D&D 5E Ability Score Increases (I've changed my mind.)

[MGibster]

It's time for me to eat some crow. I've been against separating ability score increases from race in D&D for some time now. My main opposition to removing it was because I felt as though it made choosing what race to play matter even less than it matters now.* But my character died tonight during the inaugural session for our new campaign and it's time to roll up a new character. After discussing it a bit with my group, I decided to make a the nephew of our half-elf druid and I will be a Circle of the Spores druid. One of my goals of this campaign is to play things I've never played before and that includes races. I mostly make humans so in the spirit of newness I decided to make an elf. Elves get that great Dexterity bonus but I wanted a Wisdom bonus, dammit! I had the option to use the Tasha rules but I just made a regular elf and took my +2 Dexterity bonus.

But you know what? All those who argued that getting rid of ASI were right. It allows you to make the character you want to make and that's always a good thing. You win. I am a reformed man.

*I know some of you will tell me in your campaigns it makes a difference whether your character is an elf or dwarf. I believe you. But in my experience it usually doesn't matter much.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I was resistant too at first!

Then I realized the Tasha's optional rules make it more possible to do creative campaigns like "everyone plays a halfling."

 

[le Redoutable]

It's time for me to eat some crow. I've been against separating ability score increases from race in D&D for some time now. My main opposition to removing it was because I felt as though it made choosing what race to play matter even less than it matters now.* But my character died tonight during the inaugural session for our new campaign and it's time to roll up a new character. After discussing it a bit with my group, I decided to make a the nephew of our half-elf druid and I will be a Circle of the Spores druid. One of my goals of this campaign is to play things I've never played before and that includes races. I mostly make humans so in the spirit of newness I decided to make an elf. Elves get that great Dexterity bonus but I wanted a Wisdom bonus, dammit! I had the option to use the Tasha rules but I just made a regular elf and took my +2 Dexterity bonus.

But you know what? All those who argued that getting rid of ASI were right. It allows you to make the character you want to make and that's always a good thing. You win. I am a reformed man.

*I know some of you will tell me in your campaigns it makes a difference whether your character is an elf or dwarf. I believe you. But in my experience it usually doesn't matter much.

did you try Baldur's Gate 2 with only Fighters bearing 18/76+ and 18 CON, then dual-classing them to either Mage, Cleric, or Thief ?

 

[TheAlkaizer]

It allows you to make the character you want to make and that's always a good thing. You win. I am a reformed man.

possible to do creative campaigns like "everyone plays a halfling."

I don't have a strong opinion for or against the ability score bonuses tied to races, but I've always refused that specific argument. It was already possible to make these characters and creative campaigns. What people mean is "I couldn't do the character I had in mind and bear to not have an optimal spread of ability scores". I've always liked unusual combinations of races and classes, and they were always viable.

 

[Yaarel]

It's time for me to eat some crow. I've been against separating ability score increases from race in D&D for some time now. My main opposition to removing it was because I felt as though it made choosing what race to play matter even less than it matters now.* But my character died tonight during the inaugural session for our new campaign and it's time to roll up a new character. After discussing it a bit with my group, I decided to make a the nephew of our half-elf druid and I will be a Circle of the Spores druid. One of my goals of this campaign is to play things I've never played before and that includes races. I mostly make humans so in the spirit of newness I decided to make an elf. Elves get that great Dexterity bonus but I wanted a Wisdom bonus, dammit! I had the option to use the Tasha rules but I just made a regular elf and took my +2 Dexterity bonus.

But you know what? All those who argued that getting rid of ASI were right. It allows you to make the character you want to make and that's always a good thing. You win. I am a reformed man.

*I know some of you will tell me in your campaigns it makes a difference whether your character is an elf or dwarf. I believe you. But in my experience it usually doesn't matter much.

Same here.

I was highly resistant to losing the race ability improvements, because I viewed these mechanics as important superhuman flavor, and the resulting mechanically favorable classes as cultural norms within the race.

However, discussions about reallife racism soured my views about D&D imitating fantasy racism, and related ethnocentric problematics. So I mainly jettisoned the abilities from the races for reallife reasons.

But now, I realize, the fluidity of race abilities allows me as a DM worldbuilder to build race flavors with much more nuance and precision. For example, if a race culture is known for both Druids and Wizards, no problem, use Wis score +2 or Int score +2, respectively.

I now think the power gamers who were pushing for any race-class build, were, in their way, right all along.

 

[Yaarel]

Same goes for official "cultures", like the elves generally training in longsword.

I find it less plausible that a culture would favor a weapon that requires Strength, when the members of the culture are terrible at Strength. Evolution, including cultural evolution, tends to favor the adaptive advantages of a trait.

So now, as a worldbuilder, I have a choice. Either many elves do have Str score +2, or I swap out the longsword for an other weapon or tool that makes more sense to me.

I wish, it was possible to officially swap a cultural weapon for a cantrip, that would help so much for magical cultures.

Characters from multiple races are now no problem. Use the stat of one as the base, and modify it to match more an other.

Tashas solves most of the problems that I have had with D&D races in the past.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

I find it less plausible that a culture would favor a weapon that requires Strength, when the members of the culture are terrible at Strength.

If we're talking 5E, how are elves terrible at strength?

 

[le Redoutable]

is it Strength, or Might ?

 

[billd91]

If we're talking 5E, how are elves terrible at strength?

If we're talking any edition of D&D, how are elves terrible at strength?

 

[Micah Sweet]

If we're talking 5E, how are elves terrible at strength?

Perhaps not having a bonus means you're terrible. I've certainly heard that argued.