WRT racial bonus I don't like penalties and I do like being able to move them around. Adventurers are unique so while most Orcs might be strong and dumb in your game world and maybe NPCs even align with that stereotype to a fault, but your PC is unique and could be an outlier that was weak and smart.
You can have a +2 STR and +1 CON and still be weak and smart. People have played weak, smart half-orcs (even orcs probably...) for decades without having to include floating ASIs. You simply put the scores where you want them to reflect your character.
You might not be able to be
as smart as a smart Gnome, but that doesn't mean you aren't still smart. Having racial ASIs have never limited any concept. If it really bothers people, they should be honest that it really about getting higher bonuses so they "feel better" about their PC...
If we really want to open a can of worms; should we go back to gender-specific bonuses and caps like in 1E? I mean it is all about Verisimilitude right?
Yep. (with a BIG however...)
However, all we can address is humans. All the other races are made-up, so who can say whether a female dwarf can't be as strong as a male dwarf? And then there is the argument that D&D humans aren't "Earth humans" so shouldn't have the same limitations. Frankly, I don't buy that argument, but for people who do you can just
ignore the caps like some people did in 1E.
if you remove ability scores from attack, damage, AC and DC I agree 100%
use ability scores for ability CHECKS(skills) only.
replace ability modifier from ALL attacks, damage, AC, DC and uses per long/short rest with proficiency modifier and you can have +/- 4 racial modifiers without any problems.
No, you can still have ability scores for attack, damage, etc., just remove the ASIs for race.
However you generate ability scores (rolling, point-buy, standard array, or something else), you are very likely going to have higher scores and lower scores. You want to play a "strong" (whatever race) then put your best score in Strength. You want to be a "smart" (whatever race) then it goes into Intelligence, and so on.
All ASIs do for race is bump the numbers even higher, which we don't need IMO.
It seems that you can make a race that is racially stronger, faster, smarter, wiser, etc. than other races and it's not racial superiority unless it's a stat bonus. It's confusing.
Yeah, it is odd. Goliaths with Powerful Build are "stronger" in that they can automatically lift/carry more weight. They are obviously "superior" to other races in this respect, and no one seems to take issue with that.
But incorporate a +2 STR modifier and suddenly it is a cry to arms against the Verisimilitude Gods!
pretend we're not talking about biological essentialism among sapient species -- the bedrock upon which racial discrimination is built?
The bedrock upon which something bad is built doesn't make the bedrock, itself, bad.
Biology among creatures is fact. Some are faster than others, some smarter, some can fly, others breathe water, etc. None of this, in and off itself, is bad or wrong.
For games like D&D, having actually adjustments in ability score numbers represent
significant differences. Consider humans and elves. If you go with the baseline human, you get +1 to all scores. Elves get +2 Dex and +1 something else (typically). So, elves have superior Dex (by +1), equal in another "something else", and are inferior to humans in all other ability scores...
The same holds true comparing humans to virtually every other race. Humans are better than all other races in more things in this respect because they have
six +1 ASIs, as where other races have two or occasionally three, most of which only allow them to
equal humans (every +1).
There is nothing wrong with this because it is biology and/or spirtual. Halfings are Brave and so have a better chance of resisting fear, etc. They have something "inside" themselves that gives them an inner strength, confidence, and belief beyond other races. In our games, halfings get CHA +2 (not DEX) to represent this.
Dragonborn have CHA +1 because of the spirtual wherewithal and confidence gleaned from the dragon heritage.
Every single racial ASI can be justified by such means.
And, since 5E does not impose caps, any PC orc can have a INT 20 eventually. Sure, it will take longer, you might have to sacrifice a bit more, but in this way your PC is overcoming their racial limitation. Having the determination to overcome limitations should be celebrated, not just hand-waving them away.
