What are 'Group Backgrounds' in D&D? [Eberron: Rising from the Last War]

[@Bluecho4]

Group Backgrounds sound cool because, while having an entire party with the same kind of Background (Acolyte, Criminal, Soldier, etc) can be neat, it can also be limiting or hard to justify. A Group Background is almost like a template placed over the entire party, _in addition to_ their individual Backgrounds. One party might be a squad of law enforcement special forces (think Section 9 from Ghost In The Shell), who were assembled by the government to solve crimes. But they were taken from various walks of life, for the purposes of leveraging their specific skillsets. A few might be Soldiers, a Sage could be brought in as an expert on the occult, a Criminal works off their sentence by employing their skills and underworld connections, etc. The party as a whole exists to serve a purpose, but their origins might be wildly divergent. A Group Background serves as an extra dimension to the game, that still allows for wiggle room for players and the DM.

[@sparklingwater925]

I think it's also great because it gives a reason why the party has to work together and stay together. Rather than just "You meet in tavern and stay together because you like each other." Really helps give a motivation for an evil character too.

[@EmmettF.W.]

Members of Trauma Team. ⛑☠️

[@derrickhaggard]

From I've read the Order of the Grey Mist is essentially a covert CIA-esque group within the New Crye government whose goals are to help New Cyre grow and build back into the glory of the original kingdom by protecting New Cyre from threats both internal and external, discovering what caused the Mourning incident, and if possible reclaim what territory in The Mournlands that can be reclaimed.

[@ChrisSmith-bb1dq]

Group Backgrounds. Sounds like an Organization...Would fit well into running a Kingdom...perhaps even dealing with a bit of Warfare...

[@WTAlday1117]

Ajax's sees what you did there.

[@ChrisSmith-bb1dq]

@@WTAlday1117 Black Gods!

[@Scortch-lo3xy]

@@ChrisSmith-bb1dq you will never break the chain...

[@thegreyman1575]

Hi, I’m Paul!

[@WTAlday1117]

BLIMEY!

[@ShankMugen]

I pre-ordered Eberron: Rising from the Last War a few weeks ago on D&D Beyond, and every-time a video about it comes out, I feel like more excited to use it!

[@mitchryan85]

I'm really bad at explaining to my players how they all know each other or getting them all to meet, so this is going to help me a ton.

[@hannasophia18]

Just got the book as an early Christmas gift from my boyfriend! So excited to start a campaign, now all I need is to trick some friends into playing every week :D

[@FinalIcharus]

"I was an ahcolyte" -Jeremy Crawford

[@dayalasingh5853]

Ockolite

[@lonelygiant]

Where is Jeremy from?

[@addisonpeek2035]

@Christopher Knox Canada I think

[@dayalasingh5853]

@@addisonpeek2035 I'm Canadian and I've never heard someone say that.

[@addisonpeek2035]

@Dayala Singh bad guess then

[@allenfortenberry9924]

Reminds me a lot of the guild backgrounds from Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica

[@babony5]

I think they took that idea and fleshed it out more.

[@RashidMBey]

I think this addition is a long time coming. Backgrounds are sociological and giving us the ability to mechanically couch our characters in the groups that raise, sponsor, and represent us. Can't wait to see what this offers, tbh.

[@orderlysummit]

I heard newspapers and thought "delivery boy"

[@mitchryan85]

Watch out for the crazy old lady with the butcher knife

[@racekitty]

I am thinking of doing a A-team style campaign "framed for a crime they didn't commit these ragtag band of adventurers set out to clear their names"

[@AllThingsFascinate]

Love this idea!!!

[@PrinceIMC]

I think my next groups patron will be Acquisitions Incorporated.

[@mandodelorian4668]

Interesting, this sounds a lot like Matt Colville's Strongholds & Followers and Kingdoms & Warfare. And The Chain campaign they've been running for a while now.

[@Mazzy774i]

Love using that source material

[@IamWalkingDead1]

I know they've used Matt as a consultant on material a couple times

[@mandodelorian4668]

@@IamWalkingDead1 yeah, I think he said recently they offered him a project but he wanted to basically remain independent, I wonder if this is that, or I'm just wanting to mash things together, heh.

[@Reoh0z]

Good new feature to bind groups together. I feel like it's been unofficially done in people games for a while now with having a mission giver associated with the group in lots of games I've played in. Nice to hear it might be getting fleshed out and supported to encourage others to try it out.

[@abyss212]

Can you please check the sound balance more. I love these videos but have to listen to them on earbuds. Todd is always so much louder than the interviewees. So I have to crank the volume up and down constantly.

[@AAron-gr3jk]

wow you're right.

[@siegwardinspirit]

Yeah, watched it without headphones on my mobile and had to constantly put it up to almost max volume, and then back down to half. Was always either too quiet or too loud.

