D&D 5E What To Do With Racial ASIs?

[CleverNickName]

There's nothing wrong with this, except it shifts the onus from race to background. And, since backgrounds are completely customizable, you basically are giving floating ASIs anyway as long as the player/DM can justify it if they feel the need.

See, I think this is a feature and not a bug. Some players absolutely need a certain +2 bonus to a certain stat, or otherwise their character is just Completely Unplayable somehow...and this is a way to make them happy.

Anyway, thank you very much for getting the thread back on track and offering your thoughts. They're perfectly good and might work for many players!

All in all, I think the best thing is a fixed +1 for race, a chose of two options for class, and a floating +1, capping it at +2 for any one ability score. But, I posted on that before and never got much feedback--maybe people don't like it or maybe they are just "thread-dead" and tired of discussing it? shrug

Happy to help. Moving ASIs to class is probably better than moving them to Backgrounds, but my head wraps around Backgrounds a little more easily. And I think that Backgrounds need some more love; they're my favorite aspect of character creation but they are little more than a footnote at the moment.

 

[FrogReaver]

Could I? I don't save DDB or wotc videos or podcast episodes, nor do I catalogue which ones touch on which topics. I'd have to use the reference desk, just like the other person.

Why should I do that work that I've already done in the past for myself, for someone else,

If you don’t have the link then don’t assert you have the proof. But if you don’t care about the topic enough to refind the proof then I’m not sure why those you are discussing with should either.

More importantly though, I have no idea exactly which video or graph or chart you refer to. Even if I look I may find something else other than what you intended.

 

[DND_Reborn]

See, I think this is a feature and not a bug. Some players absolutely need a certain +2 bonus to a certain stat, or otherwise their character is just Completely Unplayable somehow...and this is a way to make them happy.

Sure! I rarely feel the need for that +2 out of the gate at level 1 to an ability score, but far be it from me to create a system where people who do want it won't be able to get it!

That's why I like the race +1, class +1, float +1. Usually the people who want the +2 want it for their main class score, which the class +1 options would fulfill when you stack on either the race +1 (if appropriate) or use the float +1 (if race isn't).

Happy to help. Moving ASIs to class is probably better than moving them to Backgrounds, but my head wraps around Backgrounds a little more easily. And I think that Backgrounds need some more love; they're my favorite aspect of character creation but they are little more than a footnote at the moment.

Yea, I really wish background was a larger aspect myself. For example, I am getting a lot more out of the personality aspects than alignment ever did for me. I would just be more hesitant with backgrounds because you can customize them, and with a floating +1 I don't think that's necessary.

Heck, now that I think about it, the floating +1 could be due to background and something the player should have to work in if they want it.

 

[Maxperson]

I mean, not directly. Technically.

Implications are things, but whatever.

There was no implication, either. Mistrust for corporate spokes people in general does not equal an implication that any given spokes person is lying.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

There was no implication, either. Mistrust for corporate spokes people in general does not equal an implication that any given spokes person is lying.

However, your explanation of your point of view is pretty explicit that you believe that both WoTC and D&D Beyond are lying about feats. You are trying to be overly pedantic when your explanation does not match the rest of the conversation you are having. Otherwise your statement about not trusting corporate spokespeople makes zero sense in context. It is blazingly obvious, you are not fooling anyone.

 

[Maxperson]

However, your explanation of your point of view is pretty explicit that you believe that both WoTC and D&D Beyond are lying about feats.

D&D Beyond actually backs up my side of things pretty solidly. The majority of people like feats. WotC I'm simply not taking at face value.

Now, you might be talking about when people asked what possible reasons there could be for lying and I gave some. That doesn't equate to my calling them liars, though.

It is blazingly obvious, you are not fooling anyone.

It's clear that at least one person is fooled by what I said.

 

[CubicsRube]

See, I think this is a feature and not a bug. Some players absolutely need a certain +2 bonus to a certain stat, or otherwise their character is just Completely Unplayable somehow...and this is a way to make them happy.

Happy to help. Moving ASIs to class is probably better than moving them to Backgrounds, but my head wraps around Backgrounds a little more easily. And I think that Backgrounds need some more love; they're my favorite aspect of character creation but they are little more than a footnote at the moment.

My personal preference before I think I've stated is that the +2 goes to the class and a +1 to background.

I think the class +2 gives an instant signal that the ability is important to new players, and the +1 gives the background a little more mechanical heft.

Although I'm much more a features over numbers guy.