Sometimes I think that #dnd5e would be better served by not giving the character races ability score adjustments. Yeah, if I did it again think I’d tie them to class.
OTOH, at the time the idea was to make pathing easier for new players. Like, you pick mountain dwarf so that points you to a limited selection of classes. Not sure that is the optimal design.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) January 6, 2018
You could split the difference by having stat bonuses in both race and class instead of 2 stat bonuses in race.
That’s what homebrew is for…
Genetics mean something….It is just a way to emphasize the genetic differences between the races. If players only pick a race based on what class they intend to play, then they are just power engineering their characters. The racial differences are lore that has been handed down throughout history of the fantasy genre. Changing this would go against the racial stereotypes that fans have developed across the hundreds of fantasy novels they have read.
In 5E, all the character race combos are playable, a +1 differential should not dissuade someone from playing a combo.
In the campaign I am writing now your bonuses are location based. You have bonuses because of the place and way you were raised. I feel that this opens up much less cookie cutter character builds. In my world any race can be found in any civilized area ,so you are not limited on your choices. IE: You are a High Elf with a strength bonus, because where you were raised life was tough and you had to be tough as well to adapt.
Personally, I LOVE the idea of ability score improvements being tied to class. Racial features could be better flushed out and balanced so as to still lean towards one class or another, but still all FEEL unique and interesting. Using this system, racial selection is done for feel and flavour, not power-gaming stat bonuses. Time to get my homebrew on.
I’m a fan of having it be class based but another option is background based. Sure, if you are you classical dwarf you’d have the PHB modifiers, but If you use to be a sage then it makes more sense to get a modifier to intelligence
5e has done a really great job so far with balancing ease-of-use with room for creativity: for example, you can choose the standard array for your base ability scores or you can use point-buy; likewise, you can use the pre-set backgrounds or you can use the customization rules from the PHB (and I absolutely love the latter option for added flexibility). Why can’t ability score bonuses follow that same pattern, letting players either choose the standard preset or else choose a variant for customization that’s inclusive towards diverse character concepts? (e.g. Monk is not a charisma-based class, but I have a monk whose CHA is tied for being his 2nd-highest ability score because he believes in a lifestyle where diplomacy comes first and violence should only be used as a last resort.) In my opinion, the mark of a truly fantastic gaming system is to be as non-restrictive as possible while still enforcing well-done mechanical balance.