D&D 5E Design your core races

[Szatany]

As seen in another thread, almost nobody is content with how humans are right now presented in DDN. This thread is for folks like me who like to tinker with their game. Design your version of humans and post it here. Maybe we can get some nice ideas and show D&D design team what we really want. But you don't have to limit yourself to humans. If you think that some other race is represented poorly, post your proposal about it.
I will also post my ideas, as soon as I finalize them.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

Heh, I just wrote about a design on the other thread. I'll summarise it here for you:

Humans are flexible, so give them a choice of things that function even in the basic game:
- +1 to any ability score
- A single weapon proficiency or damage-die increase
- A single craft or trade for which they have a bonus on ability checks (hard to say what bonus because the basic game is not fixed yet)
- Advantage on, or additional, death saving throws (could also be any saving throw that might result in your death)

 

[GX.Sigma]

Humans: No ability adjustment. No special powers. No racial traits.

Other races: Some good stuff, some bad stuff.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Humans

Ability Score Adjustment: +1 to one ability score of your choice.

Human Versatility: At 1st level, you receive training in any one skill of your choice. This bonus skill is in addition to those you gain from your background, class and any other source.

Quick to Master: At 1st level, you receive one bonus feat at 1st level of your choice. You must meet the prerequisites of the chosen feat (if any).
For games where feats are not used, you gain one of the following benefits at 1st level, determined by your class, instead of a bonus feat:
Barbarian, Fighter, Monk or Rogue: You gain one bonus maneuver of your choice from the general maneuver list or your class maneuver list.
Cleric or Wizard: You gain two bonus 0th level spells known of your choice, chosen from your class's spell list.

 

[steeldragons]

Human: +1 to any 2 ability scores. Maximum 18 in any.
-Human Versatility: 1 skill of choice regardless of specialty or background.
-Languages: Common, Homeland Tongue (if different than Common), slots for additional languages equal to Int. modifier. (may or may not be filled at character creation)

Elf: +1 to Intelligence and Dexterity. Maximum 19 in both.
-Lowlight vision (120')
-Elvin Resistance: +2 to saves against enchantment/charm magic.
-Elvin Senses: +1 to all Searches and checks against surprise, as if the PC possessed the Search and Perception skills.
-Elvin Stealth: +1 to all Stealth rolls as if the PC possessed the Stealth skill.
-Languages: Elvin, Common, Sylvan, Dwarven, Goblin, Orcish, slots for additional languages equal to Int. mod.

Dwarf: +1 to Strength and Constitution. Maximum 19 in Constitution.
-Lowlight vision (to 120')
-Dwarven Resistance: +2 to saves against poison and magic.
-Dwarven Battle Skill: +1 to hit against goblins, orcs, ogres, and giants.
-Dwarven Stonecraft: +1 to rolls to detect stonework traps, construction, sloping passages, etc...
-Languages: Dwarven, Common, Gnomish, Goblin, Orcish, slots for additional languages equal to Int. mod..

Halfling: +1 to Constitution and Dexterity. Maximum 19 in Dexterity.
-Lowlight vision (to 40')
-Halfling Resistance: +2 against poison and fear effects.
-Halfling Stealth: +1 to all Stealth rolls for moving silent and/or hiding (anywhere! shadows or not), as if the PC possessed the Stealth skill.
-Halfling Size: +4 to AC against larger than man-sized creatures.
-Languages: Common, slots for additional languages equal to Intelligence modifier.

Additional Optional Races

Gnome: +1 to Dexterity or Intelligence. Maximum 19 in either.
-Lowlight Vision (to 90')
-Gnomish Resistance: +2 against all illusion/phantasmal magics.
-Gnomish Senses: +1 to searches and against surprise, as if the PC possessed the Search and Perception skills; +2 to locate (by smell!) gemstones within 10' per level.
-Gnomish Size: +4 to AC against larger than man-sized creatures.
-Language: Gnomish, Common, Dwarven, Sylvan, Kobold, language of burrowing mammals, slots for additional languages equal to Int. mod.

