D&D 5E Ability Score Increases (I've changed my mind.)

[Lyxen]

Agreed. I think this is a fairly strong point.

Thanks, now, of course, if there is no power gap at a given table, or if it's not important to that table, and they want to explore different options, it's absolutely fine to use the floating ASIs options, enjoy D&D the way that works best for you !

 

[Maxperson]

As a DM, I occasionally throw in an encounter that is way too easy, so the players can enjoy the cakewalk, ... also an encounter that is way too hard that they probably need to run away from.

It helps with verisimilitude.

So do I, but that doesn't really have anything to do with the balance of the edition.

 

[Maxperson]

Because it's never only about the stat only, it's about the combination of race (and its racial powers), class and stats.

Except when it is. I just showed two characters where the only optimization decision I made were the stats. Everything else was coincidental and therefore not optimization. I'm not alone in not caring about the guides and such. Optimization requires the decision to optimize.

 

[Maxperson]

Again, no it does not, it's clearly demonstrated by the guides - if nothing else - that floating ASIs have a stronger mechanical effect than fixed ones. Just look at the color of races for a given class in updated guides. Deny this if you can.

I do deny it. +2 dex from an elf is no more or less powerful mechanically than +2 dex from a loxodon. Any difference mechanically comes from the other racial abilities, not the floating ASI.

 

[FrogReaver]

Except when it is. I just showed two characters where the only optimization decision I made were the stats. Everything else was coincidental and therefore not optimization. I'm not alone in not caring about the guides and such. Optimization requires the decision to optimize.

I’m not sure why how you personally optimize is relevant?

 

[FrogReaver]

I do deny it. +2 dex from an elf is no more or less powerful mechanically than +2 dex from a loxodon. Any difference mechanically comes from the other racial abilities, not the floating ASI.

No one argued the +2 dex itself was different. It comes with a racial ability package. What is being said is that one of those packages is stronger than the other.

 

[Lyxen]

So do I, but that doesn't really have anything to do with the balance of the edition.

It has, it means that 5e is really flexible, that the DM can do whatever challenge he wants and therefore optimising/powergaming is not for reasons of survival.

Except when it is. I just showed two characters where the only optimization decision I made were the stats. Everything else was coincidental and therefore not optimization. I'm not alone in not caring about the guides and such. Optimization requires the decision to optimize.

Except that these characters were pre-Tasha, and they certainly were optimised already. It would probably have been "worse" with Tasha.

I do deny it.

You did not even read the guides.

+2 dex from an elf is no more or less powerful mechanically than +2 dex from a loxodon. Any difference mechanically comes from the other racial abilities, not the floating ASI.

Please don't make yourself more dense than necessary. As usual with optimisation, the difference come from the combination of stats and abilities, racial and class. Having floating ASIs allows you to have the same scores as before but pick a race that is mechanically more interesting for your class than with racial ASIs.

 

[Zubatcarteira]

From what I've seen, the biggest impact Tasha's race rules had was that everyone now defaults to Custom Lineage instead of defaulting to Variant Human, at least you can get the funny hat along with the feat too.

 

[Maxperson]

He is referring to this source (and there are a few more like it).

RPGBOT - DnD 5e - Classes

They show optimized classes and tell you what to choose. I have perused them, but never used them, as I find it much more fun to try and figure it out on my own. But, I have seen many players use them - word for word.

I don't even try to figure it out. It's more fun for me to develop a character concept and just pick to match the concept.

 

[Maxperson]

I’m not sure why how you personally optimize is relevant?

It defeats his claim that it's never only about the stats. Someone like me, and there are a whole lot of me out there, doesn't look past the stats, so it's actually often only about the stats.