D&D (2024) Put initial stat bonus in class not background

[Lojaan]

It seems to me that the most logical place to put the stat bonuses from character creation are in class choice, not background.

Who cares what you did growing up - if you spent the last 5 years studying to be a wizard you're going to get a boost to your intelligence. Or if you spent however long it took learning how to be proficient in every martial and simple weapon then you'd likely get a bonus to your strength (or dex depending on where you focused your studies). Similarly, it would be super odd if cleric or druid training did not increase your wisdom. It makes sense. Even for warlocks it makes sense to put the stat bonus in class - the first gift from their patron being a boost to their charisma.

The way I would do it is this:
You can increase certain stats, determined by your class, by 3 points. You can put one point in each stat, or increase one stat by 2 and one stat by 1.

This would be my breakdown (open to suggestions on this);

Artificer: Int, Dex, Con
Barbarian: Str, Dex, Con
Bard: Cha, Dex, Con
Cleric: Wis, Dex, Con
Druid: Wis, Dex, Con
Fighter: Str, Dex, Con
Monk: Dex, Wis, Con
Paladin: Str, Cha, Con
Ranger: Str, Dex, Con
Rogue: Dex, Cha, Int
Sorcerer: Cha, Dex, Con
Warlock: Cha, Dex, Con
Wizard: Int, Dex, Con

Apart from making sense, it solves a couple of problems;
1. You don't have to worry about a players story choice (race/background) reducing their game effectiveness
2. No more bio-existentialism.
3. It works with all methods of stat generation (standard array, point buy, rolling)
4. Makes it difficult for new players to inadvertently make choices in character creation that substantially reduce their game effectiveness
5. The stat bonus still feels meaningful

(Plus people can still easily have low scores in their primary stats if they want)

What do you think?

 

[delericho]

I'm not sure it really matters. If it's in race, people will choose their class and then look for the elf with the stat bonuses that match. If it's in background, people will choose their class and then look for the background with the stat bonuses that match. At least this way is honest.

Personally, I didn't see what was wrong with them just being floating, making both race and background essentially free choices. Or, even better, building them into the point buy/standard array/rolling method.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

It would certainly be more meaningful than nominally attaching them to a customizable background, I'll give you that.

But I don't particularly need them to be meaningful, I would rather just have them be free floating. Or maybe just have them not exist.

 

[Shiroiken]

During the playtest, you got +1 from race and +1 from class. After 5E came out, my group discussed the idea that they should have kept that, and added an additional floating +1 that couldn't be placed with both prior ASI (creating a +3 total). Tying everything to class would make all characters of each class fairly uniform, which is enough of a problem already.

 

[Horwath]

it should be floating and be done with it.

 

[John Lloyd1]

Just build it into the standard array/point buy and be done with it.

 

[Corinnguard]

Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition also has it's initial stat bonuses in background rather in race (or in A5e's case-heritage), but instead of having two fixed stat bonuses, it has one fixed and one floating stat bonus. So someone with the Soldier background in A5e will get a +1 STR and a +1 stat bonus of your own choosing.

The initial stat bonuses are +1 Fixed and +1 Floating because character origins in A5e make use of something that D&D has yet to touch upon, Culture. That's why it's +1/+1 instead of +2/+1.

 

[Horwath]

Just build it into the standard array/point buy and be done with it.

that works as well.

 

[Art Waring]

I use floating bonuses, which are added right when players generate ability scores, either buy point buy or pooled random rolls. There is really no need to make it any more complicated.

 

[aco175]

I would like to see +1 from race, class, and background since I can see each affecting you. I know attaching one to race is not in fashion now, but it might be a compromise over throwing one's hands up and saying, "Fine, do anything you want."