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

[le Redoutable]

This is the D&D subforum, in a thread about 5e rules for character creation. Stats for a Marvel game aren't terribly relevant in this discussion. Let's try to keep it on-topic, please.

Oh I didn't understand,
Stats for a Marvel game dhould belong to my topic "replacing CON with Energy"

 

[TwoSix]

D&D is not a freeform descriptor game. There are, as you say, plenty of games that are. Why does every game have to follow the same mechanical (or lack thereof) philosophy? You already have your cake.

It doesn't have to, but it also demonstrates that having mechanical differentiation of races isn't required to have race as a distinct entity in the narrative.

Taking away mechanics doesn't necessarily make race meaningless, is all.

 

[Malmuria]

Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe a good rule of thumb for distinctive racial abilities is that they shouldn't be subject to die rolls at all. For example, I'm not sure it comes up that often, but take a situation where an enemy magic user casts sleep, and the elf character can just say "nope." Much more distinctive than just getting a +1 on a dex saving throw (if more niche). Similarly, racial abilities should be fairly powerful. Getting a skill or weapon prof isn't really that distinctive because those things could easily come from other sources

 

[le Redoutable]

here is a topic merging Races and the 6 Worlds from Buddhism

World 1 : Devils
World 2 : Undead
World 3 : Demons
World 4 : Humans
World 5 : Supers
World 6 : Feys

mine races combo would be

World 1 : Roper
World 2 : Ghoul ( I have climbed a level in Undead hierarchie ; I used to be a Zombie )
World 3 : Troll
World 4 : Storm Giant
World 5 : Solar
World 6 : White Elf

each Race gives you Abilities, and all skills or Powers are cumulative

 

[TwoSix]

Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe a good rule of thumb for distinctive racial abilities is that they shouldn't be subject to die rolls at all. For example, I'm not sure it comes up that often, but take a situation where an enemy magic user casts sleep, and the elf character can just say "nope." Much more distinctive than just getting a +1 on a dex saving throw (if more niche). Similarly, racial abilities should be fairly powerful. Getting a skill or weapon prof isn't really that distinctive because those things could easily come from other sources

Or at least, they modify die rolls in a way that generally doesn't happen under the normal rules. The halfling "reroll all 1s" is a strong, distinctive racial ability. Elven accuracy would make a great racial ability if it wasn't already a feat. The +d4 to certain skills that some newer races have gotten in Ravnica and Eberron are also strong, easily demonstrated abilities.

 

[abirdcall]

here is a topic merging Races and the 6 Worlds from Buddhism

World 1 : Devils
World 2 : Undead
World 3 : Demons
World 4 : Humans
World 5 : Supers
World 6 : Feys

mine races combo would be

World 1 : Roper
World 2 : Ghoul ( I have climbed a level in Undead hierarchie ; I used to be a Zombie )
World 3 : Troll
World 4 : Storm Giant
World 5 : Solar
World 6 : White Elf

each Race gives you Abilities, and all skills or Powers are cumulative

I don't know what this means but I don't like where it is going.

I'd rather Buddhism to be left out of this conversation.

 

[Undrave]

("my character is an elf, which means she is naturally graceful!" rolls a 7...)

That's the kind of luck I have.

Like that time I got a 'Whip of Alert" or whatever in Adventurer's League that granted me advantage on Initiative and I never rolled higher than a 6 after getting it ><

 

[TwoSix]

("my character is an elf, which means she is naturally graceful!" rolls a 7...)

Slightly tangent, but a Reliable Talent like ability ("treat a roll of 7 or lower on a d20 as an 8") for certain skills would also be a solid racial ability. Should elves ever botch a Perception check?

 

[abirdcall]

Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe a good rule of thumb for distinctive racial abilities is that they shouldn't be subject to die rolls at all. For example, I'm not sure it comes up that often, but take a situation where an enemy magic user casts sleep, and the elf character can just say "nope." Much more distinctive than just getting a +1 on a dex saving throw (if more niche). Similarly, racial abilities should be fairly powerful. Getting a skill or weapon prof isn't really that distinctive because those things could easily come from other sources

I'd like this unfortunately it is not what we have.

I'd be totally into alternative rules for trading in racial ASIs for abilities thematic to the race.

 

[Faolyn]

Right. In real world different groups of humans do not have essentialist differences and it is racism to claim that they do. But if due this it is problematic to say that different groups of fantasy peoples have essentialist differences, then fantasy species simply cannot exist, as the definition of species is based on essential difference. If we cannot say that elves are different from humans, then elves cannot exist. Simple as that. And perhaps they shouldn't. It is possible that that is the eventual conclusion.

But even without ASIs--fixed, floating, or nonexistent--elves are different from humans. They have very different game traits. They have different biological needs (at minimum: sleep versus trance), and their biology is going to mean that they process information differently (at minimum: darkvision versus no darkvision). And they are going to have very different mentalities, personalities, interests, and desires due to being raised in likely very different societies and being of likely very different ages.

The fact that PH humans get either +1 across the board or +1/+1 and PH elves get +2 Dex/+1 something else means next nothing other than the most dexterous 1st-level point-buy elf is going to be marginally more dexterous than the most dexterous 1st-level point-buy human.