D&D (2024) Idea for starting ASIs, three way split.

[The Glen]

Was talking about the new rules set and somebody made a suggestion that I'm starting to warm on. Split the 3 points you get for ASI during creation between race, background/origin, and class. You keep the +1 for being a particular race, then when you are growing up you gain another point, and when you train for your new job you get your final point. You can have backgrounds give you two choices and if you have a +2 in one stat already, the class point automatically defaults to the unchosen background option if it would give you a +3.

So shadow elves get +1 Wisdom because religion is paramount to them in the harsh environment of the City of Stars. Your character then goes on to become an acolyte, and you get either +1 Wisdom or +1 Intelligence. If you double down on Wisdom and take cleric, the cleric gives you the +1 Intelligence instead of the normal +1 wisdom. But if your shadow elf takes paladin instead, you get +1 charisma normally.

 

[DEFCON 1]

So shadow elves get +1 Wisdom because religion is paramount to them in the harsh environment of the City of Stars. Your character then goes on to become an acolyte, and you get either +1 Wisdom or +1 Intelligence. If you double down on Wisdom and take cleric, the cleric gives you the +1 Intelligence instead of the normal +1 wisdom. But if your shadow elf takes paladin instead, you get +1 charisma normally.

I can certainly understand what you are going for here and can agree to a certain extent... but to play Devil's Advocate for a moment, I think the issue would still be that you are giving your Shadow Elf a +1 to Wisdom due to religion being paramount in the City of Stars... but what if you made a Shadow Elf that didn't live grow up there? If you made a Shadow Elf that was born in a big aboveland city... religion might not be a thing (and thus the +1 to WIS no longer makes sense.)

When you attribute your modifier bonuses to Background or Class... you at least are acknowledging that how you grew up has more of an impact on what you become than just who you were at birth. Nurture over Nature and all that.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think the new way of tying it to background is good.
I misread it first, but I also like the example backgrounds. Short, inspiring and easy to use as a baseline to modify.

 

[Cadence]

Why is this better than letting everyone just assign the +2/+1 wherever they want?

"Maybe you got your grandfather's legendary (giant-blood!?!) strength, worked out a lot in the gladiator pits, or have just embraced your calling as a war-hammer wielding fighter... +2 STR."

 

[DEFCON 1]

And let's also not forget that ASI bonuses at character creation have literally no impact on a PC except when they are used to boost their highest score above the normal starting amount. Any attempts to use Player Character creation to be emblematic of any racial "averages" of a people does not work at all because you can set your numbers however you want and run completely counter to what the "expected" physical/mental attributes of a race of people would be. So saying Goliaths should be stronger than Halflings just due to size if nothing else... is completely meaningless a suggestion when the players can make a Goliath with a 10 STR and a Halfling with 15 STR in the same party.

The only place where you could get any semblance of an idea that "on average" goliaths are stronger than humans et. al. is in a Monster Manual statblock where rather than having 10s across the board in ability scores like your prototypical human statblock would have... the goliath block lists STR as 12 or 14. And a dwarf listed their CON as 12 to suggest the average dwarf is healthier than the average human.

But trying to get those tendencies across using Player Characters? Forget it.

 

[bedir than]

Just remove starting ability score increase and boost standard array/point buy

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Just remove starting ability score increase and boost standard array/point buy

Would work, except when you also allow for rolling stats.

 

[Cadence]

Just remove starting ability score increase and boost standard array/point buy

I like the flexibility it gives to the standard array. A lot of times I won't boost my highest with them, but make sure the low or middle ones fit the picture in my head better.

 

[Garthanos]

Why is this better than letting everyone just assign the +2/+1 wherever they want?

"Maybe you got your grandfather's legendary (giant-blood!?!) strength, worked out a lot in the gladiator pits, or have just embraced your calling as a war-hammer wielding fighter... +2 STR."

You make the story of why is on my approved list LOL

 

[Crimson Longinus]

And let's also not forget that ASI bonuses at character creation have literally no impact on a PC except when they are used to boost their highest score above the normal starting amount. Any attempts to use Player Character creation to be emblematic of any racial "averages" of a people does not work at all because you can set your numbers however you want and run completely counter to what the "expected" physical/mental attributes of a race of people would be. So saying Goliaths should be stronger than Halflings just due to size if nothing else... is completely meaningless a suggestion when the players can make a Goliath with a 10 STR and a Halfling with 15 STR in the same party.

I don't think that's how it usually works in practice though. If you have +2 on stat and you can't move it, you're tempted to put 12 or so in it so that you actually get some value out of your fixed bonus. I'd wager in fixed stat system Goliaths with Str lower than 14 would be pretty rare. I'd also wager that halflings with Str 15 would be even rarer, as most classes that you'd use Str for can run on Dex as well, so Halflings would usually do that. Fixed ASIs have greater impact than their mere numeric value, as they actually incentivise certain stat placements. This of course is what a lot of people perceive to be the flaw.

As for the OP's suggestion, it seems fine to me, though I'm not sure it is worth the hassle. I also wouldn't justify species bonuses by cultural reasons.