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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 2544976" data-attributes="member: 13966">First off, I'm not opposed to mental ability score boosts, nor significant adjustments like +4 or -4 to something.  However:The reason core races don't get bonuses to any mental ability scores is because Wizards of the Coast didn't want to make spellcasters even more powerful than they already are.  Although at low levels the spellcasting classes are more or less comparable (possibly even a bit weaker) to/than the mundane classes, they are definitely stronger at middle and upper levels.A mental ability score boost would give at least some spellcasters more bonus spells per day, higher spell save DCs, easier access to higher-level spells and scrolls (especially in point-buy, where a good ability score for spellcasting can be overly expensive; a +4 Cha turns point-buy 14 Cha into 18 Cha for a little over one-third the normal cost).  No core race gets +4 Str, Dex, or Con either, because it's a drastic boost especially in typical D&D games (with the assumption that point-buy or 4d6x6-take-highest-3-each-time is the ability score determination method).  That doesn't mean it's wrong to use such stuff in homebrew, just that it's too drastic for the designers to try balancing it in the core rules (without leaving such a race horribly crippled or bland otherwise as a result).In the case of your Norse Elf, the +4 Cha makes them potent sorcerers, good bards, good paladins, and decent clerics (if focused on fighting undead and taking Domains with Charisma-based granted powers).  It more than makes up for -2 Strength or Constitution with these characters (although either could be an annoying hit to the character; Str for paladins and bards, Con for bards and sorcerers).  If not using point-buy, then the character could put a 16, 17, or 18 base into Str or Con to lessen the impact of the penalty, and if they have another such high score, they could put it into Cha to have a really good spellcasting or special-ability-boosting stat.  A Strength penalty does nothing to balance this with sorcerers, while even a Constitution penalty fails to do so (unless it is a -4 Con, which would be too harsh for anyone but sorcerers, and even they would become paper tigers as a result).  A limited, specialized weakness also doesn't help balance it; the vast majority of enemies will not have Cold Iron weapons on-hand, for instance.  -2 Strength combined with -2 Constitution might potentially balance it out, but would still leave Norse Elf sorcerers rather more potent than other sorcerers (yes, even half-orc or dwarf fighters and barbarians will not match them, IMO).</blockquote>

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