Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Valdrax" data-source="post: 4096022" data-attributes="member: 56320">The difference lies in the balance.  Where do we set the minimums to be able to be competent at something?Many limits in 3e are set around an assumption that your stats aren't penalized:  minimum stat needed to cast spells of a certain level, expected save DCs vs. monsters of the appropriate level, minimum stats needed to get certain feats like Power Attack, etc.In 4e, if those limits stay at the exact same place, then the difference between a race that's unpenalized and a race that gets a bonus has far less impact -- just a matter of a 5% difference in chance to hit or evade damage.  No longer will whole class abilities be denied due to hard to reach minimums (like a half-orc trip fighter or a 3e dragonborn two-weapon fighter).Also, we no longer have *terrible* race choices -- like a halfling barbarian vs. a half-orc barbarian -- where the difference in race choice makes a 10% difference in effectiveness because of a full 4 pt. difference in stats due to race.  We also no longer have to deal with the irritating idea that a bonus to a physical stat is worth penalties to two mental stats.Sure, there will still be optimal and suboptimal racial choices for certain classes, but 4e can still do away with truly *boneheaded* racial choices for certain classes by eliminating penalties and keeping the balance around the assumption of no racial adjustment.</blockquote>