I *REALLY* hope they will implement the variant human option. Feats are rare enough in DnD 5th, so to have that option in character creation is wonderful. <3
That should NOT be hard to implement, right?

I think Variant Human completely warps the character creation meta in D&D 5E and I kind of hope they dont include it as a race option. I think a better way to implement it would be to have a game mode where ALL races have the option to take a feat at level 1.

The variant human's feat represent humanity's larger and more varying natural potential. Other races are better suited towards certain particular things, but humanity has the advantage of diversity -- they are less powerful on average but have a higher variance and potential to excel of individuals. Humans are weaker but better at adapting.

That is why they get hardly any racial features. If anything, giving every race a free feat is what would throw off the "character creation meta" as it would leave humans without any bonuses compared to other races.

I am really fine with anything as long as we get more feats, preferably at level 1 already =)

That's why, if every other race gets a free feat, Variant Humans start off with 2 feats!

The game is fine as it is. If you don't like it, then use some hacking tool to make your character have all the feats or whatever.

I don't think it messes up the "meta" cause you trade unique racial abilities for a feat. It's a mostly fair trade so I welcome it.

I don't want "all the feats or whatever". I want the variant human as an option, just like you have in the PHB.

I'm not hearing a downside.

In that case I suggest we give all other racial abilities to humans as well.

I meant the not giving the Humans anything.

Giving humans nothing is just ridiculous. The variant human option is in the PHB and it's frankly the ONLY option I ever take when making a human character.

Why stop at variant human?
Better to introduce custom lineage from Tasha's. It's almost the same. Except now your are not forced to look like a boring human in a world filled with magic.

Dude, it is on early access. Obviously it is not fine at it is, and I'm sure they are thinking about implementing variant human and other classes like paladin, bard, etc.

The issue with that is the same -- the ability to choose bonuses is the humans' racial feature. If you give it to every race then you leave humans without any features -- you'd have to add abilities to them to make up for it.



I know what you meant.

+1 for adding variant human. It's in phb. It is also a pve single player game. If you were fine with some species being weaker than one being stronger should also not be an issue. Humans will be both the strongest and weakest which fits the species lorewise.

I'm one of those players that struggle between min/maxing and role playing. I want to play an unusual character, and be effective mechanically. Creating an orc wizard is a bad idea stat wise, but it is an interesting concept.
So i don't see the problem in making every racial bonuses the same. I see the solution.

The problem is that humans lose their defining trait and get nothing for it in return. Every other race has a host of racial abilities that define them. Humans defining racial feature is their adaptability. If their stat selection feature is given to every race then they need to be given unique abilities to make up for it.

Uh, I was saying I would like to see Variant Human and was saying it is not an unbalanced thing to add? I was not saying against that or saying the EA is absolutely fine the way it is?

I too hope we get the variant human on release

I'd rather have everyone get 1 feat and just leave out Variant Human, but I understand that they're going pretty much vanilla on stuff like that.

nah feat for all custom characters!

I agree with adding the Variant Human into the game eventually, but I would also like to see the Racial Stat Selection from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything make it into the game, so that you can make the character you want instead of feeling pigeonholed into specific race-class combinations because of fixed racial bonuses.

I think that would be better overall than nixing free stat selection to make humans seem better.

I would like to see variant human too but since now there aren't many feat I wouldn't rush it.

About some people suggestion of adding feat for everyone or Tasha's racial changes... I personally HATE IT.
IMO it breaks the immersion by removing races personality, it moves the game on the direction of WoW level of High fantasy. I mean, an 90cm gnome having the same potencial with a 2h sword as a 210cm Half-Orc!?

Bonus feat is what I'm used to for humans so ya, +1

+1 for variant human

Variant Human AND TCoE Custom.
Both are feat giving but TCoE's version just allows you to have say Tiefling but not the Tiefling magic and instead a feat.

In "Pathfinder RPG" most people dip in other classes to get a Feat at Level1 (most people take one Level in Fighter f.e.)thereby neglecting to go to level 20 pure.
Feats are sometimes so powerfull and defining that you mostly want them at lowlevels instead of going the long run to get powerfull higher level feats.
So in my opinion its nice to have but a very attractive not to miss feature to take humans in favor of other races.

