Fixing 5e character creation, races, & backgrounds

Hey, Evan here and the answer is Bunnies (see below).

I can hardly believe Nimble v2 is launching TOMORROW!! This project's success depends on how many people back as soon as possible (to feed the crowdfunding algorithm), so if you're interested at all in backing Nimble, please, back it early so more people can see it :D (no funds are collected until after the campaign is over, fyi)

As an early bird incentive, everyone who backs in the first 48 hours will also receive a FREE bonus mystery subclass (I don't want to give too much away but it miiiight rhyme with "schmoathbreaker" and I might already have some RAD art for it...)

Anyway, on to CHARACTER CREATION!

I remember playing an RPG many years ago, I wanted to be a rogue (obviously) and elves got the best stat improvements for the rogue...but I didn't really want to play as an elf (I played and elf anyway, but just didn't like it).

A player should feel free to pick the kind of creature they want to play without being penalized mechanically (within reason, not every campaign setting will have robots or birdfolk, for instance). Many RPGs have since taken steps to fix this but still fail in various ways. D&D is moving the stat bonuses to the background instead of the race. Meaning I can choose the race/ancestry I want but if I want an optimal build, I'm still shoehorned into a certain background (not much better).

Or others may free you up, offering TONS of customization, but character creation can take an hour or more (usually more), or there may be 1 or 2 obvious choices, relegating the rest of them to "trap" options. 

As for backgrounds, how do I play an Acolyte or a Folk Hero at the table? Talk about books? Tell NPCs I'm a hero? Unless you're already an experienced actor, it can be hard to actually role-play the role that you're playing! For me and my friends, we usually just play a thinly veiled version of ourselves :\ 

How can we encourage cool character driven story moments for people who aren't professional actors —and WITHOUT being so heavy handed that a character's actions feel prescriptive?

Great question! Here's how Nimble v2 fixes it. Stat bonuses are independent from race AND background. Every hero can choose one of 3 different stat arrays (standard, balanced, and min-max) for their stats, simple (rolling for stats is FUN, momentarily, until you're stuck with subpar stats for an entire campaign). 

As for the races (or ancestries), here's sampling of them:

• Human: Adaptable. +1 to all skills. +1 to Initiative.

• Elf: Swiftness & grace. +3 to Initiative.

• Dwarf: Stout. +2 max Hit Dice,  +1 max Exhaustion, –5ft. Speed. 

• Halfling: Lucky. Whenever you would fail a save, you can choose to succeed instead. 1/Long Rest. 

Each race has its own flavorful ability that, while helpful, isn't so strong that you'd pick it just for that reason. Any class and any background could benefit from these bonuses. On top of this, the abilities can be swapped as you please. For instance, if the typical human is Adaptable, but you want to play a Stout human, go for it! A Lucky dwarf, or a graceful halfling? More power to you!

AND.

The Nimble v2 rules include many more optional exotic character options as well: 

• Bunbun: Bunny Legs. (1/encounter). You can hop up to your speed in any direction for free after Defending (after damage is dealt).

• Soatling: Small but Ferocious. Whenever you make a single target attack against a larger creature, roll 1 additional d6 for each size it is larger than you. They do the same.

These can also be swapped as you see fit (and as it makes sense), a Halfling or Human (or a kobold or goblin, etc.) could also be Small but Ferocious, or maybe you want to play a frogfolk or construct that can leap away instead of the Bunbun! (but would you really? look at that cute widdle face <3)

Backgrounds

As for backgrounds, this is really where the juice is! 

The mechanics of TTRPGs can be fun, but what makes it memorable is the STORY behind those mechanics. Any way that GMs can easily inject more story hooks for their players to utilize on their own the more fun you'll have at your table.

Nimble backgrounds have simple built in mechanics that encourage players to create characters they may not normally make, and incentivize leaning into that character's background. For instance take these three backgrounds:

Back Out of Retirement. You’ve forgotten more than most adventurers these days know! Talk with your GM, what made you come out of retirement? 

• Let’s see if I remember how to do this... You may gain 1 level of exhaustion to use an ability or cast a spell as if you were 1 level higher. 

• These old bones. Your age has long since started to show, your maximum exhaustion is reduced by 1.
  

What? I’ve been around. 1/per location (or at the GM’s discretion). You happen to know JUST the person who has the information you’re looking for, or could get you out of a jam, and... Roll 1d20.

• 1–5. They want you dead. 

• 6–12:  You owe them money. 

• 13–19: They can be convinced to help you..

• 20: They are your biggest fan/are madly in love with you.

At Home Underground. Safe resting locations underground always count as Lavish lodging for you. You struggle to rest (WILL save) while it’s raining. “Water from the SKY?!“

You can already imagine something happening to an elderly, formerly high level hero that causes them to come out of retirement. And for them to occasionally remember how to do things they used to be able to do and exhausting themselves doing it! As well as the party rallying around them to protect them in their frailty.

Or you can imagine a party coming to a new town for the first time, badly in need of some important item or information and the smooth talking bard, just so happens to know the right person but... —These kinds of built in story moments help make players feel cool and part of the world, you can easily imagine the Bard looking at his party and smugly saying "What? I've been around."

The Dwarf or Bunbun that is At Home Underground, you can just see them looking for a cave or digging a hole to lie down in before they go to sleep and freaking out whenever it rains!

These kinds of backgrounds that push the story forward, adding wrinkles, or other wonderful RP moments are what make games fun. Not overly complex tomes of rules and hundreds of customization options and abilities — it's easy to get lost in the rules. 

Backgrounds also come with a simple question to help flesh out your character. "What made you come out of retirement?" Or "What happened that this person HATES you or fell madly in love with you?" Or role-playing prompts like "Why is this water falling from the sky?!" or general questions to help facilitate game play: "Which of your companions would you be most willing to die for?" 

Well fleshed-out and competent characters can be made in less than 5 minutes, even for people who are new to the game or normally reluctant to "get into" their character.

Nimble v2 is launching in just a few hours! Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning! If you haven't signed up to be notified when the project launches you can do that right here.

<3 you guys,

— Evan @ Nimble Co.

Click here to count yourself in!

P.S. Remember how I said there will be 11 classes? Well I'm collaborating with The Dragon's Vault who are releasing Faerie: A Realm Wanderer's Guide tomorrow as well (an awesome Fae inspired and Nimble compatible setting guide with TONS of sweet things, you've got to see it for yourself). If you back both campaigns at any level you'll get a bonus Witch class & subclasses specifically made for Nimble 5e! Check that out here if you're interested.