Backgrounds: PHB 2024
Added 2024-08-01 13:00:08 +0000 UTCPublic release date: Aug 10th
Comments
There’s a sidebar in Chapter 2 of the new PHB which covers using older Backgrounds. It essentially states that you can choose which ability scores to increase AND if that older Background does not already grant a feat, you can choose one Origin feat. So technically, RAW, the 2024 PHB does give you an option to customize a Background, though I’d still run it by my DM. That said, most people I’ve talked to are of the opinion that they will let players customize any Background in there home games.
McSkill
2024-08-07 15:42:22 +0000 UTCOr even just, "DAMN! That is one sexy hermit"
Jason G. Rheins
2024-08-05 15:31:35 +0000 UTCWell this doesn't have too be true. Don't think of the crazed Hermit, who talks to squirrels and stuff... Think of the wise Hermit, who meditates on the top of a mountain. Many a wanderer will climb their way up that rock to seek out the wisdom of the Hermit, who's always at inner peace and greets the wanderers kindly. This Hermit radiants a strong sense of self-awareness and has a high charisma. But in general this choise seems odd, i agree. Maybe, they wanted warlocks and wild magic sorcerers to be able to take the Hermit background ;)
Bolduin
2024-08-05 11:44:47 +0000 UTCmy first house rule for the PHB 2024 as DM will be to allow any Origin feat with your background, as long as it fits the backstory.
Moozure (Ben Morrier)
2024-08-04 13:15:27 +0000 UTCIt really limits creative freedom. I really don't want lucky on my bardlock, I find it both OP and cumbersome. But the other parts of wayfarer fit so well that I'll take it if forced to. I'd much prefer to do something more creative! I also fear anyone who's tired of the same few backgrounds over and over will be accused of minmaxing...
Tomislav Tomic
2024-08-02 14:28:59 +0000 UTCI’ve always disliked ability scores being tied to any other options. I want my flavor to be divorced from the mechanics, and this is the complete opposite of that. My group already plays with a free feat at level 1 and Tasha’s ability score rules. It works great.
Grace Rider
2024-08-02 06:01:51 +0000 UTCI find the way they did backgrounds strangely at odds with a lot of their redesign philosophy. So much of it seemed to be built around the idea of flexibility in character construction and decoupling mechanical advantages from specific narrative flavors. I realize that you can customize the narrative of your background, but I'm not sure how far that will typically go. I mean, can you be a sailor that never sailed the seas and lived in a monastery on a mountain? Otherwise it's going to be odd that all those monks were sailors. Even if you can, how many people will not know that they can?
Jason G. Rheins
2024-08-02 05:59:26 +0000 UTCWith all the criminals and entertainer backgrounds, I forsee a sudden explosion of "carnie" adventurers descending on Faerun with the odd guard desperately trying to keep things in some semblance of order.
Daniel Runyon
2024-08-02 00:00:46 +0000 UTCSeems to me that this new RAW is too restrictive, while the complete freedom you suggest as an alternative is too far in the other direction. I'd suggest making just one of the +1 bonuses and one of the skills be free; the other two +1s could be used on one or two of the ability scores given, and the other skill would be chosen between the skills given. That makes it at least minimally viable to use any background for any class; you can at least get to 16 in one primary stat at level 1. (For Sage background though, I'd restrict it to RAW if you take Shield or Find Familiar.)
jameson quinn
2024-08-01 22:01:54 +0000 UTCHuman might become the new variant human, lol.
Jason G. Rheins
2024-08-01 20:40:10 +0000 UTCCharisma bonus on a hermit? If you want a challenge making narrative sense of a mechanic, go with that.
Jason G. Rheins
2024-08-01 20:36:29 +0000 UTCWhat are you thoughts on backgrounds, that give a feat. Like, Giant Foundling, Rewarded or Ruined. Compare to the 2024 backgrounds
Mike Cullen
2024-08-01 20:25:37 +0000 UTCI'm going to look into creating a homebrew options like the custom background options you suggested. I'm a little disappointed to see the background traits disappear even if I seldom used them. Still, a feat is certainly a step up. I'm overall excited to play.
Pasquale
2024-08-01 16:21:45 +0000 UTC
