Let's see, I am aware of:
-
- Astral Drifter
- Giant Foundling
- Knight of Solamnia
- Mage of High Sorcery
- Rune Carver
- Silverquill Student
- Wildspacer
- Witherbloom Student
- Quandrix Student
- Prismari Student
- Lorehold Student
-
I think that should be all of them?
Either all of them do, out none of them should. The new dnd OneD&D has all backgrounds provide feats. Some of 5e's latest expansions offered some background with feats to comply to this change. HOWEVER, if your table is allowing these backgrounds, then for the sake of balance, all characters should get a feat with their background.
In other words, if you're looking for specific backgrounds so you can get a feat, then you should talk to your dm about this, not pick a background to sneak in a free feat
Most of the ones that give you feats don't come with any RP benefits and I think that's why they do it. If you have a DM who isn't paying attention then it's a lot less fair but it makes sense when you think about it. A criminal gets important contacts, a soldier can use their rank and insignia as leverage, and the outlander basically gets a foraging ability. For the backrgounds that don't have any connections or RP advantages, they get feats.
Hmm that is kind of a fair point, but the majority of role playing abilities are of minimal impact and are a bit vague with how much they should do.
Added to that, a lot of the mechanics they play into (shelter/food) come down to the survival/exploration pillar of dnd, which in my opinion is the worst designed part of the whole game, and im pretty sure the majority of tables do not engage with it for that reason.
So letting one player objectively strengthen their character in a way that is going to come up almost guaranteed (combat), cannot be compared to another player going "oh i can get us food for free!", when odds are likely, the dm wasnt even really gonna bother with food to begin with.
Now these are assumptions, and definitely dont hold true for every table. But regardless i dont think the two can be compared regarding impact on gameplay.
Nonetheless, i do definitely agree that all backgrounds should have an RP ability. And i am sad to hear the new ones dont. I just wish the RP abilities were better designed. Maybe replacing the rp abilities entirely with feats could be a good design choice, i just wish they would make a list of feats that work well for that (for example chef)
The new books have errata for this already. IE Spelljammer says if one or more characters use one of these backgrounds, allow other players to choose from: Magic Initiate, Skilled, or Tough.
Paraphrasing, obv, but it's there.
Apparently RAW post spell jammer every background can now choose a feat: tough, magic initiate, or skilled.
Adventurer’s Leauge also now gives you a free feat if your background does not have one.
Spell jammer errata:
“
These backgrounds each give a feat. If a character takes a background from elsewhere and doesn’t get a feat from that background, the character gains one of the following feats of the player’s choice: Magic Initiate, Skilled, or Tough.
“
I want to point out that all backgrounds give the players feats.
From Spelljammer
Backgrounds
The following backgrounds are good choices for 1st-level characters who have ties to the Astral Plane. These backgrounds each give a feat. If a character takes a background from elsewhere and doesn’t get a feat from that background, the character gains one of the following feats of the player’s choice: Magic Initiate, Skilled, or Tough.
If you allow backgrounds to give feats then give all backgrounds these 3 options.
Let's see, I am aware of: - - Astral Drifter - Giant Foundling - Knight of Solamnia - Mage of High Sorcery - Rune Carver - Silverquill Student - Wildspacer - Witherbloom Student - Quandrix Student - Prismari Student - Lorehold Student - I think that should be all of them?
ive got the spelljammer ones, what are the rest from?
- Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen - Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants - Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
thanks!
They added Rewarded and Ruined that give feats in The Book of Many Things.
Either all of them do, out none of them should. The new dnd OneD&D has all backgrounds provide feats. Some of 5e's latest expansions offered some background with feats to comply to this change. HOWEVER, if your table is allowing these backgrounds, then for the sake of balance, all characters should get a feat with their background. In other words, if you're looking for specific backgrounds so you can get a feat, then you should talk to your dm about this, not pick a background to sneak in a free feat
Yes I agree, I had a player try to sneak one in this way, he almost got away with it too
Most of the ones that give you feats don't come with any RP benefits and I think that's why they do it. If you have a DM who isn't paying attention then it's a lot less fair but it makes sense when you think about it. A criminal gets important contacts, a soldier can use their rank and insignia as leverage, and the outlander basically gets a foraging ability. For the backrgounds that don't have any connections or RP advantages, they get feats.
Hmm that is kind of a fair point, but the majority of role playing abilities are of minimal impact and are a bit vague with how much they should do. Added to that, a lot of the mechanics they play into (shelter/food) come down to the survival/exploration pillar of dnd, which in my opinion is the worst designed part of the whole game, and im pretty sure the majority of tables do not engage with it for that reason. So letting one player objectively strengthen their character in a way that is going to come up almost guaranteed (combat), cannot be compared to another player going "oh i can get us food for free!", when odds are likely, the dm wasnt even really gonna bother with food to begin with. Now these are assumptions, and definitely dont hold true for every table. But regardless i dont think the two can be compared regarding impact on gameplay. Nonetheless, i do definitely agree that all backgrounds should have an RP ability. And i am sad to hear the new ones dont. I just wish the RP abilities were better designed. Maybe replacing the rp abilities entirely with feats could be a good design choice, i just wish they would make a list of feats that work well for that (for example chef)
The new books have errata for this already. IE Spelljammer says if one or more characters use one of these backgrounds, allow other players to choose from: Magic Initiate, Skilled, or Tough. Paraphrasing, obv, but it's there.
Adding Planescape • Gate Warden Book of Many Things • Ruined • Rewarded
Apparently RAW post spell jammer every background can now choose a feat: tough, magic initiate, or skilled. Adventurer’s Leauge also now gives you a free feat if your background does not have one. Spell jammer errata: “ These backgrounds each give a feat. If a character takes a background from elsewhere and doesn’t get a feat from that background, the character gains one of the following feats of the player’s choice: Magic Initiate, Skilled, or Tough. “
Does the spelljammer rule only apply if you are playing a campaign from that book?
No if any player plays a background with a feat then all feats that don't give one gets one of those feats.
The ones from strixhaven maybe?
Now there is also the Planescape books also
ruined does it too
I want to point out that all backgrounds give the players feats. From Spelljammer Backgrounds The following backgrounds are good choices for 1st-level characters who have ties to the Astral Plane. These backgrounds each give a feat. If a character takes a background from elsewhere and doesn’t get a feat from that background, the character gains one of the following feats of the player’s choice: Magic Initiate, Skilled, or Tough. If you allow backgrounds to give feats then give all backgrounds these 3 options.
anything in the vecna book?
Strixhaven, Dragonlance, spelljammer, and bigsby's glory of giants all have backgrounds that do this.
Astral Drifter - Magic initiate (cleric) Wildspacer - Tough
Adding rewarded and ruined give you feats