Does race matter enough?

[FireLance]

I hadn't really thought about it until I answered a question on race in the playtest survey, but the characters' classes, backgrounds and themes seemed to me to be more prominent, distinctive and memorable than the characters' races.

This could be because the racial bonuses were passive and already factored into the math (ability score adjustments, larger damage dice for racially favored weapons), but my current impression is that race doesn't really matter enough.

Does anyone else feel the same?

 

[Remathilis]

I hadn't really thought about it until I answered a question on race in the playtest survey, but the characters' classes, backgrounds and themes seemed to me to be more prominent, distinctive and memorable than the characters' races.

This could be because the racial bonuses were passive and already factored into the math (ability score adjustments, larger damage dice for racially favored weapons), but my current impression is that race doesn't really matter enough.

Does anyone else feel the same?

Without know how much race factors into "the math", its hard to tell.

 

[Tehnai]

Well, all the racial abilities seemed flavorful and important, from the dwarf's immunity to poison to the halfling's ability to hide behind people.

A lot of the abilities are not obviously written down though, as they said in the live chat a few days back. The subraces of dwarves grant an extra dice step to some weapons, hill dwarves grant a dice step for HD, the halfling is especially good with the sling, and so on.

We don't really know what humans do (but they are suspected to have +1 to every ability score), neither do we know much about the secrets of the elves, but I feel like character race grant quite enough as is.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Jap. Seems as if race give great bonuses. You just don´t see them. (+1 AC, +1 all stats, increasing the hit die, increasing damage dice, as commented by mearls and co)

 

[FireLance]

Jap. Seems as if race give great bonuses. You just don´t see them. (+1 AC, +1 all stats, increasing the hit die, increasing damage dice, as commented by mearls and co)

This might actually be the problem. Because they are passive and you don't really see them, you aren't really reminded what race you are. People complained about "boring, mechanical" feats in 3e and 4e. It seems unfortunate that, having done a pretty good job with themes, they seem to be delivering us what appear to be "boring, mechanical" races.

 

[Minigiant]

Not as much as 4E and it's fire breathers, teleporters, called misses, offensive advantage, quick healers, and powerstabbers. Or 1e and its racial class limits.

But more that 3e & 2e and their ability adjustment and fiddly bits

Most of 5e's racial features are passive. Only the halfling has an active racial aspect. I liked that in 4e. When you can press the ELF button and do something elfy.

 

[enigma5915]

Race should be more of a distinctive part of a character than it appears to be currently. Specifically, the ability score mins and maxs should really reflect the race. As I was just posting on another thread...halflings should never be as strong as a human and a human should never be as strong as an ogre (without magical aid).


Consider if Conan is the strongest a human can be, then...should a halfing be able to come anywhere near that? And likewise, if an ogre that is 8 feet or taller with its muscle mass it should clearly be stronger than Conan.


Sooo... If a human has a max str of 18 lets say for arguments sake, then a halfling should have a max str at about 14 and thats generous I think. and the ogre should have a max at about 24. This is just my 2 cents...

 

[TerraDave]

Pounding something with your warhammer seems active.

 

[steeldragons]

Preface: I don't have the playtest.

BUT, from everything I've read (and I am reading everything I can, particularly individual playtests), it sounds to me like they matter quite a bit.

Dwarf immunity to poison, Elf immunity to enchantment magic (1e gave them 90%...90% fer cryin' out loud. And while I appreciate the idea that stuff might not work all of the time, flavor wise, just make 'em immune! good call on the 5e designers, imho), Halfling ability to hide behind [bigger] others ?! HOW did that never come up/make sense before now?!?! I'm ashamed I never thought of it.

It sounds to me like race is well in hand...and very well (think it was mentioned somewhere) may entail colorful racial themes or backgrounds that offer some of the other abilities "traditionally" thought of to be applied to the "classic" races (and I assume all races included in the PHB).

We shall see, but for my 2 coppers, I think race is off to a great start!
--SD

 

[Minigiant]

Pounding something with your warhammer seems active.

Humans can use warhammers too.