Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
Yeah, I don't personally care either way, but I don't see a problem with doing the thing that makes people less uncomfortable.
D&D 5E What To Do With Racial ASIs?
- Thread starter DND_Reborn
- Start date
DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
I suppose in a lot of ways I tie background to culture quite a bit... A culture that is more "warlike" is likely to have more soldiers, for example. A culture that is more academic might have more sages.
A while ago someone (I think it was @CubicsRube IIRC) who did a thread on cultural modifiers into something like 12 variants. I was thinking about that two for this thread, but I would want something super simple if possible.
Maybe (just spit balling...) something like:
Academic
Agricultural
Military
Nomadic
Religious
etc.
Any race could have any "primary" cultural type? Each cultural type could offer a choice of two ASI +1. Like Agricultural might offer CON or WIS?
Then, if you want to include class, have each class offer an ASI +1 in either of the ability scores in which it has proficiency for saving throws?
Note: your cultural and class choices MUST be different.
Finally, throw in a single floating ASI +1. This represents an area the PC decided to improve themselves in prior to adventuring. This point can go wherever you want.
Races could have traits, but maybe no ASI and instead (if you want) cap the ability scores at 18, but offer a single 20 cap if warranted to represent the race? Such as Dwarves might have max CON 20 instead of 18.
A while ago someone (I think it was @CubicsRube IIRC) who did a thread on cultural modifiers into something like 12 variants. I was thinking about that two for this thread, but I would want something super simple if possible.
Maybe (just spit balling...) something like:
Academic
Agricultural
Military
Nomadic
Religious
etc.
Any race could have any "primary" cultural type? Each cultural type could offer a choice of two ASI +1. Like Agricultural might offer CON or WIS?
Then, if you want to include class, have each class offer an ASI +1 in either of the ability scores in which it has proficiency for saving throws?
Note: your cultural and class choices MUST be different.
Finally, throw in a single floating ASI +1. This represents an area the PC decided to improve themselves in prior to adventuring. This point can go wherever you want.
Races could have traits, but maybe no ASI and instead (if you want) cap the ability scores at 18, but offer a single 20 cap if warranted to represent the race? Such as Dwarves might have max CON 20 instead of 18.
DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
FWIW, I noticed it is interesting some votes are being changed. 
TwoSix
Everyone's literal second-favorite poster
Just do it like PF2. You get 2 boosts from background, the first to one of 2 options from the background, the other a boos to any stat.
PF2 almost certainly has the best system for generating stats in any D&D-like game.
Helldritch
Hero
LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!! (caps intended) 
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!
A floating +1 from culture would be a nice idea. Not everything should be related to race.
And strange that the "leave them alone" is so far, the most popular option. At a wee bit over 67% and the second is class and background...
Thank you Dnd4vr for this poll. So far it proves that my gut feelings were not off the mark.
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!
A floating +1 from culture would be a nice idea. Not everything should be related to race.
And strange that the "leave them alone" is so far, the most popular option. At a wee bit over 67% and the second is class and background...
Thank you Dnd4vr for this poll. So far it proves that my gut feelings were not off the mark.
DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
LOL, you're welcome...LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!! (caps intended)
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!
A floating +1 from culture would be a nice idea. Not everything should be related to race.
And strange that the "leave them alone" is so far, the most popular option. At a wee bit over 67% and the second is class and background...
Thank you Dnd4vr for this poll. So far it proves that my gut feelings were not off the mark.
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!
It isn't 67%. The way this poll works, it is actually a hair over 40% when you look at total votes:
It is still in the lead against the individual options, but "keeping them" while doing "something else" (e.g. float, move to class/background, boost array) is ahead with it at a total of 83 votes (27 + 38 + 15 ) currently.
So, as of right now more over all votes are in favor of change. Hope that doesn't turn the feelings in your gut too much....
Helldritch
Hero
You are adding all the other options together to beat the Leave them alone! I compare the leave them alone to each other options separately as it should be. When the poll is finished. I'd recomend to take the two most popular ones and pit them against one another just to see. The closest choice: "Move them to class and/or background instead" does not fully reach half of the "leave them alone". Each items should be analysed against one another but one at a time. The two options that are closest to each others are: "Make them floating and Move them to background and/or class" reach 33% if you add them together.
The second vote is even more in favor of the: "leave them alone!". 22% and if you add the corresponding options you get about 12%. Putting the "leave them alone" even further and over the 50% +1 where it would win if the poll was an election.
Of the other choice, a floating +1 related to background/culture would be good and nice to have. But my prefered choice would be to keep things as they are. Again, analysing numbers can be done in many ways. What you see as proving your point can be look by someone else and analyzed in such a way that it proves a complete opposite point. Only by reducing the choice trough multiple post will we see.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
This is why I like the idea of putting the uniqueness of each stat in each class, but since that may be too radical for a lot of people...
Raise the stat cap by the same amount as the race mod, give each class a mod as well with at least 2 choices relevant to the class, and don't let them stack.
Or get rid of bonuses alltogether. I've come around to being hard-opposed to starting stat boosts that aren't part of race. If they aren't there to make the goliath just more physically powerful than the gnome, to make a lazy goliath still stronger or as strong as the average human farmer, then they serve no purpose. Just raise the point buy to keep the system math the same, and raise the starting stat cap to 16.
Scott Christian
Hero
The poll numbers are clear for the small number voting (compared to what play). But, I suspect that would be pretty close to the numbers if you polled, say GenCon.
But, it certainly puts a conundrum to those that don't want to say a certain race is stronger or intelligent than another because it might mirror real life darkness. Either way, racial traits have been a long standing tradition in many RPG's. Didn't Pathfinder 2 do an attribute flaw this time around? Seems to me, no matter the decision, it will bound to disappoint some.
But here's hoping it doesn't. 
But, it certainly puts a conundrum to those that don't want to say a certain race is stronger or intelligent than another because it might mirror real life darkness. Either way, racial traits have been a long standing tradition in many RPG's. Didn't Pathfinder 2 do an attribute flaw this time around? Seems to me, no matter the decision, it will bound to disappoint some.
But here's hoping it doesn't.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
So, Goliaths already have Powerful Build, but so do Loxodons who aren’t a high Strength race but rather a big race.
So for Goliaths, replace +2 Strength with a boost to jump distance, and how far they can throw things?
Bugbears, on the other hand, could get something else that feels strength related.
I guess my problem is partly with the mindset I’ve seen a lot on twitter and elsewhere, that a Minotaur that is “allergic to exercise” should be weaker than a halfling that lifts.
But like...they are. Just build a Minotaur with 10 strength. Done.
So for Goliaths, replace +2 Strength with a boost to jump distance, and how far they can throw things?
Bugbears, on the other hand, could get something else that feels strength related.
I guess my problem is partly with the mindset I’ve seen a lot on twitter and elsewhere, that a Minotaur that is “allergic to exercise” should be weaker than a halfling that lifts.
But like...they are. Just build a Minotaur with 10 strength. Done.
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