D&D 5E Racial bonuses as a floating modifier to ability scores

[delph]

I want to add racial bonuses to max in abilities too - if I have +2 dex, I can have 22 dex. It give me better feeling from ASi in game, when I can't have 20 strenght half-orc and halfling too...

 

[Horwath]

I want to add racial bonuses to max in abilities too - if I have +2 dex, I can have 22 dex. It give me better feeling from ASi in game, when I can't have 20 strenght half-orc and halfling too...

And here I am about limiting abilities to 18 max

 

[DND_Reborn]

I prefer to limit half-elf, human, and tiefling to 18 max, the other races will have one 20 max (dwarves=con, etc.) and all the rest will be 18 in the other 5 scores.

 

[Yaarel]

I no longer use racial ability improvements.

Instead, each race has a minimum ability bonus requirement.

For example, if a player wants to play a Drow, then they must assign a +2 or higher bonus to Dexterity (score of 14 or higher), and a +1 or higher to Charisma (score of 12 or higher).

So, if a player wants a Drow Fighter with high Strength, no problem. The Fighter will be as good as the Fighter of any other race, including Dragonborn.

I like this, because all classes open up to any race. At the same time, each race has salient flavor. For example, the Drow is inherently dexterous, and there is no such thing as a Drow with less than Dexterity +2.

It requires some modification. So, the player swaps the ability bonus for a choice of a feat that must somehow make sense for the race (+2 ability = feat; +1 ability = ½ feat).

The Human lacks an ability minimum, putting a low bonus anywhere. Without the +1 +1 +1, the Human gets two feats instead of one.

I like the results of minimums instead of boosts. The race gets more flavor. Also it helps out with the math of bounded accuracy, because all player characters start with lower numbers.

 

[Li Shenron]

Hi all, long time no see

What do people think about the idea of having the races' racial bonuses work instead as a floating modifier to ability scores? But the caveat is that you can't stack them into the same ability score.

So for high elves, their +2 Dex and +1 Int can instead be applied into, say, +2 Cha and +1 Wis for a charismatic diplomat who is always seemingly one step ahead in the great game of intrigue. Or for a high elf honed to physical perfection and peak fighting edge, that +2 Dex and +1 Int could instead be a +2 Str and +1 Con.

This way, you could get micro-cultures within the same racial make up.

I think generally ability scores bonuses are overrated. Given the ability scores cap at 20, the racial ability bonuses mainly give a starting advantage, and/or a point-buy discount, but not an ultimate advantage on the long run.

I also think 5e is flexible and generous enough with ability scores, that a player should not really pick a race just because it maximises the chosen class' primary score.

I still think that ability score bonuses help in the representation or perception of different races, even if a player can easily adjust ability scores so that those bonuses matter little. It still matters to be able to say "Dwarves are sturdiest than humans" when referring to the fantasy world as a whole.

So I see no point in house ruling them.

 

[Shiroiken]

In the playtest at one point, you got an ability score boost from your class (races only granted 2 +1s). This meant that you would always have a bonus to the primary ability score needed for the class (multi-class would not gain the benefit, same as saving throw proficiency). I was a big fan, but sad that it was eventually removed.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I agree that removing the racial modifiers eliminates their thematic reason for being. So, if you want to go this route, why not split the difference?

Make the +2 an OR choice between the two racial stats, and let the +1 be a floating bonus (perhaps representing talent your individual character was gifted with at birth).

For example, iirc a high elf gets +2 Dex and +1 Int under the standard rules. With this change, they get a +2 to Dex or Int, and a +1 to any other stat.

That allows players to guarantee a 16 in their prime requisite irrespective of race, which is the main thing. Whether you have a 16 or 17 to start hardly ever matters, unless you're planning to take a +1 feat down the line.

 

[CubicsRube]

I always thought a stat boost should come from the class selection. It'd make sense that a cleric would get a boost in wisdom, or a wizard in int, who is supposed to be smarter than others.

As @Yaarel Mentioned, i am perspnally a fan of racial minimum requirements.

Want to be an elf and get the benefits? 12 dex prerequisite, dwarf? 12 con, etc. This keeps the theme of the races but it also imposes a cost to the racial choice.

What it doesn't do however, is penalisw a player for choosing an atypical combination. A goliath wizard might be fine, but you'll have to put some points in str.

 

[Imminent.Demilich]

Been world-building for decades. Fantasy realism comes to mind. Just because certain species have naturally different ability capabilities doesn't make them lesser/better in the content of their character; but it does prevent cartoonish games. Why not have that Ogre Ballerina stand out for incredible accomplishment of still outperforming the local sprite dancing guild? If all species are exactly the same, that helps me assess what to tell my bookie when Goliath vs Halfling sumo wrestling medieval Olympics kick off - obviously that will be a 50/50 probability split (obviously realistic for a 350lb 7' tall species to be split decisions against her or his or their or its 50lb 2'11" adversary base)....((That's me being sarcastic)) But to each her, his, their, its own. .....as for me, the 5e roll-out, requires EXTENSIVE OVERHAUL work Homebrew edits. My campaign groups have always been hooked and I can't create fast enough. But point is to have fun so use 5e standard to your hearts content.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Hi all, long time no see

What do people think about the idea of having the races' racial bonuses work instead as a floating modifier to ability scores? But the caveat is that you can't stack them into the same ability score.

So for high elves, their +2 Dex and +1 Int can instead be applied into, say, +2 Cha and +1 Wis for a charismatic diplomat who is always seemingly one step ahead in the great game of intrigue. Or for a high elf honed to physical perfection and peak fighting edge, that +2 Dex and +1 Int could instead be a +2 Str and +1 Con.

This way, you could get micro-cultures within the same racial make up.

My preference is to go with the 13th Age approach.

Each race has two stat options. Pick one for a +2 bonus.

Each class has two stat options. Pick one for a +2 bonus--so long as it isn't the same as the one you picked for race.

That way, nobody can complain that they couldn't get +2 Int to play a Wizard, or +2 Strength to play a Fighter, or whatever else, unless that's what they want. Conversely, nobody is forced to play a Wizard with ultra-high intelligence if they would prefer to roleplay the whole "playing against type" thing. Some combos provide a ton of diversity this way, so you have up to four different options: e.g. if race is +A or +B and class is +X or +Y, then you could have A&X, A&Y, B&X, B&Y. Options that do "play to type" so to speak have only one option, since A&B is the same as B&A--meaning there is a real, but small, benefit to playing against type: more variety. Every Dragonborn Paladin is going to have +Str/+Cha, but a Wood Elf Paladin could be +Str/+Wis, +Str/+Dex, +Wis/+Cha, or +Dex/+Cha--anything from a proselytizer-in-plate to a puckish rogue.

This method preserves the idea that you have some notion of what it means to be X species, without pigeonholing every single member of that species to one and only one physiological expression. It recognizes that training and inclination matter--that maybe you chose to be a Wizard because you're quite sharp, or because you chose

And it make the Human floating +2 actually quite strong: every human character is always capable of having any bonus stat they want and a bonus to whatever stat they desire from their class. Ultimate flexibility, truly a pure bonus rather than a mixed blessing.

@CubicsRube, just saw your post, would this sort of idea work for you? I find it pretty great conceptually, and it's easy as pie to implement it in 5e if you want to: just have every class give the option of picking one of the two stats for which it gets saving throw proficiency.