D&D General What it means for a race to end up in the PHB, its has huge significance

[Corinnguard]

I'm looking forward to see the art for the new Aasimar, Tiefling, and Goliath lineages (anyone else still think of species and lineages as races and subraces in their heads?)

Sometimes. At other times, I think of heritages and cultures.

 

[Yaarel]

And not every spell requires a component.

But, psionic spells, in the rules, do. @Yaarel is mistaken that 5e is somehow removing spell components from the game.

Here is the 5e 2014 core rules in the Monster Manual. The Psionic trait is a kind of innate magic, whose spells are cast without any spell component.

MM p. 10.

"
PSIONICS
A monster that casts spells using only the power of its mind has the Psionics tag added to its Spellcasting or Innate Spellcasting special trait. This tag carries no special rules of its own, but other parts of the game might refer to it. A monster that has this tag typically doesnt require any components to cast its spells.

"

When casting spells psionically, by the power of ones own mind − ones own soul − the spell effect happens without spell components (whether Verbal, Somatic, or Material).

The need to add the term "typically" probably refers to the spells with a costly GP material component, which itself highlights how painful and aggravating, and interferesome, the costly component is. Delete every spell component from every 2024 spell description. The components entry is a pain point.


Note, not all Psionic magic is spells, but some is. Psionic spellcasting is a subset of Innate Spellcasting. Other methods of Innate Spellcasting beyond Psionic can also happen without spell components.

2024 needs the Glossary to standardize a definition of "Innate Spell" (a specific nonswappable spell) and "Innate Spellcasting" (the ability itself to cast any prepared spells innately), to mean without spell components, including the components that a class feature utilizes. An Innate Spell is always prepared for any available slots that also eschew components for it.

 

[Yaarel]

For the sake of a "one Elf stat to rule them all", a simple species design can represent or approximate every kind of Elf that has ever existed in D&D, over 100 kinds. Simply allow the player to pick whatever trait spells one wants. At the same time, the DM will determine which spells happen to be prominent in the culture of a particular Elf community, whether prestigious or widespread. For example, in an Uda Drow culture, most citizens find the Darkness spell useful and those who cast it have clout, cachet. The Uda aristocracy often know Levitation, perhaps a convenience to access restricted areas with entrances at difficult to reach heights.

Currently, the 2024 Elf traits include:
• one quasi cantrip (+5 speed, waterbreathing, improved darkvision, cantrip swap per day)
• one cantrip
• slot-1 spell (at level 3)
• slot-2 spell (at level 5)

Let the player choose whatever trait spell one wants for each slot. Also, permit the player to swap one trait spell for an other when leveling. The level delay for the higher slots seems excessively cautious, with regard to balance, but I can live with it.

Let Darkvision itself also be a cantrip, perhaps called Nightsight. The Elf player can spend the cantrip to get it. Likewise a Gills cantrip for Waterbreathing and Swim Speed. Meanwhile make the slot-2 Darkvision spell much better to be worth spending a slot-2 on, such as seeing at an unlimited distance, thru magical darkness, and granting it to every ally.

For the Elf species, spellcasting is itself an innate ability − beyond any particular spell.

 

[Yaarel]

One thing that still rubs me the wrong way about the half-orc and half-elf or half-options in PF2 is that there is a feat tax involved. So while there are more options that this opens up, it psychologically feels not good or sub-par. I think that is an issue that must be understood about these things: there is a psychological component to play. It's why many people prefer advantage/disadvantage over (+/-) five to a roll. It feels better to roll two dice and pick the highest or lowest. There is likewise a psychological component to see the half-elf being removed as a particular playable option. Even if we are told that it's still there in the form of "pick elf or human and call yourself a half-elf," that still feels psychologically speaking like it's not actually there because that would probably be what you would also do if there was no half-elf.

I think I want the DMs Guide to handle the species traits swapping. For example, it would be fine if the Elf species swaps its slot-1 and slot-2 spells for a Human feat.

The 2024 Players Handbook can have the "pick an ancestor" for the stats then flavor it however one wants, plus the Background Feat can make sure to include things like Fey Touch, Elemental Touch, Human Touch, to further develop a multispecies theme mechanically.

The reason to put the actual trait swaps in the DMs Guide is partly as a safespace in case the game balance is sometimes wonky, but ultimately for the sake of keeping the Players Handbook as simple as reasonably possible for newbies and casuals who are picking a species at the very start.

 

[Yaarel]

Seen this complaint against planetouched being feats too. And people were against feat trees for the same reason.

I never understood the hate for feat trees though. People complained that you had to go through 1-2 meh feats to get the powerful feat.

So the result was only the initial meh feats stayed and the powerful and thematic feats got axed.

2024 can resolve this by allowing powerful feats with a level prereq, such as level 8, 12, and 16. Epic boons are already a feat with a level prereq.

 

[Yaarel]

Does anyone else think there are yet more unannounced races like Gobliniods or Genasi, or Gith?

Genasi is a strong candid for a core species, with regard to statistical popularity.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Genasi is a strong candid for a core species, with regard to statistical popularity.

I approve of spreading genasi propaganda.

 

[Hussar]

Here is the 5e 2014 core rules in the Monster Manual. The Psionic trait is a kind of innate magic, whose spells are cast without any spell component.

MM p. 10.

"
PSIONICS
A monster that casts spells using only the power of its mind has the Psionics tag added to its Spellcasting or Innate Spellcasting special trait. This tag carries no special rules of its own, but other parts of the game might refer to it. A monster that has this tag typically doesnt require any components to cast its spells.

"

When casting spells psionically, by the power of ones own mind − ones own soul − the spell effect happens without spell components (whether Verbal, Somatic, or Material).

The need to add the term "typically" probably refers to the spells with a costly GP material component, which itself highlights how painful and aggravating, and interferesome, the costly component is. Delete every spell component from every 2024 spell description. The components entry is a pain point.


Note, not all Psionic magic is spells, but some is. Psionic spellcasting is a subset of Innate Spellcasting. Other methods of Innate Spellcasting beyond Psionic can also happen without spell components.

2024 needs the Glossary to standardize a definition of "Innate Spell" (a specific nonswappable spell) and "Innate Spellcasting" (the ability itself to cast any prepared spells innately), to mean without spell components, including the components that a class feature utilizes. An Innate Spell is always prepared for any available slots that also eschew components for it.

Monsters do not use pc rules.

Quoting the monster manual in a discussion about pc classes and races doesn’t matter.

Pc psionics are magic and use spell components.

 

[Yaarel]

Monsters do not use pc rules.

Quoting the monster manual in a discussion about pc classes and races doesn’t matter.

Pc psionics are magic and use spell components.

Notice, the "Psionic" tag itself eschews spell components. Tashas Psionic spells cohere with this core rule for Psionic spells.

But the absurd "costly" external material components continue to cause PAIN, and destroy the "innate" soul flavor.