Because the only thing they share is their race. They have different point of view and evolution path. Mountain dwarves are more haugty and warlike than the hill dwarves. Thus their respective stats bonuses.
Where does it say that in the PHB?
I mean, I guess it doesn't matter. You have combined evolution and their war-like and haughty nature, which is completely insane to combine evolution and cultural attitude together.
So, I guess we need to decide. Is it cultural or Genetic? Which direction are these stats coming from?
It would be quite a race don't you think? This is how the system had been since the beginning. I see no need to change that.
And yet, my point wasn't about changing it, my point was showing the disconnect on why combining this with body type is a poor example.
A gnome is also a magical race. Magic can explain as much if not more than genetics.
So are dozens of other races.
So now the stats come from culture, genetics, body type and magic?
And with all of those sources we can't possibly justify moving them from one attribute to another? I mean, seriously?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
100% agree with you. It will increase the likelihood of more combinations. And diversity in roles has the ability to alter lore. That is one of the worrisome contributions. I get it, lore changes as do race/class combinations. But because it does, does not prevent people from worrying where those changes will lead.
See, but not really.
Because NPCs having a 15 or 14 in their stats doesn't matter. I mean the Guard statblock is strength based with a 13. For a player character it is a big deal, but not for NPCs. So they have complete access to all classes anyways.
These things never really matter for NPCs, just for the players.
No problem, it gets confusing
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They are not built like Mountain Dwarves. Mountain Dwarves are much stronger. Mountain Dwarf muscles are probably denser or something.
Or something.... So, we really don't have any idea why they are stronger, but it is clearly key to their identity and would ruin them as a race if it were removed.
They don't have the same culture. They are not Hill Dwarves. They are Mountain Dwarves.
Then you could tell me where in the PHB or Mordenkainen's that is makes a distinctive difference between the two? What exactly are the cultural differences between them and how does that reflect on one to give them +2 Strength and one to give them +1 Wisdom?