6-5 Rule of Three

[Steely_Dan]

Hey, I dig it, their shtick, better than that nightmare that was the 1st Ed Unearthed Arcana Human rolling for Class table...

..whoa...

 

[Mercule]

Pretty sure the human +1 to ability scores is a reflection of +1 to all skills and +1 to all saves, bonuses folks can easily associate with humans, until they're simplified into +1 to all ability scores.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right. If so, that pretty well cinches the argument against just using ability scores instead of separate saves/skills. I've been a bit leery of that concept, from the start, and this is the sort of goofy side-effect that I felt would come out of it (though I didn't see this specific one coming).

Wow. The more I think about that as the reason for the human stat modifiers, the more it just compounds my negative feelings about both the stat modifiers and using raw stats as skills/saves. That's one of the least pleasant feedback loops I've ever had on an idea.

 

[Mercule]

IMXP, Elf has been the second-most popular race besides Human also in 3ed.

Agreed. I chalk it up to elves being so darn sexy. IME, those groups that like elves would probably play them even if they received no bonuses and a couple of penalties for doing so, just because there's something about a comely, graceful, refined, immortal being (even w/o ability bonuses, people would still see elves that way) that's appealing.

Conversely, I suspect that people who dislike elves often dislike them for the same reasons and wouldn't play them even if they were clearly statistically superior.

 

[Li Shenron]

Agreed. I chalk it up to elves being so darn sexy. IME, those groups that like elves would probably play them even if they received no bonuses and a couple of penalties for doing so, just because there's something about a comely, graceful, refined, immortal being (even w/o ability bonuses, people would still see elves that way) that's appealing.

Conversely, I suspect that people who dislike elves often dislike them for the same reasons and wouldn't play them even if they were clearly statistically superior.

I'm going to say something that may attract a lot of hate but... the only balance that really matters in the end is the balance of having had fun with that character.