AlthoughDungeons and Dragon’sseems more popular than ever and is having a very good year (despite player’s relying on remote gaming tools), the game hasn’t escaped some criticism this year as some TTPRG fans take a closer look at the game’s race system and debate whether or not the 5e system should be adjusted so that things like intelligence, alignment suggestions, and other key stats aren’t tied to a character’s race (or species). Throughout the debate that has been taking place on social media in recent months, Wizards of the Coast andD&Dhave promised that they are working hard to address issues of racial insensitivity in the game and that upcoming books will be introducing new options to adjust the existing systems.
Today’s announcement ofTasha’s Cauldron of Everythingbrings one of the first books to tackleDungeons and Dragonsrace issues head-on.Rime of the Frostmaidenwill arrive first and does begin to make some changes to how races are presented, butTasha’s Cauldron of Everythingwill go a step further and introduce an entirely new (and optional) gameplay mechanic for customizing characters' lineage and origin and divorcing starting stats and bonuses from race entirely.
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Like all of the new content in the recently announcementTasha’s Cauldron of Everything, the new lineage character creation features are completely optional. The goal is still to have D&D 5e be completely playable with just the three core books (DMG, Player’s Handbook, and Monster Manual), butTasha’s Cauldronoffers a ton of new rules optionsfor players and DMs who are ready to expand the game.
In terms ofnew character creation changes,Tasha’s Cauldronseems to be going all out with the introduction of a brand new way to customize your player’s origin and make the details that are developed in their backstory have gameplay ramifications, regardless of the race you’ve selected. During a recent press event, Game Rant had a chance to hear Jeremy Crawford, the book’s lead designer and the principal rules designer ofDungeons & Dragonstalk in detail about the goals and implementation of the new option…
“Many DnD characters have special backstories written by players. This new rule will give players tools in the game to take some of the traits in your character’s race and modify those traits so that you can better reflect the story you have in mind for your character. It’s a template for creating lineage for your character that is totally disconnected from any of the races in the game.”
Crawford went on to really make a point that this template is not complicated and it will be very user-friendly and quick. It sounds like the intention is to ensure that using this custom lineage option will not greatly increase the work of building a new character or the time it takes to put together a character sheet.
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It sounds like the hope is thatdigital kits likeDnD Beyondwill hopefully incorporate this new character building option into their character creator tools as close to the launch of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything in November as possible. Considering all of the discussion surrounding the impact race has on gameplay in the DnD community, this feature will likely be put under a microscope one more details about it are revealed closer to the book’s actual launch. It will be very interesting to follow along and see how well it is received. Eventually, DnD Beyond will likely share some stats about how many users select a custom lineage versus sticking with the original bonuses associated with each of the races.
There are going to be a lot of other details aboutTasha’s Cauldron of Everythingand other upcomingD&Dproducts dropping throughout the rest of the summer and early fall, so be sure to stay tuned and check back for additional news. Be sure to check back in the near future for moreDungeons and Dragonsnews, updates, and strategy guides. Until then, roll well, adventurers!
Dungeons and Dragons: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everythingreleases on June 08, 2025. ExistingDungeons and Dragonsproducts are available now at game stores or digitally through DnD Beyond.
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