take.control of.

Potato_Priest
2019-03-29, 02:31 PM
Sorry, but advantage is already something a ppayer can decide to take.control of.

I don't know why you're apologizing. While advantage is definitely something that players can get from various other build elements including but not limited to the ones you mentioned, Inspiration (which is a specific metagame resource that is a source of advantage) is at many tables only obtainable through stuff like good roleplaying.

However, when it's used like the OP's table uses it (as a default character resource, rather than a metagame reward), it makes sense to have a feature that can grant it as a racial boost.

Composer99
2019-03-29, 05:31 PM
What it says on the tin.

Ability Score Increases. Increase one of you ability scores by +2, and increase two others by +1.

Age. Humans reach maturity in their teens and can live up to a century.

Alignment. Any.

Size. Medium. Humans come in all ranges of size and shape.

Speed. 30 foot movement.

Languages. Common, plus one of your choice.

Skilled. You gain Proficiency in two skills of your choice. You may substitute a language or tool proficiency for either.

Inspiring. Grant yourself Inspiration if you don't already have it. You must finish a Short Rest before using this ability again.


Ability Score Increases. Because Half Elves gotta get it from somewhere!
Skilled. Again, Half Elves.
Inspiring. I'd consider it as good as a feat.


Seems fine to me.

I would say that for your table, Inspiring works fine.

If you want to generalise the feature for other tables, I'd consider allowing it to grant advantage on any one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, once per short or long rest, instead of Inspiration.

Bjarkmundur
2019-03-30, 01:19 PM
Isn't this just a different wording for Heroic Effort?

Ninjadeadbeard
2019-04-01, 04:30 PM
Isn't this just a different wording for Heroic Effort?

Heroic Effort? Not sure what that is.

Bjarkmundur
2019-04-05, 02:52 AM
https://dnd4.fandom.com/wiki/Heroic_effort

Which is also similar to kane's variant

Human:
+2 to one stat of choice
+1 to two stats of choice
+1 Skill Proficiency
+1 Language or Tool proficiency
Human Determination: Once per short rest before you roll an attack, ability check or saving throw you can choose to gain advantage on the roll.

Cynthaer
2019-04-05, 04:29 PM
https://dnd4.fandom.com/wiki/Heroic_effort

Which is also similar to kane's variant

Human:
+2 to one stat of choice
+1 to two stats of choice
+1 Skill Proficiency
+1 Language or Tool proficiency
Human Determination: Once per short rest before you roll an attack, ability check or saving throw you can choose to gain advantage on the roll.
IMO this is better than actually granting Inspiration. I know the immediate effect is the same (advantage on a roll), but this version avoids stepping on a metagame resource and doesn't assume that every game uses Inspiration.