I always felt races in D&D had to little an impact on characters, mechanics-wise, specially at later levels. How would you do races if you were designing a system? Do you think there is a problem with the way D&D handle races?
There's not PROBLEM with the way D&D chooses to handle race and the impact it has on the character. Because that's a choice the game makes. So, whether I agree with it or disagree with, I'm not calling a f$&%ing problem. A problem is when the game intends to do one thing and does another instead. There's no sign of that here. So no. Not a problem. I don't throw around words like "problem" and "broken" casually.
Thing is, you could actually make a case that there's this neat story thing that happens when the impact of race gets overwhelmed by the impact of things like feats, class, build, and so on. It shows that the choices the character makes in life are more important and defining than who that character was born as. And that's kind of a neat thing, I suppose. If that's what you want.
Me, I'm in your camp, though. I would like race to have more of a say. Or for there to be more of a reminder of your race throughout the game. Because race is sort of a complicated beast to begin with. At many games I've been a part of, after a few sessions, it's pretty easy to forget who is playing what race. It gets lost and forgotten pretty quickly and easily unless the player is very skilled at emphasizing it and most players are not. It kind of falls in line with genderbending. Ultimately, unless the player is very good at reminding people of who their character is (and that is a skill that takes practice), most players at the table forget that you are playing anything at all. They just see the character as an extension of you. This is further complicated by the fact that, in the end, people can only think like people. Elves, honestly, for living for thousands of year and having their origins in an unchanging magical otherworld, should have a very alien mindset. Dwarves should too. But we can't do that because our brains are still fundamentally human. Which is why we have to fake.
I honestly would have liked to see the personality trait/inspiration system work more with race than background. Like, maybe each race has a set of trait tables too? And you have to choose a balance of traits from your race OR your background (or make up appropriate ones in line with your race and your background). That would have been kind of neat except the inspiration system kind of sucks anyway. Yeah, I'm not going to stop harping on that.
But yes, I am with you. I would like race to matter more in some sort of mechanical and story way that makes it impossible for you to NOT play your race, even if you are not a skilled actor and role-player and not trying to play it to the hilt. Otherwise, it's just a set of bonuses you choose at character creation and means nothing.
And yes, I know the DM and the story SHOULD also emphasize race if they want to make it important. Don't even start on that s$&%. But I'd like some hardcoded incentives too. I hate that "well, the DM can fix it" bulls$&%.
Thing is, you could actually make a case that there's this neat story thing that happens when the impact of race gets overwhelmed by the impact of things like feats, class, build, and so on. It shows that the choices the character makes in life are more important and defining than who that character was born as. And that's kind of a neat thing, I suppose. If that's what you want.
Me, I'm in your camp, though. I would like race to have more of a say. Or for there to be more of a reminder of your race throughout the game. Because race is sort of a complicated beast to begin with. At many games I've been a part of, after a few sessions, it's pretty easy to forget who is playing what race. It gets lost and forgotten pretty quickly and easily unless the player is very skilled at emphasizing it and most players are not. It kind of falls in line with genderbending. Ultimately, unless the player is very good at reminding people of who their character is (and that is a skill that takes practice), most players at the table forget that you are playing anything at all. They just see the character as an extension of you. This is further complicated by the fact that, in the end, people can only think like people. Elves, honestly, for living for thousands of year and having their origins in an unchanging magical otherworld, should have a very alien mindset. Dwarves should too. But we can't do that because our brains are still fundamentally human. Which is why we have to fake.
I honestly would have liked to see the personality trait/inspiration system work more with race than background. Like, maybe each race has a set of trait tables too? And you have to choose a balance of traits from your race OR your background (or make up appropriate ones in line with your race and your background). That would have been kind of neat except the inspiration system kind of sucks anyway. Yeah, I'm not going to stop harping on that.
But yes, I am with you. I would like race to matter more in some sort of mechanical and story way that makes it impossible for you to NOT play your race, even if you are not a skilled actor and role-player and not trying to play it to the hilt. Otherwise, it's just a set of bonuses you choose at character creation and means nothing.
And yes, I know the DM and the story SHOULD also emphasize race if they want to make it important. Don't even start on that s$&%. But I'd like some hardcoded incentives too. I hate that "well, the DM can fix it" bulls$&%.