D&D (2024) Should all races/lineages have +2/+1/+1 ASI?

[CreamCloud0]

i feel like this would just be more stat creep

and honestly, i don't understand why it's half-elf that gets +2/+1/+1 and not human, i mean yeah, originally humans were 5x(+1) before Vuman came along so it was less than that and was when fixed asi was still a thing so the +1s were a benefit being floating but now that all stats are floating it feels unneccasary for them to have.

like how mountain dwarf has +2/+2 because STR and CON were more niche use stats to that justified having the extra asi but now that they're floating that bit of balance has gone out of the window.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

i feel like this would just be more stat creep

I feel it's been going this way for a while, as the genre of DnD has gradually changed from more gritty to more heroic.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I feel it's been going this way for a while, as the genre of DnD has gradually changed from more gritty to more heroic.

maybe, but that doesn't mean i think it should be encouraged.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

maybe, but that doesn't mean i think it should be encouraged.

That's why I think it should be an option in the DMG. It's clear that a massive portion of the playerbase want higher starting scores. But over time, those of us who want a more gritty campaign type have been left by the wayside.

Having both heroic and gritty arrays for starting stats makes both groups happier.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Like current half-elves, +2/+1/+1 or alternatively +1/+1/+1/+1/+1/+0, as +2 to highest stat is worth more than +1 to two stats.
And maybe be default human choice or anyone that feels that way.
Also by not giving +1 to 6th ability, it gives option in point buy/array for having an 8 as a choice penatly. 9 is just begging to be raised to 10 with some half feat.


Why this suggestion?

It would give less room to "special" racial traits, be easier to balance, and lessen the forum chatter on how race is too influential to character design.


Also, culture can be a single addition in character creation outside biological traits:
Pick one skill, pick total of 4 languages, tools or weapons that you are proficient.


Then you can have:

1. Ability boost: +2/+1/+1 or +1 to 5 abilities
2. Biological traits:
darkvision,
speed(bonus speed or other speed movements as climb, swim, fly or burrow),
Innate spellcasting,
resistances and advantages vs various damage or conditions,
skills that could be biological: Athletics, Acrobatics, Perception, Insight, with maybe an Expertise if those if there is room for it: Possible Elves with proficiency+expertise in Perception.
Natural armor,
Natural attacks, includes possible poison or elemental added damage,
Bonus HPs,
Etc....

3.
Culture:
one skill,
4 tools, languages or weapons of choice

4.
Background:
2 skills tied to background
tool or language tied to it

5.
Feat, whatever options are final for 1st level choice.

6.
1st level class features


Or you can merge 3&4&5 to single entry of 1 feat, 3 skills and 5 tools, languages or weapons.

Then you get biological traits, class traits and customize your character traits.

Nah. I want heritage to be more influential on character design, not less.

Anyway nothing anyone does will quiet the kind of forum chatter you're talking about.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Critical role characters had scores below 8 on a regular. And though it was always a notable point about those characters, it didn't prevent them functioning.

In theory, CR character stats were rolled.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That's why I think it should be an option in the DMG. It's clear that a massive portion of the playerbase want higher starting scores. But over time, those of us who want a more gritty campaign type have been left by the wayside.

Having both heroic and gritty arrays for starting stats makes both groups happier.

We're being left by the wayside in many ways.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

We're being left by the wayside in many ways.

Ability score generation is the absolute easiest scalable DM option in the entire game. No one is being left by the wayside in that regard. There isn't a Right Way for ability score generation, because there are so many valid options that really just translate into a very robust sliding scale that works no matter how far you slide it. The impact isn't good or bad, rather it is merely a preference, as it is the primary factor for determining whether PCs have "heroic" or "gritty" power level.

The baseline is just what the designers think is balanced, moderate level, which is nothing more than a guideline. If the table disagrees with the designers' determination, it is a very easy fix. They just do something different. No one is doing anything wrong. Heck, I haven't used the PH stat generation options in years. The designers just need the normal 2-3 options with insights/explanations for new players.

The classes and subclasses are getting a tiny bit of a boost in D&D24. I think that the baseline ability score generation methods should stay the same as 2014, because if the baseline was just higher numbers, on top of the boosts the classes and subclasses are getting, that's just an even more powerful experience going forward. Let experienced tables do what they've always done, which is decide for themselves, but the game does not have to change to "validate" their preferences. They don't need validation. They know what they are doing. The printed ability score generation methods just need to work well for newbies until they decide how they want to do it themselves.

 

[Emberashh]

I believe that rolling for stats/abilities is going more and more into optional rule.
array/point buy will probably default ability score generation with rolling as an optional rule.

I think the principle reason point buy tends to be so alluring is because your base stats are too consequential for bringing a class online, which in turn is a massive problem unto itself.

A lot of the game is based around binary you either have this working or you don't; theres no graduation of capability and as such, randomizing starting stats conflicts with how progression works.

But with a MAD design and more diverse bonus dice, these can be combatted against, as the former will prevent any given Race from being too consequential towards enabling a particular playstyle, and the latter will give more volition in what Race they pick, and both together synergize really well with the roleplaying need to want to be an actual someone rather than Math in a Trenchcoat.

And beyond this if Class design focused on enabling a playstyle, in full, from the start and enhancing its capabilities, rather than breaking up to playstyle into parts, then the benefits of how Race could work get emphasized even more.

 

[Horwath]

ngl I've often thought the same thing. It governs no skills, and characters almost universally put 13-15 in the stat. If you removed it completely the game wouldn't change. I would want different classes to get different amounts of HP per level up though.

OFC.

just delete con, put it's saves into STR, it will help with STR-DEX balance
and have all classes give +2 more HP per level.

1st level wizard 8 HP, 6 HP per level later
1st level barbarian 14HP. 9 HP per level later.