Race bonus looks like its going to suck :P

[Grimmjow]

In their talk about races for DDN they said that races are going to get a +2 to 2 different attributes and a -2 to a third. I hate this idea. We all know this means halflings lose STR. So bye-bye to all the halfing fighters and barbarians. These may not be practical but they are fun to play. all they are doing is telling us what we can and cannot play as far as race/class combos

 

[Dice4Hire]

Link? Source?

 

[Blackwarder]

Woot?

From what I remember it's going to be +1 from race and +1 from class with perhaps a -1 from race.

I'm all in favor of having ability penalties to each race and having a bonuse from class is the best way to have my cake and eat it too IMO.

Warder

 

[Sunseeker]

Well, that's how pathfinder does it.

Personally I like having a -X on the race. Though I think if they're looking to flatten the math a +1 fixed, +1 floating, -1 fixed would be the best way to go. I like having a floating +X reflecting the variability of races.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Racial bonuses and penalties are a heavy-handed way of modeling something that has, really, almost no bearing on PCs: the stereotypical or 'average' abilities of a race.

'Elves are slim and graceful' doesn't preclude the extreme outlying individual elf who is beefy and clumsy.

PCs are heroes, they're drawn from the extremes of their respective peoples. Pairing a racial bonus to a prime requisite just encourages very stereotyped characters and creates trap options that might just as well not exist.

If you want every elf to be a fighter/magic-user/thief, meld the race and class choice into one, like in basic D&D.

 

[Meophist]

Well, that's how pathfinder does it.

Personally I like having a -X on the race. Though I think if they're looking to flatten the math a +1 fixed, +1 floating, -1 fixed would be the best way to go. I like having a floating +X reflecting the variability of races.

+1 Floating? You mean the player can add a racial bonus to any attribute?

So in the case of, let's say there's a race that gives +1 Dexterity, -1 Strength. The player can put a +1 to Strength to negate the weakness, add it to Dexterity to enhance the strength, or put it in another attribute for another area of strength?

 

[Grimmjow]

Link? Source?

im not sure where i read that, i know it was on here but cant find it with the new page

 

[Sunseeker]

+1 Floating? You mean the player can add a racial bonus to any attribute?

So in the case of, let's say there's a race that gives +1 Dexterity, -1 Strength. The player can put a +1 to Strength to negate the weakness, add it to Dexterity to enhance the strength, or put it in another attribute for another area of strength?

If I were building things, I would say yes. Stack it with the other +1 for an actual +1 bonus, overlay the -1 to negate it. I think that's perfectly fine.

However, since I know that's not how it's going to be, "floating" would probably mean to a specific selection of scores, probably 2.

 

[hafrogman]

In their talk about races for DDN they said that races are going to get a +2 to 2 different attributes and a -2 to a third. I hate this idea. We all know this means halflings lose STR. So bye-bye to all the halfing fighters and barbarians. These may not be practical but they are fun to play. all they are doing is telling us what we can and cannot play as far as race/class combos

Er. . . I am, right now, playing a gnome barbarian in a 3.5 game with -2 to his strength. He does quite well. As you said yourself, just because a choice isn't optimized for a single purpose, that doesn't mean they can't be a fun, entirely viable choice.

In general, I hope that the design plans for assumed competence and flatter math will minimize these kind of concerns even more.

 

[bloodtide]

Well, this type of thing only matters to roll-players...and optimizers, and at the far end the cheaters. So a character will have an ability of 16 instead of 18. So what? So they won't be able to to ''Super Awesome Mega Mondo Uber Damage'' with every single hit....why is that bad. The normal halfling barbarian will do seven points of damage with an attack, the 'other one' must do fifteen points of damage per attack. And if the other one can't do the cool damage they are no 'fun' to play...and that is all roll play yes....as you can be a dwarf cleric with a wisdom of 10 and still role-play play a 'dwarven party animal type'.

I hope they bring back the 2E type limits...