Why no +1 to Stat races?

[Pax]

Spikey, there're already Feats withthat rerequisite - exempla gratis: Power Attack (prerequisite: Strength 13+). Dunno if your question is because you overlooke that, or was rhetorical, though ... ^_^

And IMC, "minor subraces", especially varieties of human, will have +1's and -1's. For a hypothetical example, the typical viking-type might get a +1 Strength, but lose the expected bonus skill point per level, to fit the (historically inaccurate but in fantasy literature well-established) archetype of big, strong, not-formally-educated barbarian "Northmen". ^_^

Mind, I intend to make "half-elf" and "half-orc" into templates, too ... the half-orc scion of a Northman would logically be stronger than the half-orc scion of someone from the almost-cities at the heart of the Colonies, along the southern and eastern coast ... justlike the northman parent was stronger than the south-colonial parent. ^_^ Even if both half-orcs are, in fact, half-siblings, even! ^_^

 

[JackS]

->How would you handle odd number stat prereqs for feats and PrCs?

That's pretty simple: a +1 will do for a 13 A +2 for a 15 etc...

The main issue I've seen AFTER I posted was indeed the generation wich gets affected since It is simpler to roll 3d6 and have your stats ranging on 3-18 But then again that could be only used on generation. After all that stat is just 'fat' or a 'useless' (.5) bonus It would be simpler to indeed measure stats as -0.5, 0, 0.5, +1, +1.5 etc...

At least it seems more logic to me, now that this discussion came up.

 

[Coredump]

And you can't use stat raises as an excuse to why it's ok... because you often put most of your stat raises into one stat, which may not be the stat in which you get the +1. For example, take a cleric with 10 Dex who gets +1 dex from his race. Is he really going to put a stat raise into Dex instead of Wisdom, just because it gets him up to 12? Probably not. That character has gained absolutely no benefit from that +1 racial bonus

Just because you don't take advantage of the bonus, doesn't mean there isn't one.
An urban dwarf doesn't really gain benefit from stonecutting. getting a +2 to a skill isn't much help, if you don't use that skill. Getting a feat that you already have is not benefit, etc.

And you are approaching it from the "+/- even is the only way" camp. What about magic items that are odd? +3 belt of strength. +5 band of intellect, +1 gloves of dexterity.
In fact, I think the game would have been more interesting if odd bonus magic items were the default. That would give reason to have even stats (for the bonus) and odd (for the magic, and PrC, and Feats).

 

[reanjr]

I know there is a "design" rationale for this, but I kinda think it's daffy.

However, off hand, I can't remember what the rationale is, just that I have read about it before and that I think it's daffy.

How come there is some problem with granting a race a +1 to a stat?

Sure, sometimes it does not make a difference (no bonus from 12 to 13) but it will "in the long run," considering the race as a whole. When a member of a +1 race levels up to level 4, they can choose to turn a 12 into a 14 instead of a 13. Helps in point-buy land also. Etc.

Any reason I shuold be wary of sprinkling some +1 bonuses into my race mix, for example half-orcs get +1 to con, Dwarves get -1 to dex, or whatever I see fit?

(or making these +1/-1 differences racial within a group, mountain dwarves get -1 dex, +1 strength, while other sorts of dwarves get -1 strength, +1 wisdom, etc.)?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a +1 bonus. There's something wrong with a -1 penalty, though.

 

[The Souljourner]

Just because you don't take advantage of the bonus, doesn't mean there isn't one.
An urban dwarf doesn't really gain benefit from stonecutting. getting a +2 to a skill isn't much help, if you don't use that skill. Getting a feat that you already have is not benefit, etc.

He still gets a concrete bonus.... any dwarf, regardless of class, stats, environment, equipment, etc, always has +2 to that skill. Even if he doesn't use it, he's still better at it.

And you are approaching it from the "+/- even is the only way" camp. What about magic items that are odd? +3 belt of strength. +5 band of intellect, +1 gloves of dexterity.

There are no magic items that give odd bonuses to stats. As a DM, you could allow them, but they're not in the core rules, and as a DM, I wouldn't allow them.

In fact, I think the game would have been more interesting if odd bonus magic items were the default. That would give reason to have even stats (for the bonus) and odd (for the magic, and PrC, and Feats).

Not a good idea. Someone with a 15 strength gets a +3 belt for 9,000, someone with a 14 strength gets a +4 belt for 16,000. Both go from +2 to +4 strength bonus, but one pays almost double. That sucks.

-The Souljourner

 

[Marshall]

Odd stat # modifiers should be used, but with 2 requirements.

1) No non-random stat buys

Well thats entirely ba$$-ackwards.

You want NO random stat-buys. Once you factor in rolling the dice, stat mods are irrelevant.

If you use PB methods, its the +2/-2 thats broken. Actually, its just more broken than +1/-1. Once you use PB, any equal stat mod will end up with a "hidden" penalty. In fact, the larger the stat mods in question the more benefit increases geometrically. At least when you go with the DMG systems.

The only balanced way to handle stat assignments is do what RPGA does(did?). Give a pool of points that buy stats at 1:1. Each race has a range available for each stat. Once you do that, racial mods can be +1/+2 or +10 and its guarenteed to balance.