D&D 4E How do 4E stats affect Race design?

[TwinBahamut]

I have been doing some preliminary design on a group of homebrew races ever since I heard about some of the new 4E paradigms of race design (which I like a lot), but some information from D&D Experience has been worrying me a bit. Namely, the information about how each defense score is determined by the better of two stats.

For example, both Dexterity and Intelligence can modify Reflex defense and AC. Does that mean that a race which provides a bonus to both Dexterity and Intelligence is actually giving a smaller benefit than a race which gives a bonus to some other combination, like Dexterity and Strength?

For various reasons, the races I am homebrewing are based around fairly large stat boosts to at least three stats. Is the situation in which each race boosts one stat for each of the three categories the ideal, should I make it so no race benefits every defense, or can I just ignore it and allow any combination? I am really uncertain...

 

[fafhrd]

I share your concern. I wonder if they compensated with better daily powers to make up for the stat issue. The dwarf racial encounter power is pretty darned good.