[@willemverheij3412]

Some group ideas for whoever would like to use it: Nature's chosen. Druids, Rangers, barbarians and monks are an easy fit for this. They could be called together by an entity of nature like maybe a dryad priestess to fight against industrlisation, enemies wielding flintlocks, using airships and such. Nice campaign theme too. Prisoners. You're all locked in a wagon, boat or other form of transport. After getting to talk a little, due to an event you get to escape together. Everyone would need a reason why they are a prisoner. Might add some nice layer of 'did they or didn't they?' to their supposed crimes. A rogue seems mandatory, but any class can work. Just need to have some initial restraint on mages so they can't cast. Army deserters. You all start in the army of a mighty empire, you're all gathered together for a special mission for your talents. Turns out this special mission entails something incredibly evil they didn't expect, something they will not do. Their eyes are opened and they desert this evil empire. Or they serve it and you have an evil campaign. Great for fighters but also gives room for clerics, paladins, a ranger used as scout, a battle mage, etc. Shipwrecked. You all start on a boat caught in a storm, it shipwrecks on an island with the players as the only survivors. They get to explore this island, unlock a mystery it holds and learn to survive together untill a ship arrives to pick them up. King's council of a weak kingdom. Everyone starts out as trusted individuals close to their king. It's a small but proud kingdom, there's not much wealth but you make the best of it. There's room for players to be the court mage, the spymaster, the knight commander, the high priest, the librarian, the huntmaster, the treasurer, the royal herald, bodyguard, etc. When the kingdom is conquered and most of the royal family killed, they could look to find the surviving heir and work to overthrow the conquering empire.

[@AllThingsFascinate]

You did a good thing, you

[@drakevegas7073]

It's so weird that group backgrounds are the exception instead of the rule. I hear so many stories (or have been a part of so many stories) where a group of special people happen to be in the same tavern when a fight happens or a big-bad shows up, then the special people (and ONLY the special people) all happen to have the same idea of "Whoa! We should all become mercenaries and stick together!", and it's awkward and breaks the immersion, since we're only doing it to play the game as players, instead of doing things as characters. I got around it when I first DM'd by having the party start at a different town than they met, having already formed a group, where the players got to decide how and why they're all together, and since my players like customizing their background and making a point out of where they came from, they got more of that in a way that helped them bounce off of each other in RP, since they all had relationships. Food for thought.

[@Sturmjaeger]

This is a great idea. Love Eberron!

[@PepicWalrus]

Can't wait for this, and can't wait for Spelljammer 5e which WOTC should give us.

[@lordilluminati5836]

spelljammer is whack, we need more low-magic settings.

[@chrissavage5491]

Dark sun pls

[@FreeXenon]

Hells ya! Spelljammer for the win!

[@georgeryan8267]

I am new what's spelljammer

[@AndorianBlues]

Spelljammer is basically D&D in space. It was published during 2e but hasn’t really been mentioned in official D&D since then and a lot of people think it’s due for a comeback (because it’s awesome)

[@derrickbell760]

Good, informative video and subject, Thank You

[@tyleremery7088]

My current party currently includes an artificer, a warforged, and is trying to establish a drug empire, so I have a feeling I'll get a lot of use out of the new book for both the character options and the group patron section.

[@garrettdaly9893]

Sounds like a game I'd wat to play in haha

[@zeterzero4356]

Many jokes to be made there. In a good way.

[@claytrimble4599]

He said University, and now I want to be Dr. Henry Armitage.

[@IgorFaria]

Why is the audio so low in the last videos about Eberron? I had to double my volume to properly listen to them...

[@jamesnewell1876]

I am going to propose this to my players when we start The Rise of Tiamat campaign next month. This is an incredible concept.

[@benhanley4663]

My Curse of Strahd group were reporters. It was awesome even without a bonus feature.

[@eukelar]

that newspaper idea is fire 🔥

[@michaldanek7734]

3:04-3:33 My group did exactly that. We were hired by Morgrave to go with a Dr. Jones to collect artifacts from the rubble of the fallen district... Man life really imitates art huh?

[@spbslinky7381]

So looking forward to getting the new book. Been a fan of the campaign world since 3rd edition. Does anyone know if they are releasing a new dm screen?

[@sammyclark838]

Dude working for a newspaper sounds like it would be great role play

[@chrispetersen4863]

Volume on this series of vids has been so low =( Great info but can barely hear it

[@toonezon4836]

Ooh I like that a bard press agent looking for the next big scoop or tell all

[@andrewwelker7287]

I want to see someone combine group patrons. Specifically, Crime Syndicate and University. More specifically, you're creating your own Crime Syndicate University. Now try getting THAT accredited.

[@MikhailVonAwesome]

This seems very akin to Acquisitions Incorporated...

[@mitchryan85]

I'm going to take the rules in that book and combine them with the group background

[@MikhailVonAwesome]

@@mitchryan85 people don't use content unless it's from major cities or planes of dnd but I always recommend Ac. Inc. I've been running a campaign for a while now and the franchise allows for seemless episodic play...

[@Wizard_Level_1]

The volume on these videos is always so low.

[@scottbruckner4653]

Broke: Hi, were from the adventures guild. Woke: Hi, were from the Buzzard Chow news, were here to get an interview on how you made roach milk. Awakened: WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE SWORD COAST INQUESITION!!!

[@borofreak]

Sound is super low.

[@nategodwin8654]

Group patron aka return of the fraction.

[@nategodwin8654]

Pleas let magic t cog for warforge who reforged to non war type

[@RUdigitized]

IM NOBODIES PAPERBOY ALLRIGHT!?

[@calebchristensen900]

awca- what???

[@killer12555]

Group of level 1 veterans

[@jayteepodcast]

Sooo it's a guild

[@Tmilom99]

Group background is something we do automatically.