I support mins and maxes during character creation. But all races can have individuals who keep improving while leveling.
This is, I think, in fact part of the problem - 5e allows too much stat advancement as a result of level-ups. It doesn't really matter what you put in your prime stat, because sooner or later it's going to get to 20 anyway.
Suggestion: really slow down stat increments.
For example, this is how I would write up the Half-Orc.
Half-Orc ability score modification: When you create a Half Orc character, you must assign a score of 15 or higher to Strength. Additionally, this Strength score improves by +2. You must assign a score of at least 13 to Constitution, and this Constitution score improves by +1.
(In other words, members of the Half-Orc race will tend to exhibit a Strength of 17 to 20.)
Halfling ability score modification: When you create a Halfling character, you must assign a score of 9 or lower to Strength and a score of 13 or lower to Constitution. You must assign a score of 13 or higher to Dexterity, and this Dexterity score improves by +2.
(In other words, Halflings tend to exhibit Dexterity between 15 to 20.)
Assuming, of course, one rolls the requisite stats. If I've decided to play a half-orc, for example, and don't roll anything higher than a 13 am I banned from playing a half-orc? (and I'm not asking this in any argumentative way as I'm quite cool with either a yes or no answer, I'm just wondering if you thought of this aspect) Ditto for the hobbit - if all my rolls are 12 am I banned from Hobbiton because I don't have a low enough stat?
billd91 said:
For the general races, sure. But players aren't playing all halflings or half-orcs. They're playing PCs, exceptional individuals within the game. It doesn't matter than halflings are generally weaker than half-orcs in the broader population. The game is about this halfling PC being played by this player at the table and the PCs should not be so limited. That's why there are no stat minima or maxima for any PCs.
This brings up yet another question: how exceptional are the PCs vs. the general population of the game world? Some obviously think very special, others (like me) prefer that they at least start out pretty much just like everyone else and then become special through the run of play.
Thus, if you're playing a hobbit then the baseline assumption is that it grew up as a hobbit, in hobbit culture and with hobbit sensibilities. And that its stats show hobbit tendencies - high dex, high con, and low str.
Same for part-orcs - the tendencies will be high str, high con, low int and low cha.
But for some insane reason 5e doesn't like penalties, so the "low" aspects here aren't reflected in the rules, only the bonuses...and that to me is poor design.
Lan-"exceptions can, of course, occasionally and rarely happen - but they should be just that: exceptional and unusual even when compared to other PCs"-efan