OK.. I'm new here, and I don't know which topic this would fit the most in, so I'm asking it here..
To get to the point, I decided to try my hand at writing up an rpg system based on D&D v3.5 (Originally v5, but it seems v3.5 falls under open game license and can be modded like Pathfinder). The issue I'm having is that I'm having a little trouble with balancing attributes for Racial Ability Adjustments. I would like to get a better understanding of it, as I see certain adjustments made that I can understand, but then another race has adjustments that seem like unbalanced numbers (Ex: An Elf gets +2 Dex and -2 Con, but then Half-Orc gets +2 Str, -2 Int, and -2 Cha, which unbalances the number by -2).
I can see how a -2 penalty on one attribute balances a +2 on another (or -1 to balance +1, and so on), so if there is a way to balance out numbers so that there's not always a clear disadvantage on one attribute, it would help me out quite a bit.
To kind of clarify a little more, again, I was writing attribute scores for races in 5th Edition, which doesn't deal with negative numbers for Racial Adjustments (Half-Orc in v5 has +2 Str and +1 Con, as opposed to Half-Orc in v3.5 that has +2 Str, -2 Int, and -2 Cha), so I'm a little confused on balancing attribute numbers.
Sorry if I seem to be repeating myself, I just want to make sure I'm being specific enough to get a straight answer..
Ok, I wasn't aware of 5e falling under ogl. Thanks for clarifying. I guess I just looked at the fact that Pathfinder was a modded version of 3.5 that was allowed to be its own thing.. I was looking to write up my own rpg system and change a few things like the way Pathfinder was different from D&D and things like that.
In that case, I suppose I could just keep the numbers for the 5e-style racial adjustments that I had before the traits and just let the traits bring in the negative numbers.
I appreciate the help, and now I go back to overhauling.
also keep in mind that's all about to be a thing of the past...details haven't been released but they're about to say "you get 2 points to put into any ability and 1 other point to put into any other ability"...or something along those lines. the idea that elves are gymnast-flexible and orcs are beefystrong is a thing of the past - it'll still be in the historical rules of course, but the new variant option will be the go-forward approach by WotC.
OK.. I'm new here, and I don't know which topic this would fit the most in, so I'm asking it here..
To get to the point, I decided to try my hand at writing up an rpg system based on D&D v3.5 (Originally v5, but it seems v3.5 falls under open game license and can be modded like Pathfinder). The issue I'm having is that I'm having a little trouble with balancing attributes for Racial Ability Adjustments. I would like to get a better understanding of it, as I see certain adjustments made that I can understand, but then another race has adjustments that seem like unbalanced numbers (Ex: An Elf gets +2 Dex and -2 Con, but then Half-Orc gets +2 Str, -2 Int, and -2 Cha, which unbalances the number by -2).
I can see how a -2 penalty on one attribute balances a +2 on another (or -1 to balance +1, and so on), so if there is a way to balance out numbers so that there's not always a clear disadvantage on one attribute, it would help me out quite a bit.
To kind of clarify a little more, again, I was writing attribute scores for races in 5th Edition, which doesn't deal with negative numbers for Racial Adjustments (Half-Orc in v5 has +2 Str and +1 Con, as opposed to Half-Orc in v3.5 that has +2 Str, -2 Int, and -2 Cha), so I'm a little confused on balancing attribute numbers.
Sorry if I seem to be repeating myself, I just want to make sure I'm being specific enough to get a straight answer..
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd
Pretty sure 5e and 3.5 fall under the same ogl. (cause I think there’s only one - although maybe 3.5 was released under an earlier version)
I think you have to look at all the traits as a whole- not just the numbers
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Ok, I wasn't aware of 5e falling under ogl. Thanks for clarifying. I guess I just looked at the fact that Pathfinder was a modded version of 3.5 that was allowed to be its own thing.. I was looking to write up my own rpg system and change a few things like the way Pathfinder was different from D&D and things like that.
In that case, I suppose I could just keep the numbers for the 5e-style racial adjustments that I had before the traits and just let the traits bring in the negative numbers.
I appreciate the help, and now I go back to overhauling.
also keep in mind that's all about to be a thing of the past...details haven't been released but they're about to say "you get 2 points to put into any ability and 1 other point to put into any other ability"...or something along those lines. the idea that elves are gymnast-flexible and orcs are beefystrong is a thing of the past - it'll still be in the historical rules of course, but the new variant option will be the go-forward approach by WotC.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks