D&D 5E I want to try out a different way of doing racial ability scores in my next campaign, want to poke holes at it?

[Bolares]

In that case I can't think of any edge cases where your setup doesn't allow any stat distributions that would normally be possible.

So the only possible thing you'd have to look out for are class and race synergies. Mountain dwarf gets to bring medium armour proficiency to any class without worrying about lacking stats. For some classes like the wizard that can be worth 2 feats. But honestly armoured dwarf battle mages to me is a cool concept. I'd allow it and monitor to see how it actually plays out.

Also realized I haven't said it yet. I like this idea. Just allowing non-typical races for classes without nerfing them allows for so much more character customization.

Yeah, the Mountain dwarf would be really good. But I'd still allow it because of my bias towards my own mountain dwarf abjuration wizards... and how I'd love for him to be able to trade his +2 to a +1 in INT hahahaha

 

[Oofta]

Well, my idea was to allow any class/race combination, not solve the (real) problem of the standard human sucking.... Probably because I know my group and they like feats to much to ever pick one.

But I see what you're saying, the standard humam needs some help, and if a player came up to me I'd probably allow them to keep the +2

Yeah, if that's the only hole I can poke it's not a very big one. I'm lucky if there's one human PC at the table, I've never seen the "standard" option used.

 

[Bolares]

Well... adventurers shouldn't be standard

 

[ninjayeti]

I don't think it is game breaking. Personally, it seems unnecessarily complex just to accommodate one PC's concept. I't just go with:

"With DM's permission you can use one point from your racial ability score increase to increase your class' primary ability by one point."

 

[GlassJaw]

I see where you are going but it's fairly over-designed. I don't like ability scores based on class or background.

I simply allow a race that has a +2 in a score to take a +1 to that score and a +1 to another score of their choice. Done. Opens a lot more class options for each race.

I allow humans to choose +1 to all stats or +2 to one stat and +1 to two stats.

 

[abirdcall]

You ar diluting the identity of races which I think are already fairly minor in 5e.

Another ramification is that there are fewer 'weird' or 'unconventional' choices. If everything fits then players can't choose to play something uncharacteristic because that no longer exists.

 

[oreofox]

I did something similar, though different. All races get a +1 to an ability score of their choice. Subrace grants no ASI. You get a +2 to one of two ability scores based on your class (typically the same as the class's saving throw proficiency). This +2 only occurs from the first class taken.

As I have said multiple times in multiple threads previously, I really hate people feeling they need to be this specific race for this class (or this specific class for this race) because the race gives a +2 to an ability score. Seeing nothing but halfling rogues, tiefling warlocks, gnome wizards, half-orc barbarians, etc gets old. This frees up the player to make something different, instead of feeling gimped because they didn't go with a gnome for their wizard.

 

[LordEntrails]

So a 1 point difference in Cha caused a character to fall behind the power curve of the group...?

I think that's your problem right there.

Fix the 1 point if you want, but I would be more worried about the concern of the power curve myself.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I was playing (he just died) a Lizardman Storm Sorcerer and he worked out just fine, so I don't really see the reasoning behind all this...however....that wasn't your question.

As other in this thread have said...rather than some big elaborate rewriting of the rules...just tell the players if they want to swap around their stat bonuses to ask about it.

At my table i'd feel comfortable telling the players that they can swap all their plusses around however they want, as long as no stat got more than +2. I don't really care if someone plays a +2 STR elf or a +2 INT half-orc, its not that big a deal.

 

[Blue]

My suggestion would be to go full on 13th Age.

Each race gets a +2 from choice of two.
Each class gets a +2 from choice of two.
They can't be the same one.

So race will influence your character, but you will always have a +2 matching what your class needs.