Half-Elf: +1 to Dexterity or Charisma. Maximum 19 in either.
-Lowlight vision (to 40')
-Half-elvin Resistance: +1 to saves against enchantment/charm magics.
-Elvin Senses OR Human Versatility: see Elf or Human, respectively, above.
-Elvin Stealth: see Elf above.
-Language: Common, Elvin or Homeland Tongue, slots for additional languages equal to Int. mod.

Half-Orc: +1 to Strength or Constitution. Maximum 19 in either.
-Lowlight Vision (to 90')
-Half-Orc Resistance: +2 against disease and poison.
-Half-Orc Ferocity: +1 to all damage rolls.
-Human Versatility: see Human, above.
-Language: Common, Orcish or Homeland Tongue, slots for additional languages equal to Int. mod.

I don't really know enough about what other races they're planning, but Dragonborn and Tielflings have been thrown about with abandon, and since I have extremely limited xp with 4e, take the following with a grain of salt...but just cuz I'm on an uncontrollable avalanche of a roll, I just can't help myself...

Dragonborn: +1 to Strength and Wisdom. Maximum 19 in both.
-Lowlight Vision (to 90')
-Dragonborn Resistance: +2 against "energy" type (fire, cold, lightning, acid or poison) equal to their breath weapon.
-Dragonborn Breath Weapon: +1 to hit and damage die when using their breath weapon. Capable 1 per day per level for d6 [of "energy" type of choice] damage every other level to a maximum of 5d6 at 9th.
-Dragonborn Scales: +4 to their natural/unarmored AC from their thick scales/hides.
-Language: Common, Draconic, slots for additional languages equal to Int. mod.

Tiefling: +1 to Strength or Dexterity or Intelligence. Maximum 19 in any.
-Lowlight vision (to 90')
-Tiefling Resistance: +2 against magic and [poison or "energy" type (fire/cold/lightning/poison/acid) of choice.]
-Tiefling Versatility: +1 to one of the following: Searches, Stealth, Ferocity (damage rolls), Battle Skill (hit rolls), Resistance of choice (or added to above)
-Tiefling Anatomy: Choose two of the following and -2 from Charisma: goat legs (+1 Jumping and Climbing), prehensile tail (+1 Trip and Dex rolls), horns (+1 Rush), solid black eyes (lowlight vision to 120'), small wings (+1 Balance and -1 per die to falling damage), forked tongue (+1 Tracking), taloned hands (+1 Grapple and +d4 unarmed damage), scales (+1 to AC).
-Language: Common, Homeland Tongue, Infernal, slots for additional languages equal to Int. mod.

I could keep going, but guess you guys should see this first to see if I should bother.
--SD

 

[RangerWickett]

For the record, I quite hate anything that enhances one weapon. It creates a strong psychological discouragement for the player to ever use different weapons. So you end up with longsword fighters who insist on using longswords all the time, and are irked if they're in a grapple and have to use a dagger, or if they're fighting a dragon and might benefit from having a reach weapon like a spear.

 

[Cherno]

They are no core races, but I'd like to see which ability boni Muls and Goliaths get. In 4E they were pretty much the same (The Mul could choose between +2 CON and WIS though IIRC). I'd like a real Half-Giant Goliath that gets like +4 in accordance to it's massive size, but maybe a malus to AC because he is so large he is hard to hit? On the other hand, where's the point then

 

[Kaodi]

Human
Ability Score Adjustments: None
Adapt: Humans gain a +1 bonus to one of: initiative, weapon attack, spellcasting bonus, armour class, savings throws based on any one ability, or skill checks based on any one ability. They may change which one they apply the bonus to 1/day.
Exploit: Humans gain a +1 bonus to any check for which they have advantage.

Humans have an innate ability to adapt in order to do what needs to be done, and to make the most of opportunity.

 

[YRUSirius]

I like your Exploit feature, Kaodi. Should work for the Basic game too.

-YRUSirius

 

[Sekhmet]

Humans: You are a human. You are the average. You have no bonuses, you have no penalties. Your mother is disappointed in you.