"Let's give everything to everyone so no one should feel left behind" sounds like trash-tier design.

I would like this very much.

ASI's are so strong but also such boring numerical increases. Feats are much better at customizing your PC and making them unique. And we don't get enough feats because ASI's are better.

Giving a feat at level 1 would be great not only to customize your character in a fun way but also introduce the feat selection to the player. Otherwise a Wizard will never know what a feat even is before level 12 when their Int is already 20.

This would also help races who can't start with 16 in their classes main stat. You could use the feat to raise your High Elf Fighter's starting Strength to 16 so they could be on par with humans.

Agreed. Tasha's is pretty stupid and I hope it isn't implemented.


Agreed. Variant Humans are closer to the spirit of 3.5e humans, and closer to D&D's interpretation of them being the flexible race that has spread over the face of Toril due to their flexibility.

Of all the things which differentiate races in D&D, the ability score bonus is the least interesting and the least impactful thing.

Additionally, ALL races have the same maximum potential: 20. It's only a matter of how many ASI's you have to spend. More importantly, no one is going to force you into making a 90 cm gnome with 17 STR at level 1.

But if I decide that my character is a gnome, from a young age, who was tired of being seen by others as weak and ineffective, and so they threw themself tirelessly into training every day so that they can use that 2H sword, why can't they start out with a +2 STR instead of +2 INT? How does that spoil your fun if I can play my +2 STR gnome in my game?

The racial ability score modifiers are more impactful for rolled stats imo, but they are part and parcel with the other racial attributes like low light vision, High elf cantrips etc. so they should stay.
A gnome that dedicates himself to strength training can still be strong, but certain things like size and bone structure make it a much more uphill battle for him than it would be for a human or a half orc.
And seeing how this is a multiplayer game, how other people play within the rules does affect us.

Larian at one point did say that they wanted to put rolled stats in the game, and if those do appear, you might end up playing in multiplayer with someone who rolled well and made a 16-STR Gnome Fighter, even if flexible ability scores don't make it into the game. Even if Larian were to add flexible ability scores a la Tashas - which they might not because of time or other constraints - using the defaults would of course still be an option.

I fail to understand how Player 2 making a 16-STR gnome Fighter mechanically affects how you play any differently than if player 2 made a 16-STR Half-Orc Fighter.

What's difficult to understand? Rules and mechanics affect the entire world. Races have always been more than just a cosmetic in D&D. The Ability score modifiers are just one thing, the half orc also has low light vision, halflings also have the lucky trait etc.

The difficult-to-understand part is how someone else playing the character they want affects you.

Hoping so much for variant humans =)

The rules of the game affect me, I couldn't care less how you play your character in you own single player game. I'd just prefer if they kept out the Tasha's supplement and if people want to change racial bonuses or whatever they use mods.

Normally I do not like this argument but I feel it applies here. If you don't like it, don't use it. Tasha's rules are optional. To me detaching ASIs from Race is a good thing because in picking a race I care way more about the unique properties they give. It allows me to play an orc wizard without feeling like I am underperforming compared to a gnome wizard. But some see ASIs as intrinsic to races so if Tasha's was implemented they would just have to not change the ASI they get from their race, thats it. It allows those who want to use it to not have to use mods while those who don't want to use it can just not use it, because ultimately it isn't something that affects the balance of the game.
As an option it isn't better or worse, it just is. I don't see anything that would tempt a player towards anything like minmaxing more than them playing a half orc barbarian or tabaxi rogue, and in fact opens up more non traditional options that are still effective.

Been a very longtime since I played any d&d - what exactly is a variant human?

If the optional rule Feats has been implemented, then with PHB, if you play a human instead of getting +1 to every stat you can play a Variant Human and get +1 to two stats, a free skill, and a feat.

Ok - seems reasonably balanced to me - +1 to all stats is a big leg up too

I would rather see gnomes, half-orcs, and dragonborn happen.

Variant Human it's good if we have a lot more talents too. ***ALERT***

+1

It is in the phb.

It gives people who want to play humans a nice option for their characters flavor, and the choice of feat also tells a story of the characters background. Maybe the character was an arcane initiate who dropped out? Maybe he was taught to fight with a polearm by a mentor?

It only adds, and takes nothing away.