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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9282236" data-attributes="member: 6790260">This is why I prefer the 13th Age model of stat boosts.Every race has two stats it can choose to add +2 to. So does every class. You get one stat from your class and one from your race, as long as they're different.*So, let's say Paladin values Strength and Charisma, while Wizard values Intelligence and Wisdom. And we'll say Dragonborn are known for their Strength and Charisma, Eladrin are known for their Intelligence and Dexterity.An Eladrin Wizard can have +Int/+Dex (taking the Int bonus from being a Wizard), +Wis/+Int (from being an Elf), or if they really want to, +Dex/+Wis and not get any bonus to Int at all. A Dragonborn Wizard gets four options, Strength/Int, Strength/Wis, Cha/Int, Cha/Wis. Greater versatility, but at the cost of several not-as-optimal options. (13A does other things to make it so high scores aren't necessarily more desirable than broad scores.)Conversely, a Dragonborn Paladin gets only one option: Str/Cha, because whatever they pick from class, their racial bonus has to be the other. An Elf Paladin gets four options: Str/Int, Str/Dex, Cha/Int, Cha/Dex. What with at least some editions making Paladins who really do value pure Cha and others that mostly go for Str, this actually makes for a huge variety, as any one of these four could make an effective Paladin character.This method is simple, effective, and most importantly, it pokes a hole straight through the biggest argument against getting rid of racial ability score bonuses, that is, that doing this removes the flavor and distinctiveness of races. Because...this doesn't! Every single elf, no matter what, will be either quick or clever (inclusive). Every single dragonborn will be strong or winsome. Every single orc will be strong or quick. Etc. There's still a pattern. It's just not a one-size-fits-all pattern, and moreover, it's a pattern that recognizes that training is much more important than "talent" 99.9% of the time. (Indeed, "talent" is mostly a myth.)The special human trait of being able to pick any stat for your racial +2 is thus actually quite nice--you can pick whatever stat would be best for what you want to do with things. Or you can pick randomly, if you want to represent that the character wasn't necessarily an ideal fit for their profession of choice.*Some classes are special and get to choose either one or two stats out of three. Monks, for example, choose two out of Str/Dex/Wis, so long as it doesn't double up with their racial bonus. Usually this is a sign that the class in question is very MAD or contains a lot of divergent playstyles in one package.</blockquote>

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