Mustrum_Ridcully
Legend
It can be, but sometimes it's hard. If you choose Halfling or Gnome, the size is a story thing that you might want to also see represented mechanical. If you get some "heritage ability" picks, you might run out and for some reason your tiny pixie with wings can't fly and is as easy to hit as a Giant. And balancing them becomes harder (flying is probably more powerful than scent. Well, in many campaigns.) if you need to do it piece by piece, and character creation becomes more complicated. B
But the story side seems also very important, and is a reason why I personally would probably not want to play a Tortle in, say, Eberron, because it just doesn't seem to have a particular story why it exists and what it is connected to (and that is true even if it has just the right package of mechanical traits for my build idea). Of course, some might be looking for that so they can be an outsider and maybe have some mystery where they come from (or how they can return home). Others might rather play an Elf because they are linked to a house they are interested in (even if these game rules would allow anyone to have that Dragonmark, it still is linked in the story to that house).
But the story side seems also very important, and is a reason why I personally would probably not want to play a Tortle in, say, Eberron, because it just doesn't seem to have a particular story why it exists and what it is connected to (and that is true even if it has just the right package of mechanical traits for my build idea). Of course, some might be looking for that so they can be an outsider and maybe have some mystery where they come from (or how they can return home). Others might rather play an Elf because they are linked to a house they are interested in (even if these game rules would allow anyone to have that Dragonmark, it still is linked in the story to that house).