This sporadically appearing series features bits of 4e that I have scrapped from my games and fanzine. Previously, we covered sunrods and skill challenges. Today, we look at backgrounds.
It isn't the idea of backgrounds that's bad, it's the execution. Some backgrounds are clearly more powerful than others. I feel that all backgrounds should confer basically the same level of mechanical benefit or there will be less incentive, even for casual players, to choose a background based on its flavor. And to be honest, the flavor that's there isn't always so great in the first place. The current list of backgrounds is also so outrageously bloated that it will give you a headache just looking at it.
I propose the following rules for backgrounds: The player comes up with his/her character's backstory. The player can then choose between receiving a +2 bonus to a skill that has something to do with their backstory, or adding a skill to their class list that has something to do with their backstory.
Doesn't this make a lot more sense? This is nice and clean, and encourages players to give a little extra thought to their characters. It also balances out the power level of background benefits.
That's what you will see in the mag! Anybody want to share some houserules on backgrounds? Leave a post!
I completely agree - backgrounds were badly executed, especially once they stared introducing ones which broke with the "+2 to a skill, or add it to your class skill list" formula and you had everyone be born under a bad sign.
ReplyDeleteI did basically the same thing when I was running 4e, but it's really no different than just reflavouring the mechanics. Seems to me that one of the great things that 4e did was divorce roleplay from mechanics, and backgrounds were kind of the last vestige of that.
Hm, I think campaign-specific Backgrounds with unusual benefits can work well, and less complex than Themes, but they really need to be created by the GM for his/her own campaign, which means no charbuilder.
ReplyDeleteI was looking at the Scales of War backgrounds recently and they seem rather nice for a Points of Light/Nerath campaign, and more flavourful than the PHB2 ones.
But I definitely agree that free choice of a wide range of variable-power backgrounds can cause trouble, I've just had that with a player who took a Regional background for the benny, totally unaware of the implications of that background.
"I think campaign-specific Backgrounds with unusual benefits can work well...but they really need to be created by the GM for his/her own campaign."
DeleteI don't disagree with this, in fact, I have done this before myself. If individual DMs want to come up with something that fits their campaign, go for it. This is just a "generic" rule that evens out the power level of backgrounds, and ensures that they serve their real purpose (providing a minor mechanical benefit based on a PCs backstory).
Yep, you want to avoid everyone taking "Windrise Ports" for the mechanical benefit. If the GM designs them himself he can consider whether he does want to mechanically encourage a particular background, perhaps for thematic reasons. Eg if I were running my Wilderlands 4e campaign* over again I would like to give the Altanian Barbarian background a cool benefit, because they are the Conanesque guys the campaign centred around.
Delete*http://4esouthlands.blogspot.co.uk/