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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 6290609" data-attributes="member: 58172">Typical Race Ability Score Modifiers: +1, +1, −1Race abilities are a complex issue. Some players want to emphasize ability score modifiers to make each race feel mechanically distinctive. Other players want to deemphasize them to keep each race open to any character concept, successful at any class. Some want a penalty to represent a weakness. Others find a penalty especially constraining to the possible character concepts. To accommodate the needs of as many players as possible, the following system seems to help.   The typical racial abilities is a bonus to two specific scores, and a penalty to one specific score. Players who dislike the penalty for a particular character can choose to remove one penalty along with one bonus. Here the modifier tends to be small to suggest a concept type with synergy with certain classes and options, but small enough to allow playing against type. For example, say the Wood Elf +1 bonus to the Dexterity score and to the Strength score, but a −1 penalty to the Intelligence score. Typically, a Wood Elf has all three modifiers. However, less typically, some Wood Elves have normal Intelligence without penalty, and such an individual tends to be less physical, having only one bonus, to either the Dexterity or the Strength, but not to both.Wood ElfChoose one of the following three options for modifiers to your ability scores.+1 to Dexterity+1 to Strength+1 to both Dexterity and Strength if also −1 to IntelligenceThe presence of three score modifiers allows many permutations to make each race feel different.SYLVAN ELF• Wild Elf (+1 to Dexterity or Wisdom, or to both if −1 to Charisma)• Wood Elf (+1 to Dexterity or Strength, or to both if −1 to Intelligence)Because a penalty helps balance, many variations for more complex racial designs can remain moreorless balanced to each other.+1, +1, −1+1+1, +1, +1, −1, −1Note, the typical race design includes three ability score modifiers but also a set of race features equivalent to a feat. For certain races, this feat is instead an additional bonus to ability scores.ORC• Ogrillon (+2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution, or +2 to Strength and Constitution if −1 to Intelligence)• Half-Orc (+1 to Strength or Constitution)Thus both the ‘simple’ design and the more adaptive design are possible for the Human race. The Human gets a bonus Feat. If not using feats, this Human Feat can instead be spent to boost two ability scores. A specific setting might have a list of Human Feats to choose from to represent various cultures in that setting.HUMAN (+1 to any ability plus a bonus Feat, or else +2 to any ability and +1 to any other ability)HALF-HUMANHalf-Human subraces, such as Half-Elf or Half-Orc, usually get one +1 like the Human parentage, but only to an ability that is specific to the Non-Human parentage. The Half-Human tends to lack any powerful Non-Human traits but might get some token ones. Meanwhile the Half-Human gains a bonus Human Feat like the Human parentage.In sum, race ability score modifiers as typically +1 to two abilities with -1 to one ability allows many possibilities and solves many problems, especially when players can opt out of the -1 penalty.</blockquote>

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