D&D 5E Races with floating bonuses: Designing from scratch

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Move it mostly to background and class. Everyone gets a total of +3 to their Ability Scores at level one, one from their race (based on their races/subraces boosts, which they choose), one from their background (Soldiers can choose a +1 to STR or CON, Scholars can choose a +1 to INT or WIS, etc), and one from their class (Wizards get a +1 to INT, Fighters get a +1 to DEX or STR, etc).

This should satisfy everyone. Race still matters, but your background and profession matters more.

 

[tetrasodium]

every race should have a set budget for racial abilities separate from the raw ability mods. Abilities should fir within that budget. Doing this is far less complicated than some suggest & would improve the game in other areas by padding out tables like the dmg280/281 tables with more stuff for gms to use

Spoiler: the tables

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[Einlanzer0]

This was by far the weakest part of Tasha's. I expected some neat new rules, not a generic "bonuses can float" which I didn't need a rulebook to tell me I could do, and probably still won't allow all that generously.

The truth is I don't like how little distinction there is between small and medium races, and this makes it even worse. I feel small races should be redesigned from the ground up to offer an altogether different play experience from medium races.


It's an area that badly needed to be reimagined for 5e the way it was for pathfinder and it unfortunately wasn't, so now we have this crap.

 

[BacchusNL]

I think it starts by determining a budged for of what a race can get in terms of features and then assign points to the different features available. Something like (And obviously these are VERY rough numbers I just pulled out of my...thumb):
+1 Stat: 2 points
Feat: 5 points
Flying: 6 points
Darkvision: 1 point
Natural weapons 1 point
Racial casting: 2 points
Skill Proff: 0.5 point
Tool prof: 0.25 point
ect.

Ofcoarse at the same time you would have to look at the inherrent problem some racial features have, like number or scaling issues (that's my daily dig at Dragonborn done for the day btw), fix them and rate the new feature accordingly.


If you combine this idea with something like Treantmonk's Feat Variant Options, which tweaks feats to smaller/ more customizeble choices (and nerfs some of the bigger offenders like Lucky/ Sharpshooter, which artificialy inflate the value of feats to begin with), I think you can create a much deeper character creation system then what's in place currently.

Let's take the first feat in that document, Armorer, as an example. You could say, for example, "Mountain Dwarves get 2 choices out of the Armorer feat-list", as a racial feature when you get the number of points and feats sorted. Going by the rules within the document a Dwarven Ranger would then be able to wear full plate (and pick up one of the other features on the side), which would make sense I think, but a Dwarf wizard would get up to light armor max (and a Dwarven Bladesinger, who get's light armor from the subclass, get's the option for Medium Armor). I think something like that would be a very decent comprimise between the current "all dwarven mages get medium armor and a bunch of useless tool profs" and the idea that a mage in Dwarven society would probably be more heavily armored then an elven mage (though not necesarily less skilled at their craft, as in the old system).

 

[aco175]

You could as far as giving each race and class a point buy and each race/class would be unique to themselves. A set number of points to take heavy armor and only simple weapons, throw some points to darkvision and lay on hands. A few points to get breath weapon and +2 to Con. It might make the game more 6e than 5e.

 

[Horwath]

remove racial ability bonuses:

make standard array 16,14,14,12,12,10

point buy: 32pts pool

8 - 0pts
9 - 1pt
10 - 2pts
11 - 3pts
12 - 4pts
13 - 5pts
14 - 6pts
15 - 8pts
16 - 10pts

 

[FireLance]

Starting from scratch, I'd probably have all races grant +2 to two ability scores. One +2 bonus must be assigned to an ability score in which the race has a traditional advantage, e.g. Dexterity or Intelligence for a high elf, Strength or Constitution for a half-orc, or exchanged for a racial feat. The other +2 bonus can be assigned to any other ability score.

To me, this strikes about the right balance between providing a mechanical basis for how the races are distinctively described and allowing players to put one +2 bonus where they want, if it is really that important to them.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Starting from scratch, I'd probably have all races grant +2 to two ability scores. One +2 bonus must be assigned to an ability score in which the race has a traditional advantage, e.g. Dexterity or Intelligence for a high elf, Strength or Constitution for a half-orc, or exchanged for a racial feat. The other +2 bonus can be assigned to any other ability score.

To me, this strikes about the right balance between providing a mechanical basis for how the races are distinctively described and allowing players to put one +2 bonus where they want, if it is really that important to them.

When I start a new campaign, I'm thinking of doing something similar. A static +1 to two abilities traditionally associated with that race, and two floating points, to a max of +2 for any individual score. So a Forest Gnome could start with +2 Int / +2 Dex, +2 Int or Dex / +1 Int or Dex / +1 any other, or +1 Int / +1 Dex / +2 any other. They'd also have the option of trading the floaters for something like Fade Away.

 

[BookTenTiger]

One thing I notice in these discussions is a focus on the "genetics" or physicality of lineages, which is kind of illogic since they are made up and don't actually have a genetic history.

I think it's a much better idea to build a ruleset off of the "narrative truths" of each lineage. What should it feel like playing as an elf vs a dwarf? What rules support that playstyle? I think freeing ability bonuses from races gives future designers to focus on other abilities, proficiencies, and powers that give each lineage a unique feeling no matter your ability scores.

If it were up to me, I'd break it down into three parts.

Your lineage grants you unique proficiencies, powers, and narrative truths that help, say, and elf fighter and an elf wizard feel like they are playing the same lineage. There would be no ability bonuses for lineages.

There would be a +1 bonus to an ability scores through your background, though these could also be presented as a choice. As a character with a noble background, you can choose +1 to Charisma or Intelligence.

The +2 would come from class. It just makes sense to gain a +2 to Dexterity from your training to become a rogue.

Just like background and class skill proficiencies, if your background and class ability bonuses are the same you just choose a new one.

As for lineage powers, I would follow a thought pattern like this:

When I play as an elf, I want to be a bit otherworldly. So whatever bonuses I get should make me feel like a magical race that doesn't follow the same natural laws as humans.

Elf:
Sleepless: trance instead of sleep for 4 hours a night, immune to sleep spell effects.
Otherworldly sight: choose proficiency in two skills (Insight, Investigation, Perception, or Survival).

Then I would have some lineage feats or powers associated with different ideas of what it means to be an elf. Say, something like...

Elven Weapon Proficiency: you gain proficiency in short swords, longswords, shortbows and longbows.

Inherent Magic: Gain access to a cantrips from the Wizard spell list.

As part of choosing your lineage, you choose one lineage feat from your lineage or another's.

Anyways, that's how I'd do it!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I'd remove racial ASI but go with a race-as-classes instead!

Class: Elf
Archetype: Bladesinger, High Mage, Wood Warden, Arcane Archer, Tempest

Class: Dwarf
Archetype: Dwarven Defender, Runepriest, Cavern Strider, Battlerager, Vault breaker

Class: Halfling
Archetype: Hurler, Sheriff, Burglar, Dog Rider, Chaplain of Arvoreen

etc etc