D&D 5E (2014) Racial Ability Score Mods

[Sunseeker]

The problem is an optimizer ....

Sorry, but isn't that exactly what optimizers do right now?

If you want a system where certain races simply can't be certain classes due to all the penalties lumped on them well, stuff that noise.

 

[Minigiant]

No, it would not be even remotely balanced. A feat is balanced against a +2 bonus in your primary score. A feat is worth as much as +2 Dex for a rogue, or +2 Cha for a sorcerer. A feat is worth way more than +2 Str for either of them.

True.
It almost seems like you'd have to class lock it too.
Like

+Optional) At the first level, you may take a racial ability score penalty penalty to gain a feat. The feat you choose cannot grant a bonus to any ability score you have a penalty in. You racial penalty must be in the primary, secondary, of tertiary ability scores for your class.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

True.
It almost seems like you'd have to class lock it too.

That opens up room for multi-class shenanigans, and a feat is still better than +2 to your secondary or tertiary stat, in any case.

The only real way to balance it would be to take a -2 penalty to your highest stat. That way, you can take the stat bump at level 4, and you'll end up in the same place as a normal character who didn't take this option and instead took the feat at level 4.

 

[Minigiant]

That opens up room for multi-class shenanigans, and a feat is still better than +2 to your secondary or tertiary stat, in any case.

The only real way to balance it would be to take a -2 penalty to your highest stat. That way, you can take the stat bump at level 4, and you'll end up in the same place as a normI character who didn't take this option and instead took the feat at level 4.

i dunno.
That is too much a penalty. The game system pretty much is based on you having a 15 or more primary.

If your race stat is not your primary, you're too weak.
If your race stat is your primary, you basically start with 15 in your primary and a feat.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

i dunno.
That is too much a penalty. The game system pretty much is based on you having a 15 or more primary.

The math is based around starting with a 15, give or take racial bonuses, and raising it by +2 at your earliest opportunity.

A feat is balanced to be equal to that +2. The ability to Power Attack and Cleave with a two-handed melee weapon is definitionally worth exactly +1 to hit and +1 to damage with that weapon. If you give any option for anyone to take both of those things, then that option will be over-powered relative to what the game expects.

Not that the game will be ruined, or anything, but it's very much like taking an array that has a 17 instead of a 15. It just is more powerful.

 

[bedir than]

I guess I'm odd. I got a kick out of playing AD&D characters that were in non-optimized classes, like the Halfling Fighter.

 

[Minigiant]

The math is based around starting with a 15, give or take racial bonuses, and raising it by +2 at your earliest opportunity.

A feat is balanced to be equal to that +2. The ability to Power Attack and Cleave with a two-handed melee weapon is definitionally worth exactly +1 to hit and +1 to damage with that weapon. If you give any option for anyone to take both of those things, then that option will be over-powered relative to what the game expects.

Not that the game will be ruined, or anything, but it's very much like taking an array that has a 17 instead of a 15. It just is more powerful.

My point is that if your racial bonus doesn't match your primary, your highest score will be either a 15 or 16.
Therefore if you take a -2 penalty to your highest, your primary will be a 13 or 14 like a gnome fighter with 13 Str or dwarf rogue with 13 Dex.


That's why my penalties were defined. It looked out special builds but boosted sterotypes.

Dwarves would always want heavy armor and not be bard.
Elves would not be frontliners.
Halflings only uses magic ranged weapons, or finesse weapons.

It would be a group decision to enforce sterotypes.