D&D 5E (2014) Race Class combo, together, defines a character ‘type’

[Yaarel]

The ability score is primary, it determines if a spell fails against as save or not.

Any other Wizard friendly traits that a race has to offer is supplementary icing on the cake.

 

[TwoSix]

The ability score is primary, it determines if a spell fails against as save or not.

Any other Wizard friendly traits that a race has to offer is supplementary icing on the cake.

As a power gamer, I'm offended by this poor attempt at power-gaming.

 

[Yaarel]

As a power gamer, I'm offended by this poor attempt at power-gaming.

Personally, I have less interest in convoluted optimization.

I want straightforward mechanical manifestation of official flavor.

 

[cbwjm]

Your effort to make me satisfied with the High Elf mechanics has failed.

Honestly, I'm not really trying to make you satisfied with the High Elf mechanics. I'm more pointing out that I completely disagree with your belief that the high elf doesn't make for a great wizard. In my opinion it makes a great race for a wizard.

 

[TwoSix]

Personally, I have less interest in convoluted optimization.

I want straightforward mechanical manifestation of official flavor.

 

[Hussar]

To be clear, the High Elf makes a mediocre Wizard. Not a subpar Wizard like a Drow Elf does.

The point is, if the mechanics make a race merely mediocre at something, then the race fails to merit a description that claims it is characteristic.



Dont waste the ink if the blah-blah-blah is missing the mechanics to back it up.

But, there is effectively NO DIFFERENCE between a +1 and a +2. None. None whatsoever. Your best stat at 1st level is 17. At least unless you're die rolling, and then all bets are off. But presuming point buy or standard array, you cannot EVER get higher than 17 at 1st level. And there is no difference between 16 and 17. And, again, no matter what, it will take 2 ASI's to hit 20. At best, the +2 Int race will get a half feat in lieu of other racial abilities.

There is just no difference here.

 

[Yaarel]

@Hussar. 4d6Drop is the official default for D&D 5e. The +2 improvement matters, so even a 20 is possible, tho often enough an 18 is. It is less helpful if a discussion ignores this. Failure to supply the +2 is effectively a feat tax.

 

[Yaarel]

Sometimes, the cultures of a race can differ significantly, to the point that sharing the same base ability score interferes with its design. The PH formula for race design is too rigid. It imposes +2 base and +1 culture, as the only way to design a race. This unflavorful grid-filling symmetry seems a mistake.

The UA Gith race design tried to break away from it. It had +1 Intelligence for the base, and then assigned +2 Dexterity for the Githzerai culture and +2 Constitution for the Githyanki culture. For this particular instance, the Gith, I can live with it.

Race design benefits to be more free form. The artificial symmetry that forces all cultures to have exactly the same base seems a wrongminded approach.

Even the PH breaks out the +2 +1 design, at least a little bit, to assign Strength +2 and Constitution +2 to both the Mountain Dwarf culture and the Half-Orc hybrid, to buttress their race flavor as excelling as warriors, strong and tough. Probably, they should have gone the same route with the design for the High Elf and assign it Dexterity +2 and Intelligence +2 so it can excel at wizardry.

In any case, I hope future designs care more about mechanizing the official flavor of a race. More free form mechanics. Less flavorless grid-filling symmetry.

 

[Yaarel]

Mechanics without flavor is a body without a consciousness.

Flavor without mechanics is a consciousness without a body.

 

[cbwjm]

Maybe the disconnect here is that you only look at the ability score adjustments to determine how the mechanics of a race fit the flavour, whereas many (most?) of us look at the full package.