Table of ability scores for each PHB race, MM race, and class

[Argyuile]

No lizard men or Thri - Keen

/slit wrists

 

[Voss]

Interesting table though. Thanks Asmor, it helps give me some ideas of what races I want to use in my own campaign. After getting some clearer rumors, I may, shockingly, actually keep dragonborn... though I may reskin them. Make them not lizards, and make the breath weapon a elemental conjuring effect.

With some of these those, I can get rid of the glut of charisma focused races in a strength-focused set of classes. My race list:
Humans
dwarves
elves
dopplegangers [changelings] feytouched humans
dragonborn (mechanics only) [??] humans who are bound to elemental spirits?
githyanki (mechanics only)[??] reflavor as shadowtouched humans, I think.
longtooth shifters [werekin] feral/berserker humans. changing the stats to Str/Dex, however.
Gives a much nicer even distrubition of stats, 2 races get a bonus to each stat, and humans can get any one.

 

[rhm001]

Its a matter of primary and secondary stats. Apparently most classes attack with one or two stats. Clerics, for example, seem to be str and wis. The secondary stats are nice, but not nearly as important.

That makes sense, and I agree with you. That's why I referred to the stat bumps in my post. But there are still problems with the table. Elves, who get a WIS bonus, are only one for cleric and are two for fighter, while dragonborn, who get a STR bonus, are two for cleric and one for fighter. You can build a very good cleric without strength (use the ranged wisdom spells); it sure doesn't seem like you can do the same for a fighter.

As for half elves, paladins use CHA for a lot of their attacks, and, while CON is not STR or WIS, it still gives them more hitpoints and more healing surges to use with lay on hands. Furthermore, despite what's been said elsewhere, there appear to be some good cross-class powers for several classes. A paladin with the cleric's (STR and CHA based) Priest's Shield attack would be good for helping out strikers or other defenders at least once an encounter.

 

[Argyuile]

What this table doesn't show you is the racial abilities. I wouldn't allow dopplegangers in my game because there racial ability would cause me way to much grief.

Here is the non pretty expert

Change Shape - Doppleganger racial power
you alter your form to look like some other humanoid

AT-Will Polymorph
Minor Action Personal

Effect: You can alter your physical form to take the appearance of any Medium humanoid, including a unique individual.


- If I where to allow this the first thing I would do is not make it at will, daily maybe, I haven't decided yet but I'm still inclined to just say no to this one.

 

[Voss]

It can certainly raise complicated situations, but... it doesn't look like a game breaker.
After the initial crime spree, it doesn't have that much effect, certainly not on the doppelganger's effectiveness in a party.

So what do you anticipate the problem(s) would be?

 

[Asmor]

What this table doesn't show you is the racial abilities. I wouldn't allow dopplegangers in my game because there racial ability would cause me way to much grief.

Here is the non pretty expert

Change Shape - Doppleganger racial power
you alter your form to look like some other humanoid

AT-Will Polymorph
Minor Action Personal

Effect: You can alter your physical form to take the appearance of any Medium humanoid, including a unique individual.


- If I where to allow this the first thing I would do is not make it at will, daily maybe, I haven't decided yet but I'm still inclined to just say no to this one.

I think you might be making too much of a big deal with this. After all, doppelgangers are basically just changelings from Eberron, which are an ECL+0 core race in the setting with that at-will shapeshifting ability.

 

[MindWanderer]

There's an error in the PDF for rogues (Cha, not Wis).

 

[Asmor]

I updated my original spreadsheet to include Mr. Teapot's as well. I also fixed the dwarf's entry as far as Cleric goes (it should only be 1, not 2). I'm sure there are other errors, as well (in particular, I think in my original sheet I may have put the wrong Rogue modifiers).

I'm at work right now and can't really check it very thoroughly, though.

 

[Dragonbait]

No lizard men or Thri - Keen

/slit wrists

I don't think either are in the MM. If Primal powers are coming in the the second PHB, I'd guess that Lizardfolk will be in teh MM2 to keep the primitive/druidic culture (Orcs were probably way too important and popular cannon fodder to cut from MM1 even though they, too, are famously barbarians and the like). And if Psionic powers are in PHB2, then maybe thri-kreen will be in MM2? Otherwise that's one heck of an oversight to not make them one of the pre-made playable races if they are in MM1 (it looks like it's super easy to convert a monster to a playable race btw).

 

[Argyuile]

I think you might be making too much of a big deal with this. After all, doppelgangers are basically just changelings from Eberron, which are an ECL+0 core race in the setting with that at-will shapeshifting ability.

I never played ebberon so I can't speak to this. I just see PC's trying to impersonate everyone in every town all the time.