Race, Revised (Gnome Barbarians, Orc Wizards, & Hybrids, Hybrids, Hybrids)

[GalacticAxekick]

The first component of every character, before ability score selection, background or class, is race. While background and class describe what you do and how you do it, race describes what you physically are. But I think there are four major problems with how 5e handles race, and so I'm writing the main races with four goals in mind:

• Move cultural traits from race to background. No one is born speaking a language, trained in a skill, or proficient with a tool. I've removed features that represent education and moved them to backgrounds (coming soon).
• Broaden class options. Some races are poorly built for certain classes. For example, gnomes are poor barbarians, and orcs are poor wizards. I've provided these races with features that specifically cater to their worst classes.
• Eliminate darkvision. Darkvision means that darkness is not a significant challenge, and severely limits the variety of encounters a DM can write. By making it scarce, I aim to make camping and dungeoneering scary again.
• Think of the commoners! It's easy to forget that besides adventurers, every NPC in the game belongs to a race. I'm shifting the focus of race features away from combat and more towards everyday life.

Have a look at the project here, and tell me what you think! Note that Halflings are not done. Thanks!

[Intregus182]

I wouldn’t remove darkvision but I would bring back low light vision. Just my 2 cents



Also it depends on where you stand but I would also remove ASI’s from race as well. It only makes sense at level 1 and everything after that doesn’t matter since a dwarf and a human both max out their STR at 20 so is a dwarf really naturally more strong than a human? If the answer is yes then I’d change ASi’s so that they can increase their max past 20. So since dwarves are supposed to be stronger or more fortuitous than a human I’d make it so their max str and con would be 22. Etc



But I like the concept. The only things that should be included in the race are things tied to their physiology!

[GalacticAxekick]

I wouldn’t remove darkvision but I would bring back low light vision. Just my 2 cents

Low-light vision makes nightfall trivial. I'm trying to make nightfall a serious danger to the players.

Also it depends on where you stand but I would also remove ASI’s from race as well. It only makes sense at level 1 and everything after that doesn’t matter since a dwarf and a human both max out their STR at 20 so is a dwarf really naturally more strong than a human? If the answer is yes then I’d change ASi’s so that they can increase their max past 20. So since dwarves are supposed to be stronger or more fortuitous than a human I’d make it so their max str and con would be 22. Etc

I agree completely! I'll add this to the text of every ASI.

But I like the concept. The only things that should be included in the race are things tied to their physiology!

You like the ideas of separating race and culture. You seem to disagree with me regarding darkvision.

What do you think about the features that broaden class options? For example, the Gnome's Arcana (which lets Gnome warriors use mental abilities for weapon attacks) or the Orc's Overdrive (which lets Orc spellcasters recover spell slots as an action)