[RPG] Is it unbalanced to allow a player to move the tiefling’s +1 Int bonus to a different ability score

ability-scoresbalancednd-5ehouse-rulestiefling

I'm in the planning phases of a campaign for D&D 5e, but using the Planescape setting. Since this setting is the one which introduced tieflings, I sent the table of potential tiefling traits to my players, and told them that they could replace the tiefling spells/traits with something from that table if they wanted to.

One of them asked if they could change the +1 bonus to Intelligence score that tieflings get by default to be a +1 to a different ability score for their character (I'm assuming Wisdom, since I think they're playing a cleric), and I opted to allow it, so long as they didn't put it in Charisma.¹

I am the first to admit that numbers and overall game balance are not my strong points, and while I doubt that this modification is likely to be game-breakingly powerful, it's also extremely possible that I've misunderstood some numerical advantage that I've given this player. I also approved this change with the vague idea that one or both of the tieflings in the group might swap their racial spells for the ones given in the table, but I don't believe either of them is doing so.²

Does allowing a player to move their +1 Intelligence score bonus as granted to their race to another mental stat create a balance issue?

¹ In case anyone wanted to know why I allowed this, I already have a (fairly well-earned) reputation with my friends for being the meanest/strictest of our DMs; I try to give lenience when I can. This is a group that leans more Adventure Zone than Critical Role with the rules, which is to say that the rules are frequently thrown directly out the window.

² Yes, two tieflings. So far, out of four players that have been in contact, we've got two tieflings, one half-elf, and one dhampir.

Best Answer

This is exactly what is suggested in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

In the section "Customizing Your Origin" (TCoE, p. 7), there is a subsection on Ability Score Increases:

If you’d like your character to follow their own path, you may ignore your Ability Score Increase trait and assign ability score increases tailored to your character. Here’s how to do it: take any ability score increase you gain in your race or subrace and apply it to an ability score of your choice. If you gain more than one increase, you can’t apply those increases to the same ability score, and you can’t increase a score above 20.

For example, if the Ability Score Increase trait of your race or subrace increases your Constitution by 2 and your Wisdom by 1, you could instead increase your Intelligence by 2 and your Charisma by 1.

So what you suggest should be fine. The effect of possibly being marginally better at a different saving throw will be barely noticeable. Every once in a while, they will succeed a save they will have otherwise failed, but they may occasionally fail a save they would have otherwise succeeded.

There are tiefling subraces that do this already.

In addition to the optional rule quoted above, Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes includes several varieties of tiefling that have different +1 ASIs, so there is already a tiefling subrace out there for you (the racial traits and spells will be different the base tiefling). Basically, Wizards of the Coast really wants you to play a tiefling with whichever +1 ASI you like.

I've been doing this since before the release of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

The optional rule from Tasha's was nothing new to me when it came out. I have always been pretty permissive with my players about rearranging the racial ASIs, and I have never thought to myself "I wish I hadn't let them move their +1 around". The overall effect is much too small to unbalance anything, and it just helps players be more satisfied with the results of the character creation process.

Related Solutions

[RPG] How strong is the tiefling’s Infernal Legacy trait, and what should I consider when homebrewing a racial trait that replaces it

In Unearthed Arcana: That Old Black Magic (2015), they playtested a Tiefling Variant with an Abyssal Tiefling subrace. The Abyssal Tiefling gets this Abyssal Arcana trait instead of the original Infernal Legacy trait:

Abyssal Arcana. Each time you finish a long rest, you gain the ability to cast cantrips and spells randomly determined from a short list. At 1st level, you can cast a cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can also cast a 1st-level spell. At 5th level, you can cast a 2nd-level spell.

You can cast a spell gained from this trait only once until you complete your next long rest. You can cast a cantrip gained from this trait at will, as normal. For 1st-level spells whose effect changes if cast using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you cast the spell as if using a 2nd-level slot. Spells of 2nd level are cast as if using a 2nd-level slot.

At the end of each long rest, you lose the cantrips and spells previously granted by this feature, even if you did not cast them. You replace those cantrips and spells by rolling for new ones on the Abyssal Arcana Spells table. Roll separately for each cantrip and spell. If you roll the same spell or cantrip you gained at the end of your previous long rest, roll again until you get a different result.

