It doesnt matter to me if Abilities or special rules are more fun (and I would agree that they are), the fact remains that removal of ASI as a means of distinction between species undeniably removes differences, aka: makes them more similar.
I don't agree that a +1 here or there makes the races unique in a meaningful way. The racial ASIs dictate what races are best suited for what classes, but they don't fundamentally change how you play that class or add anything interesting to how your character solves the problems presented in the campaign. To that end their removal does nothing but improve the game while removing nothing of value.
Especially since, as an optional rule, YOU can always choose to adhere to the racial ASIs if you want to while I am free to ignore them for the sake of my own enjoyment.
Originally Posted by Scribe
I dont want that. I dont need that to understand that this is a fictional world that has no relation to the peoples and places of THIS world. A Halfling PC, should never be as strong as Half Orc or Goliath, at level 1, when both focus on Strength. It simply shouldnt.
What? Nobody here has made an argument pertaining to real life.
Also you can already make a gnome that is stronger than a half-orc so that argument falls pretty flat. A gnome barbarian will likely have 14 STR. If I made a half-orc druid I'd probably dump that to 10. The gnome is stronger than my half-orc by RAW at level 1.
By end-game the gnome will have 20 STR while my druid will still just have 10, making the gnome vastly stronger. AND, that gnome will be equal in strength to the Goliath fighter who equally invested in strength.
This is all irrelevant.
Halfing, or Gnome Barbarian - 15 Str on Standard Array. Level 1. Half Orc or Goliath Barbarian - 17 Str on Standard Array. Level 1.
Thats how the game reflects ONE of the ways the races are different.
That is it, that is all.
If it was up to me, we would go back to the old days, where they had negative modifiers, but I understand that wont happen.
Within my own alternative character generation method, I dont even have the ASI completely tied to race. I have it broken down as.
Lineage +1 ASI (depending on Lineage, so no you cannot put your Halfling +1 in Str) Background + 1 ASI (each Background provides 2 or more options for an Attribute to be increased per my own assumptions) Class + 1 ASI (each Class provides an ASI increase to 1 of 3 Attributes.
No Attribute may be increased by more than 2.
That way, you get to have your Halfling with +2/+1 however you like, but only because your whole character builds up to that combination.
