Sorcerers Apprentice
Hero
Anyway, once I have the opportunity to play an "UA ranger", I'm definitely going to run an Int 6 Orc Beastmaster with an Int 6 Ape companion!
Removing The Stat Penaly on Volo's Guide Orcs
- Thread starter Ketser
- Start date
I'm thinking about not only ditching the penalty but also adding a version of the Battle Cry ability from the Orc War Chief:
Horwath
Legend
I'm all for ability penalty.
Heck, all PHB races except humans and half elves should have -1 penalty to one ability.
If humans are average and some races have something worse than humans then it should be represented by a penalty to ability.
I.E.
Elves could chose -1 to con or str,
Dwarves could chose -1 to dex or cha,
All small races would have -1 str,
Half orcs could chose -1 int or cha,
Add an extra +1 floating ability bonus to all races that can be any ability except racial with +2 bonus. If you chose to give +1 to a -1 penalized ability nothing will change but on average it will define a race as weaker in that segment.
Heck, all PHB races except humans and half elves should have -1 penalty to one ability.
If humans are average and some races have something worse than humans then it should be represented by a penalty to ability.
I.E.
Elves could chose -1 to con or str,
Dwarves could chose -1 to dex or cha,
All small races would have -1 str,
Half orcs could chose -1 int or cha,
Add an extra +1 floating ability bonus to all races that can be any ability except racial with +2 bonus. If you chose to give +1 to a -1 penalized ability nothing will change but on average it will define a race as weaker in that segment.
TheCosmicKid
Hero
You seem to be forgetting that 5E humans get +1 to everything.
Horwath
Legend
I'm not forgetting that.
That is one problem with this edition, everyone is a winner attitude.
For me humans would get more or less only variant option:
+1 to one ability. To describe varied nature and ability to specialize in everything.
extra feat at 1st level.
2 extra skill proficiencies.
extra saving throw proficiency.
common and extra 2 languages.
TheCosmicKid
Hero
How does +1 to everything imply "everyone is a winner"? It just means the average is 1 point higher than you think it is: half-orcs are effectively at -1 to everything except Str and Con.
And how is "everyone is a winner" a problem in any case?
You just complained about "everyone is a winner", but now you're overpowering humans?
Horwath
Legend
1st. penalty defines a race, same as a bonus.
IF human is average then giving it +0 to everything would be ideal. But all other races have features that define them that are not just abilities.
So, you have to give humans something to balance that out.
And as humans are bland and generic(in fantasy terms), you give them stuff to pick and define them, not fixed(stereotyped) like other races.
having just +1 to ability where most races have +3 or +4 total with darkvision and other usefull features(fixed skill or tool proficiency, advantage on certain saves etc...), is balanced by extra feat, skills, saves, and yeah, an extra language.
compare it to half elves.
human/half elf:
+1 to abilities/+4 to abilities
2 extra skills/2extra skills
3 languages/3 languages
now we have the rest
extra feat, extra save vs. darkvision, immunity to sleep, adv on saves vs charm and mentioned in 1st point +3 ability difference.
extra save is worth about as darkvision and 3 ability points and circumstance bonus of fey ancestry is worth a feat.
TheCosmicKid
Hero
Why? All that does is create the "everyone is a winner" problem you're complaining about where there wasn't one before. Again: half-orcs are effectively at -1 Dex, Int, Wis, and Cha compared to humans.
Extra save is worth way more than darkvision.
Horwath
Legend
Is it?
Ask your human rogue would he like to have con save proficiency or darkvision?
Similar Threads
- Locked
