D&D 5E Wow! No more subraces. The Players Handbook races reformat to the new race format going forward.

[Scott Christian]

I think we can all agree ASIs are done. At the game store the other day the Adventure League group asked: "Why even have them?" It's the direction WotC wanted, and once published, well, it becomes law. Say what you want about DMs controlling the table, but that too, is changing direction. (I'm not sure it was ever really there in the first place, as my experience has always been an arrangement between the players and DM, even when we were 15.)
Point is, there is no need to argue about ASIs. They are done.

 

[Scribe]

It's the direction WotC wanted

Questionable, but it is what it is.

 

[Scott Christian]

Questionable, but it is what it is.

That's fair.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

+2 is greater than +1.

The dwarf had to be a PC to do it, which means 99.999% of dwarves won't ever be able to match the most dexterous elf.

But... we're only talking about PCs. You can make sure that the 99.999% of a race conform to whatever "biological" story you have in mind for them - with their NPC stat-block. (Of course, WotC often doesn't do that. A human "scout" is the same as an elf "scout", but that's a different "problem" - one that I don't like, but I guess I understand why they do it that way).

For PCs, who as you say, represent 0.0001% of the population, what difference does it make if they can pop a point (or two) into a non-standard ability?

 

[Mort]

Say what you want about DMs controlling the table, but that too, is changing direction. (I'm not sure it was ever really there in the first place, as my experience has always been an arrangement between the players and DM, even when we were 15.)

I'm quite curious about this statement. 5e gives almost all of the table control to the DM. Even the small bit players had in 3e re: crafting their own items thus allowing them to shape that portion of the game? gone.

And let's not forget the 5e extremely DM centric mantra - "Rulings not rules..." - which certainly has not changed.

Even the bit about static stat assignment - the DM control's BOTH the races introduced AND the books used. It is ultimately the DMs choice if this is even a thing (I suppose in a few years once the core books adopt the fluid racial stats that will be altered - but even there the DM can declare the old way governs, and if not, outlaw certain combinations - whatever deemed appropriate).

So I'm genuinely curious where the change in direction is?

 

[Chaosmancer]

Cool, but I don't think those are correct. I'd rather have the experts do it.

Why aren't they correct?

+2 is greater than +1.

And there is zero mechanical difference between a 16 and a 17. They might as well be the same number.

The dwarf had to be a PC to do it, which means 99.999% of dwarves won't ever be able to match the most dexterous elf.

Nope. Nothing in the rules says that I can't have a level 4 dwarven NPC

 

[Chaosmancer]

I think you got Autognomes and Hadozee right, but everything else wrong.

Plasmoids should absolutely get some bonus to Dexterity. Probably a +2 Dex, +1 Con.

I considered a dex bonus, because manipulating multiple limbs, but I went with Wisdom due to their incredible perception (they don't have a single auditory-visual system, their entire body would act to hear and see) and the spatial awareness needed to manuever their bodies.

Astral Elves obviously should get a +2 Dex and +1 Int. They live on a mental plane where Intelligence determines how quickly you can move in it. They'd adapt to that.

Ah, forgot about that detail of the Astral Plane. I was remembering that they went to the Astral to be with their gods, so I pictured them as very clerical and zen. Hence the +1 Wisdom

And Thri-Kreen should get a bonus to Constitution. Probably a +2 Con and +1 Dex, or a +1 Con, +1 Dex, and +1 to Wis.

I thought about Con, it was my first choice actually. But, we generally think of Con in terms of things like holding breathe and surviving toxins, and insects are actually worse at that then endoskeletal beings. Actually, if they suffer damage to their exoskeleton, they are generally dead. So, I could see them being more fragile than you'd expect.

And Giff should get a +1 to Dex, Con, and Str.

Nah, I see no reason to give them dex at all. I figure you are thinking guns, but I actually would instead use the "Cumbersome" property from the 3pp source of Grimhollow. They have weapons like the Blunderbuss, that do to the kick, requires strength on the attack and damage rolls. I think that sort of weapon fits with the Giff love of explosives, and it makes for a fun type of weapon where you just need to hold it in place and it devastates an enemy.

 

[Oofta]

I get it, but dwarves have a lot of personality and cultural traits that show up in every game (aside form deliberate subversions), elves are always elves, teiflings are always teiflings, gnomes are always annoying. But the only race where subrace seems to get played out (in my experience) is elves, because they are pretty different.

All I can say is that I've never seen much difference in any games I've played, at least not consistently. If not for the occasional difference in accent or reference I wouldn't know a wood elf from a dragonborn. Dwarves and half orcs tend to stand out a bit more, but even those aren't always depicted in any way distinguishable from a human.

Which is not to say that people don't roleplay or have unique PCs, just that it's hard to really depict a different species.

Heck, try as I might, even as a DM most of the difference is set dressing. Which, end of the day, is fine. We aren't creating epic fiction, we're just having fun playing a game.

 

[jmartkdr2]

All I can say is that I've never seen much difference in any games I've played, at least not consistently. If not for the occasional difference in accent or reference I wouldn't know a wood elf from a dragonborn. Dwarves and half orcs tend to stand out a bit more, but even those aren't always depicted in any way distinguishable from a human.

Which is not to say that people don't roleplay or have unique PCs, just that it's hard to really depict a different species.

Heck, try as I might, even as a DM most of the difference is set dressing. Which, end of the day, is fine. We aren't creating epic fiction, we're just having fun playing a game.

If your standard is "doesn't act in any way like a human" - yeah, no one's going to meet that because they're being played by humans. But I've found very average roleplayers can make races distinct enough that I don't forget what race they're playing - but very rarely make subraces that distinct.

 

[Maxperson]

But... we're only talking about PCs. You can make sure that the 99.999% of a race conform to whatever "biological" story you have in mind for them - with their NPC stat-block. (Of course, WotC often doesn't do that. A human "scout" is the same as an elf "scout", but that's a different "problem" - one that I don't like, but I guess I understand why they do it that way).

For PCs, who as you say, represent 0.0001% of the population, what difference does it make if they can pop a point (or two) into a non-standard ability?

Yes, we are talking about PCs who are a part of the race and would get the same bonuses.