Racial modifiers

[Zappo]

I think there should be no problem with odd number modifiers, I don't have a problem with even numbers either. However, if you rolled a 15, 13, 11, you would be quite happy to apply +1, +1, -1. Maybe it is best to have both an odd and even modifer with every race.

No, it doesn't work. If (for example) you changed the half-orc to grant +2 STR, -1 INT, -1 CHA, a player could place an odd number in INT and CHA and effectively get the strength bonus for nothing. Same for any other combination. Unless you're willing to take creation control away from the player - and I won't - there's no way to use odd numbers as race modifiers and keep them balanced.

 

[pdkoning]

No, it doesn't work. If (for example) you changed the half-orc to grant +2 STR, -1 INT, -1 CHA, a player could place an odd number in INT and CHA and effectively get the strength bonus for nothing. Same for any other combination. Unless you're willing to take creation control away from the player - and I won't - there's no way to use odd numbers as race modifiers and keep them balanced.

mmm... +2 STR, - 1 INT, -1 CHA is truly unbalanced, not even considering the odd numbers. The original half-orc is: +2 STR, -2 INT, -2 CHA. When using odd numbers, I would make something like this: +2 STR, -1 CHA, -2 INT -1 WIS. Here he does not get the strength bonus for nothing. I still don't think it unbalances the game.

 

[Deset Gled]

The point is that a -1 to a stat can be completely negated at the time of character creation, whereas a +1 can be milked to get the same bonus as +2. It's not so much unbalancing as it is just poor design to allow something like that to be mathematically possible. In order to change it, you'd have to completely re-write the stat bonus mechanics, which IMO work rather nicely as they are.

 

[Zappo]

mmm... +2 STR, - 1 INT, -1 CHA is truly unbalanced, not even considering the odd numbers. The original half-orc is: +2 STR, -2 INT, -2 CHA. When using odd numbers, I would make something like this: +2 STR, -1 CHA, -2 INT -1 WIS. Here he does not get the strength bonus for nothing. I still don't think it unbalances the game.

Yeah, ok, but that's not the point. Let's use your example: if I put an odd value in CHA and WIS, I'm only losing one skill point per level and one point in INT skills. If I put an even value in CHA and WIS, I'm losing one skill point per level, one point of Will save, and one point in INT, CHA and WIS skills. The difference is considerable. Maybe not game-breaking, but still it would ensure that every single half-orc player would try to place odd values in CHA and WIS, thus reducing variety.

Besides, there's just no point in making odd modifiers. A +1 INT is not "smarter than a human, but dumber than a gray elf". It's EITHER just as smart as a human OR just as smart as a gray elf. Putting an odd racial modifier does not make the race "in-between" the two even numbers before and after. That's just an illusion.

 

[The Souljourner]

I actually really like the 3.x stat system. It's back to basics, with nice easy bonuses that apply to just about everything. No more need for a different weird-ass chart for each ability score, so no one really knows what bonus a 17 gives to open doors. Now we all know automatically it's +3. Easy. Making it one for one would screw up the d20 system.... though I definitely think something needs to be done about ability checks. The fact that a strength 18 guys is only about 20% more likely to succeed at a feat of strength than a strength 10 guy is ridiculous. The bonuses work fine for combat, where a difference of +3 makes a huge difference over the course of a fight, but when it's a one-off roll, the stat should have a much bigger impact.

And yeah, +1s are stupid in the system. +2 always adds 1 to your modifier, and -2 always subtracts one. And since it's the modifiers that matter (usually), that's the best way to do it. And besides, why bother with +1? It's miniscule. On the grand scale of things, a race that gets +1 to strength is barely differentiable from humans, whereas +2 is a more significant difference.

-The Souljourner