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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 9280503" data-attributes="member: 6801845"><p>My campaigns typically have the players traveling to other realms/planes or halfway across the world. I'm not "invalidating" anything, I think it would be stupid for someone to have a criminal contact in a city they've never heard of, much less been to. Exploring a heretofore unheard of culture that's been isolated for centuries? Why would they give a fig about a noble title from a place they don't even believe truly exists?</p><p></p><p>Almost all the background features, especially from the PHB, only make sense if they happen in the sphere of influence of the PCs. That sphere of influence or notoriety is frequently going to be a city or perhaps the surrounding area for perhaps a hundred miles or so. It's not like most fantasy worlds have world wide broadcasts. Look at the background feature list. Several of the more recent ones like Anthropologist are okay, you have training in communicating with others that don't speak your language. I have no problem with that. But take criminal. You have a reliable and trustworthy contact. Sure, that's fine and works in your home city; I'll create an NPC and we'll work on a bit of backstory. But what happens if you betray that NPC or they believe you did? They aren't going to be reliable contact any more. Once you aren't on your home turf, you no longer have that contact. You can't just waltz into a city and go down to the "Rogues are Us" depot and send off a telegram whenever you want. Performer? Again, in your home town or where your reputation precedes you, fine. In a different city that's never heard of you? It's not automatic.</p><p></p><p>The background features from the PHB are almost all like this. They depend on you knowing someone or being instantly recognized. They fall apart once the PCs leave their home territory. So it's not like I'm "allowing" anything when I think 90% of the original backgrounds simply don't work outside of a local area. Instead I tell people how I run it. Take a background and I'll give you a benefit but I'm not going to have verisimilitude and logic breaking benefits apply unless the background feature makes sense for the current situation. Background features are not magic.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 9280503, member: 6801845"] My campaigns typically have the players traveling to other realms/planes or halfway across the world. I'm not "invalidating" anything, I think it would be stupid for someone to have a criminal contact in a city they've never heard of, much less been to. Exploring a heretofore unheard of culture that's been isolated for centuries? Why would they give a fig about a noble title from a place they don't even believe truly exists? Almost all the background features, especially from the PHB, only make sense if they happen in the sphere of influence of the PCs. That sphere of influence or notoriety is frequently going to be a city or perhaps the surrounding area for perhaps a hundred miles or so. It's not like most fantasy worlds have world wide broadcasts. Look at the background feature list. Several of the more recent ones like Anthropologist are okay, you have training in communicating with others that don't speak your language. I have no problem with that. But take criminal. You have a reliable and trustworthy contact. Sure, that's fine and works in your home city; I'll create an NPC and we'll work on a bit of backstory. But what happens if you betray that NPC or they believe you did? They aren't going to be reliable contact any more. Once you aren't on your home turf, you no longer have that contact. You can't just waltz into a city and go down to the "Rogues are Us" depot and send off a telegram whenever you want. Performer? Again, in your home town or where your reputation precedes you, fine. In a different city that's never heard of you? It's not automatic. The background features from the PHB are almost all like this. They depend on you knowing someone or being instantly recognized. They fall apart once the PCs leave their home territory. So it's not like I'm "allowing" anything when I think 90% of the original backgrounds simply don't work outside of a local area. Instead I tell people how I run it. Take a background and I'll give you a benefit but I'm not going to have verisimilitude and logic breaking benefits apply unless the background feature makes sense for the current situation. Background features are not magic. [/QUOTE]
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