Abyssal Arcana Spells

d6 1st Level 3rd Level 5th Level

1 Dancing lights Burning hands Alter self

2 True strike Charm person Darkness

3 Light Magic missile Invisibility

4 Message Cure wounds Levitate

5 Spare the dying Tasha’s hideous laughter Mirror image

6 Prestidigitation Thunderwave Spider climb

d6	1st Level	3rd Level	5th Level
1	Dancing lights	Burning hands	Alter self
2	True strike	Charm person	Darkness
3	Light	Magic missile	Invisibility
4	Message	Cure wounds	Levitate
5	Spare the dying	Tasha’s hideous laughter	Mirror image
6	Prestidigitation	Thunderwave	Spider climb

I would assume that homebrew could trust this list to be at least somewhat balanced as possible spell replacements, since it made it to UA. However, keep in mind that UA is not strictly canon, but rather playtest material from WotC game designers.

In that regard, the Infernal Legacy trait looks a lot like a Dragonmark (from Unearthed Arcana: Eberron (v1.1)) or the Magic Initiate feat (PHB, p. 168). You could also skin one of those feats into a racial ability, as a homebrew that wouldn't deviate too much from the rules.

And completely RAW, you could always do a Feral Tiefling with the Devil's Tongue trait (SCAG, p. 118), too.

[RPG] Is this homebrew Winged Tiefling balanced

It depends on the campaign, for the "Is this balanced?" question.

I will focus on that in my last section, comparing your race to similar other races.

It's hard to say if features like Flight will be balanced without playtesting it. But, as can be seen in this question, the major problems dwell in early levels. While essentially granting a slower Fly spell for free (opposite to actually casting it, which requires preparing/knowing it and spending a 3rd level spell slot, besides requiring concentration) might seem too strong, it actually depends on how much opportunity you give for the character to use/abuse it.

Most published adventures for Tier 1 (levels 1-4) were (probably) printed assuming the party won't have any ways of flying, thus the flying races are not allowed in AL. From 5th level onwards, the creatures should have ways to deal with flight, as they could be facing Spellcasters with Fly as well.

From that, I would say yes, giving the permanent flight only at 5th level should solve the problems from original Winged Tiefling. How "balanced" it will be, though, still depends on the campaign. As I mentioned, Fly is limited by concentration and spell slots. A 5th level Wizard can only cast Fly twice a day. If there are 8 encounters in the adventuring day where flight helps a lot (i.e., where usually the Wizard would be casting Fly), the feature is still way more powerful than any other in the game. On the other hand, if your encounters are inside a dungeon with a 10ft high ceiling, the flight is worse than having a free cantrip.

From my experience, adventures will have a decent mix between encounters that easily hit flying creatures and encounters that flying will read "This creature is immune to any damage this encounter". In that case, the feature shouldn't be unbalancing/game-breaking. Note that it will still shine more than most other race features.

Note on ASI

Awkwardly enough, I think the major "problem" with your changes is the change in the ASI. The +1 Int for Tieflings, which appears in both the usual and the feral variant, usually meant that the Tiefling only had the +2 primary stat, as Int is a shadowed stat, only used for Wizards and Artificers. By changing that to Dex, you are giving a free +1 "actual" stat for classes like Sorcerer and Bard, which are probably very happy to get Tiefling now.

Comparing to other races

The comparisons, IMHO, are now different than the ones I would usually make for the usual Tiefling (or even the Feral one), due to the ASI changes.

I will focus my comparison with races that have a similar ASI to yours, i.e., Half-elf (+2 Cha, +1/+1 chosen) and Drow (+2 Dex, +1 Cha), since these are the other common races that a Bard, Spellcaster or Warlock would be getting if they weren't choosing your Tiefling, from my perspective. For me, it doesn't make sense to compare between your race and, for example, Dwarf, as I can't see someone actually having to choose between them from an optimization POV.

Comparing it to Half-elfs, you are now trading 2 skill proficiencies, +1 ASI, Fey Ancestry and an Extra Language for resistance against fire and flight at 3rd/5th level. Clearly, your race has better combat applications, exception being for fights against (control) spellcasters (where being immune to sleep and advantage against being charmed are stronger than flying, being paralyzed by Hold Person and taking fall damage). On the other hand, social adventures will favor the Half-elf.

Comparing it to Drows, you are trading Proficiency in Perception, Fey Ancestry, +60 ft in Darkvision and Drow Magic for Fire Resistance, your Flight and not having Sunlight Sensitivity. Again, I consider Fire Resistance more useful than Fey Ancestry, generally, but that might be biased by my adventures experiences (fire damage being more common than charming effects and/or sleep inducing effects). Other than that, the choice becomes essentially "are we fighting outside or in a dungeon?" - outside your race is clearly superior, inside the Drow is clearly superior.

From these comparisons, I say that your race is balanced, as it is not a clear choice over other similar races in every scenario (which is how I read "overpowered"). It might present a problem with very particular scenarios where flight will make that character shine too much, so, as a DM, I would just avoid creating such scenarios, unless specifically for that player and PC feel good about their choice and get some spotlight.