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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Looter Guy on December 26, 2012, 02:11:45 PM

Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Looter Guy on December 26, 2012, 02:11:45 PM
I will give you yet another topic!

Okay suddenly my rpg group is all elves... Infact 4 of the 5 are Wild Elves... 1E D&D Gaming at the moment, we started a good mix of races, after a few deaths we are all elves now...

discuss!
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Bill on December 26, 2012, 02:20:14 PM
1E dwarves have save bonuses, and save or die is big in 1E, so I vote Dwarf as the 'best' race.


In my opinion, Dwarves and probably Elves get enough bonuses that they should be considered multiclassed by one extra class.

I have done that in the past combined with double xp after level limit is reached. Seemed to work well.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Piestrio on December 26, 2012, 02:22:39 PM
I don't understand the question.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: thedungeondelver on December 26, 2012, 02:23:08 PM
Dwarves hands down if you get a STR and CON bonus
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Looter Guy on December 26, 2012, 02:32:02 PM
Wild Elves +2 str bonus

Dwarf pluses noted though!
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Bill on December 26, 2012, 02:54:18 PM
Quote from: Looter Guy;611583Wild Elves +2 str bonus

Dwarf pluses noted though!

There is something wrong in the universe when any Elf, is stronger than any Dwarf :)
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Looter Guy on December 26, 2012, 04:27:41 PM
Quote from: Bill;611588There is something wrong in the universe when any Elf, is stronger than any Dwarf :)

Elf str caps at 19 75/100
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Sacrosanct on December 26, 2012, 06:57:41 PM
Quote from: Bill;611588There is something wrong in the universe when any Elf, is stronger than any Dwarf :)

Haven't you been paying attention?  It's perfectly natural and expected for halflings to be as strong as any of the other races, because fantasy.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Bill on December 26, 2012, 07:38:46 PM
Quote from: Sacrosanct;611650Haven't you been paying attention?  It's perfectly natural and expected for halflings to be as strong as any of the other races, because fantasy.

But...physics...and...


twice as tall, same build, 8x as strong....


Halflings must be 8 times stronger than humans pound for pound.

Blah...
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Libertad on December 26, 2012, 07:47:01 PM
Quote from: Bill;611654But...physics...and...


twice as tall, same build, 8x as strong....


Halflings must be 8 times stronger than humans pound for pound.

Blah...

Careful, Bill.

Every time somebody tries to introduce physics into Dungeons & Dragons, God kills a kitten.

It's best to ignore the man behind the curtain and pretend that it all makes sense.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Sacrosanct on December 26, 2012, 07:53:42 PM
Quote from: Bill;611654But...physics...and...


twice as tall, same build, 8x as strong....


Halflings must be 8 times stronger than humans pound for pound.

Blah...


Haven't you been following the discussion de jour?  There is nothing realistic in D&D because fireballs.  Nothing.

Or so the crowd at TBP would have you believe.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: TheHistorian on December 27, 2012, 01:39:26 AM
DEX is the strongest stat (discuss), so I'd vote elf.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Bill on December 27, 2012, 11:40:47 AM
Quote from: TheHistorian;611730DEX is the strongest stat (discuss), so I'd vote elf.

I agree Dex is the strongest stat wityh a disclaimer.

Initiative, AC, saves...yup...best mechanical bonuses.



Disclaimer:

An Elven uber archer that uses four Greatbows of Dancing at once with his 25 Dexterity might still need to use Charisma to convince a King to spare the life of a friend.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Blackhand on December 27, 2012, 01:53:23 PM
I'm going to enforce level limits.

Hard.

So, we'll see once we get to 12-15 and then discuss.  Yet for now, I'm leaning toward Wild Elf.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Sacrosanct on December 27, 2012, 01:54:57 PM
Irda
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: RPGPundit on December 28, 2012, 11:17:46 AM
Wild elves are from Unearthed Arcana, right? They had power-bloat even back in those days, you know.  I'd probably not allow "wild elves" as a PC race.

RPGPundit
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Bill on December 28, 2012, 11:36:59 AM
Quote from: RPGPundit;612362Wild elves are from Unearthed Arcana, right? They had power-bloat even back in those days, you know.  I'd probably not allow "wild elves" as a PC race.

RPGPundit

In a situation where a race has an abusable bonus, and the player abuses it, and otjher players are annoyed, I zing the player in some way to compensate.

Perhaps the Wild elf has the emnity of a tribe that sends warriors after him demanding a duel at awkward times.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Looter Guy on December 28, 2012, 02:24:16 PM
Quote from: RPGPundit;612362Wild elves are from Unearthed Arcana, right? They had power-bloat even back in those days, you know.  I'd probably not allow "wild elves" as a PC race.

RPGPundit

Its not like an elf can have over 19 75/100 str anyways
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Piestrio on December 28, 2012, 02:37:00 PM
Quote from: Bill;612367In a situation where a race has an abusable bonus, and the player abuses it, and otjher players are annoyed, I zing the player in some way to compensate.

Perhaps the Wild elf has the emnity of a tribe that sends warriors after him demanding a duel at awkward times.

In my opinion when you start thinking in terms of "power" you're already "doing it wrong".
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Bill on December 28, 2012, 02:47:47 PM
Quote from: Piestrio;612401In my opinion when you start thinking in terms of "power" you're already "doing it wrong".

I agree.

I think in terms of what is fun for the players, and makes for a better game.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Piestrio on December 28, 2012, 02:49:25 PM
Quote from: Bill;612404I agree.

I think in terms of what is fun for the players, and makes for a better game.

Indeed.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Libertad on December 28, 2012, 03:07:55 PM
Quote from: Bill;611879Disclaimer:

An Elven uber archer that uses four Greatbows of Dancing at once with his 25 Dexterity might still need to use Charisma to convince a King to spare the life of a friend.

That's what your henchmen... I mean other PCs, are for!

Get the Magic-User to turn the friend invisible and cause chaos.  Have the Cleric resurrect the friend once he dies, then flee the kingdom.  Or simply have the Assassin snipe the King with a poison arrow.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: soviet on December 28, 2012, 06:04:35 PM
If you're not just talking about actual stat bonuses, I think dwarves are the most powerful race. When I ran some 2e last year (I know the thread is 1e but AFAIK the race stuff is the same) the level 1 dwarf fighter just totally outshone everyone else (a human bard, an elven cleric, and an elven mage/thief). The con bonus for extra HP, the bonus to saves, and most importantly the ability to find pit traps was just so much more valuable than what everyone else had it was unreal. Although amusingly the 20% magic item failure chance did mess him up at the end when he tried to use a sword that granted Fly 1/day to get at a levitating enemy wizard.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Looter Guy on December 28, 2012, 09:05:47 PM
Quote from: Sacrosanct;611948Irda

Had long ago forgotten the Irda.. thanks for the memory
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: Monkey Boy on December 28, 2012, 09:28:24 PM
Wild Elves with their +2 strength. Oh dear. The magic items and spells seem salvageable from Unearthed Arcana but not much else. The new races are disappointing.
Title: 1E D&D What basic race has the more powerful racial bonus to abilities?
Post by: RPGPundit on December 29, 2012, 01:33:40 PM
Yeah, I pretty much go with the original races when running 1e.

RPGPundit