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

[UngeheuerLich]

You dont want to feel, pushed, and thats fine, but you are not forced.

Regardless. Everyone understand's eachother on the issue at this point, and its a decided and finalized matter for Wizards, and now that its gone, there is "approaching 0" mathmatical chance that it will ever return.

I'll just homebrew it, or go to Pathfinder.

Those are good Ideas. It would not be the hill I would die on, but that is ok.
I think in pathfinder (1 at least) you have a lot of little rules that try to balance size with strength and hit penalties as in 3.x, so the ruleset is coherent.
Take one of them out and it is not.

Edit: just to make it clear: I am also not a fan of tasha's do whatever you like rule.
For example I dont't like to put the +2 bonus of the mountain dwarf anywhere you like. For me I saw balance in the fact that armor proficiency is wasted on classes who rely on strength, and vice versa. Or every elven fighter trading theor weapon proficiencies for 4 different tools.
This is what I mean with just taking parts of something and only implement it half-baked.

So I want strong iconic features that tell me: hey, I am big and strong. A simple +2 bonus does not cut it, as a wizard with 10 strength does not feel so.

 

[Azzy]

There's no cause like a lost cause, amiright?

 

[clearstream]

Regarding the elf traits specifically.

I am super-happy with how the designers clarify Trance. The elf remains fully "conscious" (as opposed to "semiconscious" which is an undefined and confusing term mechanically, and made the trait worthless). But now, Trance is intentionally useful to guard teammates while resting. And it is the rationale for immunity to sleep, since they remain conscious instead of sleeping. Excellent.

Trance is the new darkvision.

Both ought to be excoriated.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Unlike strength, there is at least one way to represent toughness that isn't tied to con, though. Resistances are independent of constitution, generally being more supernatural in nature.

Excellent point. Of course, Giff dont have those either.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Trance is the new darkvision.

Both ought to be excoriated.

One race gets darkvision (two if you count the Astral Elf as a separate race). Reborn, Warforged, Autognomes, and Thri-Kreen get "non-sleep abilities" that fit their race. I don't see why construct or undead people should have to sleep, or the Bug people that are traditionally known for not sleeping. That's 5 races that get similar (but not identical) features. I can easily point to 5 races that get Powerful Build, or a similar mechanic (Goliaths, Firbolg, Giff, Centaurs, Orcs). So, no, neither Powerful Build nor Trance-like abilities are the "new Darkvision".

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Excellent point. Of course, Giff dont have those either.

No doubt the Giff is a bit lackluster regarding toughness.

 

[clearstream]

One race gets darkvision (two if you count the Astral Elf as a separate race). Reborn, Warforged, Autognomes, and Thri-Kreen get "non-sleep abilities" that fit their race. I don't see why construct or undead people should have to sleep, or the Bug people that are traditionally known for not sleeping. That's 5 races that get similar (but not identical) features. I can easily point to 5 races that get Powerful Build, or a similar mechanic (Goliaths, Firbolg, Giff, Centaurs, Orcs). So, no, neither Powerful Build nor Trance-like abilities are the "new Darkvision".

To clarify, I'm counting all non-sleep abilities as equivalent to trance. It's the mechanics that concern me here, not the fluff. I'd also resist any "what-about-X" lines of debate. Just because Powerful Build exists (and who knows, maybe it is egregious) doesn't mean I can't be disappointed that Darkvision is so common, or with Trance going down a similar road. We'll have to see how things look in 2025

 

[Ixal]

I don't agree with that. I don't want racial mechanics that push you into different classes. I want to be able to play a Harengon Barbarian who still is quick and dexterous from their racial features, but also is a barbarian. I don't want to be pushed into the Rogue, Bard, or Ranger class by a +X bonus to my character's Dexterity score, because I would rather have more interesting and unique racial features that benefited me regardless of my class. Having both is . . . a bit redundant, IMO, and still pushes you into a certain class, which was one of the main complaints that people had about the Racial ASI system.

No one is pushing you other than yourself.
Nothing says that in a role playing game that everyone must be a optimized combat machine, unless your idea of role is playing a class and not a character.

 

[Minigiant]

No one is pushing you other than yourself.
Nothing says that in a role playing game that everyone must be a optimized combat machine, unless your idea of role is playing a class and not a character.

Playing a +2 STR race or+1 STR subrace with a STR class is not playing an "optimized combat machine".
It's common sense. The game recommend this to you.

And since both point buy AND array only give you a 15, with those options you can't get a 16 or higher without matching race and class. And you are stuck that way until level 4.or 8.

I had this problem doing a one shot. I DMed and offered a stack of premades. All 6 players picked the race/class ability matches, noobs and vets alike. Because if:

1. you don't roll
2. you don't match your racial ability scores with you class primary score

You are stuck with low scores until level 4. And STR 14 dwarf cleric neither looks strong nor plays as strong. And I think that's the other part. The game stealthily assumes a 16 in your class primary or powergaming 2 14s. The premades in the Starter Set have 16s. The example dwarf in the PHB has a 17. And some of the DMG math runs on a +3 bonus.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

... The game stealthily assumes a 16 in your class primary or powergaming 2 14s. The premades in the Starter Set have 16s. The example dwarf in the PHB has a 17. And some of the DMG math runs on a +3 bonus.

A 14 is not low.
I have played a 14 cha goliath valiant bard in a solo one shot. He felt quite strong.

I am playing a rolled character for quite a. Few. Levels now who has two 14 as his highest stats for a while now.
I can tell you that the missed out 16 in dex or charisma does not change a lot offensively or defensively. It is just one more hit for every 20 attacks and the damage comes from sneak attack or spells.