Racial ASI removal: ASI to Class and Background

[Quartz]

In a future campaign, I'd like to try to remove the racial stat bonus and give it to class and background (ala 13th Age).

Just do away with stat bonus altogether. Give a feat and a skill related to class and a feat and a skill related to background. Demi-humans choose one set or the other, but don't get both.

 

[Thurmas]

The problem I see with this is some races get more bonuses than others. Basic human gets a total of +6 to stats, for example. The races are balanced around these stats. Giving them +2 and +1 from a class and background will severely hamper them.

I just allow players to assign the given stat bonuses as they would like. If they get +2 to one stat and +1 to another, they can assign them as they see fit. This doesn't imbalance anything, you get to see cool and unique class and race combos you wouldn't usually see, and people are more inclined to choose a race for flavor over optimization. Other races such as half elf get a +2, +1, +1 or the mountain dwarf gets +2, +2 to which ever stats they want. This keeps things simple and doesn't fundamentally change how the game works.

 

[WhosDaDungeonMaster]

I think one thing the OP really wants to focus on is the possibilities this could lead to as compared to RAW. Consider this example with the standard array:

Str 15
Dex 13
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 10
Chr 8

The player wants to be a Fighter with a simple Soldier background (remember, race is not really a factor now). Following the OP's options, the Fighter grants +1 Str and +1 Dex, the Soldier background is +1 Str or +1 Con. The player chooses Str +2 and Dex +1 (a combination no race in the PHB gets now).

Now pick a race that doesn't get a Str +2 RAW, say a Tiefling (normally Int +1 and Chr +2). Choosing Str +2 and Dex +1 gives:

Str 17
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 10
Chr 8

The result is a Tiefling Fighter with a higher Strength than RAW would ever allow. Also, his Charisma would be lower than normally possible. Is this a problem? Not as I see it.

If we bring to point the options others have posted about just granting a ASI +2 and ASI +1, letting the player put them wherever, works just as well as they could choose Str +2 and Dex +1.

Whether you go with the OP's proposal, or some of the others, the results are the same-- greater choices for the players. Since I would like to see players make out-of-the-box concepts, and for the simple sake of simplicity, I will probably just grant ASI +2 and ASI +1. If players want it to represent increases due to class and background, so be it. If they want something outside the norm represented by race, that works, too.

The only downside is Humans, what to do with them? The versatility of choice now is one of the things that makes them attractive to play since racial modifiers are fixed. Making all races have such versatility takes that away from Humans (or the Variant, anyway...).

 

[akr71]

Is there a way to roll for stat that would give an average result a little higher than the normal 4d6?

Off the top of my head, I'd suggest 4d6 and reroll 1's. I have no idea how the math works out as far averages, but it definitely bumps the low end from 3 to 6.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I love the idea of 3d6, 1 count as 6. I'll try that next time I think, no stats bump from races or class.

 

[WhosDaDungeonMaster]

I love the idea of 3d6, 1 count as 6. I'll try that next time I think, no stats bump from races or class.

Glad you like it. Once I tried it, it became my favorite method. You generally get good stats, but as one of my players can attest (his high was a single 14), there are not guarantees. Hope it works well for you!