MoonSong
Rules-lawyering drama queen but not a munchkin
I can only talk for myself. I'm not trying to show that I'm better, just not inferior. (Perhaps trying too hard u.u)
D&D 5E Why do you use Floating ASI's (other than power gaming)? [+]
What I want as a DM, and why I encourage floating ASIs, is a group of characters that fits the campaign. I don't want my players to select their race based on what best fits their class, I want them to select their race based on what best fits the setting first, and then on concept. If I don't want gnomes in the adventuring party, I don't want players to think "I should play a sorcerer instead of a wizard" or "I guess I'll play variant human", I want to hear about their goblin wizard.
Yes, they could still play a goblin wizard with +2 dex, +1 con as described in Volo's, and those are useful bonuses for a wizard, but when another player chooses something where racial ASIs and class synch up (say, generic half-elf sorcerer number #27), I don't want the goblin wizard at a disadvantage.
The published rules made +3 in main stat the baseline, not the players. I don't blame them for wanting to start with that +3, and I don't want to them to have to choose between a cool concept and an effective character. If that's power gaming, then putting your highest score in your main stat at all is power gaming, going dex over str is power gaming*, choosing to wield a rapier** is power gaming, and making generic half-elf sorcerer number #27 is power gaming!
*It totally is.
**I hate that certain classes get proficiency in "simple weapons, plus one martial weapon which is clearly the right choice so just ignore the simple weapons", but that's a topic for a different thread.
Yes, they could still play a goblin wizard with +2 dex, +1 con as described in Volo's, and those are useful bonuses for a wizard, but when another player chooses something where racial ASIs and class synch up (say, generic half-elf sorcerer number #27), I don't want the goblin wizard at a disadvantage.
The published rules made +3 in main stat the baseline, not the players. I don't blame them for wanting to start with that +3, and I don't want to them to have to choose between a cool concept and an effective character. If that's power gaming, then putting your highest score in your main stat at all is power gaming, going dex over str is power gaming*, choosing to wield a rapier** is power gaming, and making generic half-elf sorcerer number #27 is power gaming!
*It totally is.
**I hate that certain classes get proficiency in "simple weapons, plus one martial weapon which is clearly the right choice so just ignore the simple weapons", but that's a topic for a different thread.
Older Beholder
Hero
Another reason I prefer to use Floating over racial, is that there are ways in which I find racial ASi's don't make sense (for me).
At it's most basic, why can someone have a +2 Str, +1 Con, but not a +2 Con, +1 Str?
Another example: at the moment I'm playing a Githyanki barbarian, and I'm enjoying the psionic aspects of the character. I was thinking next character I might explore this further and maybe play a Githzerai abberant mind sorcerer if it fits the campaign. The class being based on Cha, means that any race with a Cha bonus would make a better psion (in theory) than a race with inherent psionic abilities.
So add world building as another use for floating ASI's
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Side note: Often combos that make sense thematically end up having a bit of cross over in abilities so that they end up less effective,
For example: An underwater race like a Triton or Water Genasi that takes The Fathomless as a warlock patron gets water breathing which they already have anyway. Which along with stats that may not always match can leave someone feeling a little short changed. But at least 'floating' lets you adjust this a little.
At it's most basic, why can someone have a +2 Str, +1 Con, but not a +2 Con, +1 Str?
Another example: at the moment I'm playing a Githyanki barbarian, and I'm enjoying the psionic aspects of the character. I was thinking next character I might explore this further and maybe play a Githzerai abberant mind sorcerer if it fits the campaign. The class being based on Cha, means that any race with a Cha bonus would make a better psion (in theory) than a race with inherent psionic abilities.
So add world building as another use for floating ASI's
---
Side note: Often combos that make sense thematically end up having a bit of cross over in abilities so that they end up less effective,
For example: An underwater race like a Triton or Water Genasi that takes The Fathomless as a warlock patron gets water breathing which they already have anyway. Which along with stats that may not always match can leave someone feeling a little short changed. But at least 'floating' lets you adjust this a little.
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UngeheuerLich
Legend
No. It is trying to powergame...
Edit: to the goblin wizard: actually +2 dex, +1 con is in no way worse that +2 Int, + cha, str or wis.
A wizard only gets +1 save DC or attack bonus, not even a damage bonus for int.
Having +1 to dex saves and +1 to con saves and +1 AC probably saves you more often from losing a concentration spell. It is just noticable in 1 of 20 rolls. So in an actual combat you might not even notice the difference.
So powergaming by just pumping a single score without looking at the whole is not power gaming. It is is min/maxing and often brings more min than max. And a lot of complaining why the DM never plays to their strength...
I do however agree, that a race which gets +2 str and +1 cha is a hard sell for a wizard, because it is not useful at all.
So you might never see a dragonborn wizard and that seems a bit too narrow.
Also I find myself chosing the subrace for stat bonuses. I will at least scrap that. For the mountain dwarf you would be able to float one of their two str points at least.
Edit2: for the group of students I recebtly started a new campaign, I chose floating stats, because they chose the race they like anyway, and for beginners it is better if stats align.
A half elf monk with 16dex and 14 wis and 14 con would not have been bad by any standard... but with 16 wis on top the character is top notch at level 1, defensively and offensively.
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Neonchameleon
Legend
Allowing floating ASIs mostly takes away the power gaming element of picking a race that will ensure that I get to that +3 at first level. Me, I'd say that the actual power-gamers are those who want to arbitrarily ensure that some characters are lesser.
Why do I want that +3? Because it feels bad not to make the obvious benchmark. It might not be that much of a difference in power (although it does add up a bit) but it feels bad not to make it.
And yes you can play characters that don't measure up to the mark. But having them not measure up unless that is the explicit challenge I set out to achieve feels bad. It's like I can go hiking with dog piss in my boot, but why would I want to? It just feels bad for no reason.
And to me that's what the floating ASIs change. They mean that entire swathes of potential character choices don't feel bad just to satisfy the desires of those who value some characters being significantly more powerful than others which, to me, is the essence of power gaming.
Why do I want that +3? Because it feels bad not to make the obvious benchmark. It might not be that much of a difference in power (although it does add up a bit) but it feels bad not to make it.
And yes you can play characters that don't measure up to the mark. But having them not measure up unless that is the explicit challenge I set out to achieve feels bad. It's like I can go hiking with dog piss in my boot, but why would I want to? It just feels bad for no reason.
And to me that's what the floating ASIs change. They mean that entire swathes of potential character choices don't feel bad just to satisfy the desires of those who value some characters being significantly more powerful than others which, to me, is the essence of power gaming.
UngeheuerLich
Legend
Probably also TRUE powergames feel bad NOW, because now their only choice is mountain dwarf wizard...
Neonchameleon
Legend
What? No Tortles?
TwoSix
Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
Exactly this. Starting with a +2, instead of a +3, simply feels bad to me. An assertion that I shouldn't feel this way doesn't change the fact that I do feel this way, and so do quite a few others.
Faolyn
(she/her)
Mostly, I'm just tired of being dismissed as a powergamer for wanting to play something that isn't a cliche (i.e., orc barbarian) but still wanting the character to be actually good at their job.
aco175
Legend
The best + I can come up with is that I modify monsters to fit their 'class', so this would explain the individual aspect of the stat array. For example, I may have a goblin monster that I make into a goblin shaman-caster. I may drop the dex modifier down to +1 and make the wis modifier +1, or even just boost his wisdom if I want. Now I took a basic goblin and selected him to be a better caster by giving him basically a +2 to his main stat.
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