Floating stat increases for all races?

[JWO]

I was wondering if people thought it would be possible for the PC races to not have defined stat increases. They'd keep all the extra features they have like darkvision, weapon proficiencies, etc., but instead of having a fixed +2 to one stat and +1 to another, they'd have +2 to any stat and +1 to any other stat. Would this affect game balance?

I just think it would help players who want to play characters who aren't stereotypical for their race...

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Yes, it would affect game balance.

In many instances, stat boosts and racial features are designed to be at odds with each other. If you look at Mountain Dwarves, for example, they have a (larger than usual) bonus to Strength and free proficiency with medium armor... but any class that cares about Strength is likely to already be proficient in medium armor (if not heavier), and the classes that really benefit from the armor proficiency (mostly arcane spellcasters) don't get much benefit from Strength.

A Mountain Dwarf wizard, with +2 Intelligence and medium armor, becomes much more powerful than something like a Gnome or High Elf (which are supposed to be good wizard races, because of the +Int bonus, but end up sub-par since their +Int bonuses are balanced with bonuses to non-caster stuff).