Character Creation and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (TCoE)

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the most recently published rule book contains a lot of additions of this and that.  A fair number of those additions are formalization of what has previously been UA or specific campaign material.  What I am looking at in this post is all new defined in a section titled Customizing Your Origin that basically (optionally) throws the entire D&D rule book out the window.  It allows assignment of stat bonuses to any stat, changing languages, even adding darkvision to any character all as OPTIONS.

This post will discuss the customizing origins rules in TCoE as I see them and outline what I will typically be allowing in my games. 

What Tasha's Allows

The new rules allow additional flexibility on three major elements of character creation.

1. Ability Score Increases - Any plus to stats from racial or sub racial choice is allowed to be applied to any stat as long as the bonuses aren't stacked.  That is a race with a +2 and a +1 can't have a +3 to a single stat. 
2. Languages - Starting languages can be freely selected from a list of languages specified in TCoE which may be changed by the campaign DM. 
3. Proficiencies - Various swaps are defined as allowable in a table.  It enables skill for skill replacement as well as trading things like armor proficiency for a weapon or tool.  

After defining that flexibility, TCoE defines a thing that they call CUSTOM LINEAGE which is very much a roll-your-own race. It allows a player to define the racial characteristics of his/her character including: 

• Creature Type. - Appearance and whether you resemble any of your kin.
• Size - Small or Medium (your choice).
• Feat - One feat of your choice for which you qualify.
• Variable Trait - One of the following: (a) darkvision or (b) proficiency in one skill.
• Languages - Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate.

Any preconceived notions of race can definitely be tossed out the window by these OPTIONAL rules.

My Thoughts on These Options

My gut reaction to these is pretty close to hell to the no.  I realize that having racial differences in D&D can be socially problematic.  The terminology is unfortunate.  To me, D&D racial differences would be more accurately described as D&D species differences.  While different Human Races have unfortunately, historically been assumed to be different in various ways not supported by science; different species do have lots of defining characteristics...Gorillas are stronger than humans and not quite as intelligent. In most D&D worlds I have explored Orcs are stronger than humans; Dwarves are hardier than humans and so on.  I am not seeing that as a problem in general.  

I suspect TCoE is trying to allow a solution to the racial stereotypes built into the game. I have stated, I don't see this as a problem, so TCoE is literally trying to solve a non-problem for me with these rules.   That leaves me inclined to not use the entire section.  

On the other hand, I am a proponent of choice when it is supported by good role play, so I will look at these rules from that angle and see what I'm inclined to allow.

Ability Score Increases

Changing stat bonuses around with complete freedom seems to appeal to MinMax players and certain role-play justified character builds.  I don't want the MinMaxer at my table in general, but I do want to allow role-play justifications.  So, I think this is my view point:

ASI flexibility from TCoE is allowed IF a good RP justification is provided to and accepted by the DM

Languages

I don't see this as an issue.  Allowing this flexibility is unlikely to be an issue, so:

Language flexibility from TCoE is allowed, subject to review by the DM

Proficiencies 

This section makes great sense to me as it allows a race that has a proficiency that is doubled up by a class proficiency to swap for something that might be useful.  This just seems sensible.  The table of options makes sense so: 

Proficiency flexibility from TcoE is allowed

CUSTOM LINEAGES

This reads as carte blanche for anyone to craft their own race and seems like an irresistible draw for the MinMaxers.  There are just too many possibilities here and I have no desire to go down this road, so:

Custom Lineages from TCoE is not allowed

Summary of Rulings

I am putting this in my home-brew rules language as follows:

Customizing Your Origin from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Rules

ASI flexibility allowed IF an acceptable RP reason is provided;

Language flexibility is allowed, subject to review;

Proficiency flexibility is allowed;

Custom Lineages are not allowed.