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Message: <blockquote data-quote="clearstream" data-source="post: 8082225" data-attributes="member: 71699">From a mechanics perspective it would be good to see the options tabulated so that they can be formally compared. For balancing (taken to mean sustaining the greatest range of mechanically valid options, with least strict overshadowing) one might then rate each. They're very uneven at this point, which is to be expected.In terms of the design toolkit used, there needs to be greater diversity. At present, there is a leaning toward expertise and all-advantage, all-the-time. From a directional point of view one might take current mechanical statements as calls for "some benefit in this area" and rephrase them according to an holistic mechanical vocabulary with a declared expressive range. So one might have a table that lists modifying mechanics in order of general power and exert imagination on that layer so as to transpose it into the end rules. Examples could include trivantage and ignoring the first source of disadvantage, through to proficiency in pillar values such as initiative or AC. Various forms of inspiration - like the bonus 1d6 - fall somewhere in that range (and can obviously also be scaled so as to occupy several points).At this stage I'd think that kind of high-level design work most profitable. A point of concern in detail is where rules overlie one another, such as orcs having two sources for resistance to fear, or a thief path ability being overwritten by an origin ability. And there needs to be rationalisation, such as where one race gains +5' speed while another has speed 35', or one race counts as one step larger (which might synergise with magic) while another counts as Large (which might have an anti-synergy).Regarding power-creep, it seems somewhat inevitable. I think there's an implication of replacement - you use this material wholesale OR the PHB, not both - such as where Backgrounds have the same name and many of the same implications while also picking up part of the racial ability modifier (assuming the intent isn't just to hand out an ASI). If so then there should be - probably - care to ensure balance across the new material: which would need the tables I mention above.</blockquote>

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