Racial Abilities and Traits

[Aldarc]

This thread is not about what races you want included as "core" races. Instead, the question is more about how you want to see racial traits done. How much should player race matter? What sort of abilities should be given? Should races confer ability modifiers? If so, how much? Low-light vision and darkvision? Large and small modifiers? And so on...

 

[grimslade]

Please kill stat modifiers for race. It is a trite method for establishing favored class. Minor traits or abilities are a good way to differentiate the races in a gamer friendly way without the need to play the stat min max game.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I'd like to see significant ability modifiers; especially for the smaller races.

I don't want to see things like free weapon proficiencies built into the race; keep starting race as a biological concept and add culture in later.

Favored classes suck. Halflings make better rogues because they're small and dextrous. Adding favored class: rogue doesn't change this and doesn't really help anything.

In general, I'd like to see race and starting ability scores matter more, and level-derived benefits matter less, as race becomes almost irrelevent at high levels in a number of different D&D-like games.

 

[Aldarc]

I'd like to see ability modifiers deemphasized some, such that players are encouraged to create the race/class they want and not the one needed to min/max the game. I mused about giving races bonuses to all ability-based skill checks opposed to giving them ability modifiers.

 

[Minigiant]

I like my elves elfy and dwarves drwarfy.

I want race choice to be as important as class choice.

Ability modifiers can stay but be minor. One step up or down.

Instead racial features should be major factors of a characters. For example elves could be known for their accuracy, they rarely miss with weapon or spells. When an elf chooses a target, consider it already be hit. Like 4e, they could get rerolls but instead of "once an encounter", it's like "3 times an encounter."

Or dwarves could be known as unstoppable and immovable Knocking them down is near impossible. Don't bother pushing them. A dwarf wizard can cast a spell in the middle of a blizzard while drunk without worrying about it fizzling

 

[Ramaster]

I like the idea that Class is more important than Race.. It just kinda makes sense to me. My Wizard characters are defined by the fact that they studied the arcane arts, not by weather they have pointy ears or not. That being said, I would like something on the lines of the later books for 4e: "+2 to one stat and +2 to a choice of two others".

That makes them varied (within the same race), interesting and mechanically diverse.

 

[Raith5]

I agree with some flexibility with regards to stat bonuses but I think elves should be more nimble that dwarfs etc

I would like to see their abilities being fun and not too powerful (eg dwarf second wind as a minor).

 

[Greg K]

Ability Modifiers
Biological Abilities (e.g., night vision, dark vision, natural attacks, bonuses vs. poison, etc.)

Leave out cultural stuff (e.g, weapon proficiencies, detect stone work, craft bonuses, fighting bonuses vs. races). Apply with backgrounds/themes representing background and culture as well as feat choices (as in 4e) and class choice

In most instances replace immunities with high save bonus (e.g,+10).

 

[Aldarc]

Ability Modifiers
Biological Abilities (e.g., night vision, dark vision, natural attacks, bonuses vs. poison, etc.)

Leave out cultural stuff (e.g, weapon proficiencies, detect stone work, craft bonuses, fighting bonuses vs. races). Apply with backgrounds/themes representing background and culture as well as feat choices (as in 4e) and class choice

In most instances replace immunities with high save bonus (e.g,+10).

I agree that cultural abilities should be left out entirely. While I know there would be an uproar against it, I would honestly prefer 'race' to simply be replaced by something like 'background.' Then both cultural and biological can be tweaked to particular campaigns.

 

[FireLance]

I would prefer to give players the option to make race matter as much or as little as they want. I've previously expressed the view that race should be like a theme, granting players the option to take certain powers and benefits if they want to. Some of the more recent races in 4e have a similar approach by allowing players to select racial utility powers in place of class utility powers. So, maybe instead of selecting a class encounter attack power, an elf could select elven marksmanship, a racial attack power that allows him to make a highly accurate (roll twice, take the better roll) ranged basic attack that deals some extra damage (maybe + 1[W] per tier) if it hits.