Racial Modification Feats [4e]

[JackTR69]

Here are some feats that I'm using in all of my games to fix the "tieflings make bad infernal warlocks" bull. They're supposed to make it so that races can play more varied classes without being at a disadvantage. Eventually I'll probably have 2 for every race, maybe changing them so one modifies each racial bonus.

Racial Feats

Dragonborn Warrior
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Charisma, and gain a +2 bonus to Constitution. You gain a +1 bonus to Athletics checks.

Dragonborn Counselor
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Strength, and gain a +2 bonus to Wisdom. You gain a +1 bonus to Diplomacy checks.

Dwarven Lead Fist
Prerequisites: Dwarf, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Wisdom, and gain a +2 bonus to Strength. You gain a +1 bonus to Endurance checks.

Dwarven Tinkerer
Prerequisites: Dwarf, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Constitution, and gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity. You gain a +1 bonus to thievery checks.

Eladrin Thinker
Prerequisites: Eladrin, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Dexterity, and gain a +2 bonus to Wisdom. You gain a +1 bonus on Insight checks.

Eladrin War Mind
Prerequisites: Eladrin, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Intelligence, and gain a +2 bonus to Strength. You gain a +1 bonus to Athletics checks.

Elven Hunter
Prerequisites: Elf, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Wisdom, and gain a +2 bonus to Strength. You gain a +1 bonus to Acrobatics checks.

Half Elf Vagabond
Prerequisites: Half Elf, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Constitution, and gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity. You gain a +1 bonus to Bluff checks.

Halfling Broad Belly
Prerequisites: Halfling, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Dexterity, and gain a +2 bonus to Constitution. You gain a +1 bonus to Endurance checks.

Halfling Tenderfoot
Prerequisites: Halfling, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Charisma, and gain a +2 bonus to Intelligence. You gain a +1 bonus to History checks.

Human Single Mindedness
Prerequisites: Human, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial bonus trained skill, and gain a +3 feat bonus to any two trained skills.

Tiefling Hell Blood
Prerequisites: Tiefling, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Charisma, and gain a +2 bonus to Constitution. You gain a +1 bonus to Arcana checks.

Tiefling Fire Soul
Prerequisites: Tiefling, 1st Level
Benefit: You forfeit your racial ability bonus to Intelligence, and gain a +2 bonus to Strength. You gain a +1 bonus to Religion checks.

[Yakk]

Make the bonus to skills untyped? This kind of thing is quite bounded, and shouldn't cause a problem. And it means the character can then get skill focus...

[JackTR69]

Ah yes, that would be a good idea. Would you say these feats are balanced?

[Zeful]

Here are some feats that I'm using in one of my games to fix the "tieflings make bad infernal warlocks" bull.

Except tieflings don't make bad Infernal Warlocks. They don't make optimal Infernal Warlocks but non-optimal does not mean bad.

They're supposed to make it so that races can play more different classes without being at a disadvantage. Eventually I'll probably have 2 for every race, maybe changing them so one modifies each racial bonus.

I think you're confused about something, no race in 4e makes a bad anything and due to the system 4e uses for stat building (ie point buy as default) you can only be bad at your job if make yourself so. Also unless your going to give a second floating bonus to Humans you have pretty much removed the only unique thing about them.

[JackTR69]

No, I'm not confused about 4th edition. In fourth edition, all races (except for humans) have a class or two that they play most effectively. I would agree that tieflings don't for any reason make worse infernal warlocks then eldarin, but Dwarves outdo them significantly, which I find utterly bizarre. I think that races are limited by doing best at one or two classes, with these feats allowing them to diversify, while still not allowing them to be as versatile as humans. Note that non humans have to spend a feat to switch stats (with a minor skill bonus thrown in), while humans don't have to spend their feat, and get an extra racial one. This would put them two feats up on any character that spends a feat to change their racial bonuses, which lets humans still remain more versatile.

Now that being said, I'm here for constructive criticism on the feats themselves, not a debate about whether or not they should exist. If anyone wants to continue to talk about why I am creating these feats, please restrict it to PMs or create a separate thread to keep this one from becoming cluttered.

[Yakk]

Balance wise: All of these feats are symmetrical, pretty much. So they seem balanced against each other.

They are probably more powerful than a standard feat by a tad. Ie, they are serious no-brainers for any member of a given class / race combination. On the other hand, they don't always make that class/race combination better than an existing class/race combination...

So, as a suggestion from left field: Make them racial multiclass feats!

Multiclass feats already are more powerful than your standard feat (the first one that is). So you would have 'permission' to make your feats more powerful.

This would require more work on your part, but the idea is you'd have them do the stat-modifier swap and grant a "multiclass level" power. Possibly you'd also have other 'power-swap' powers at higher level that gave race-themed powers in exchange for core powers.

[Person1123]

I think they are good, except that they seem slightly...

unrealistic. I mean, some seem just like they would make humans less good, because they are no longer unique in their versatility. I think they should have a human only feat to go along with these (IE only takeable at level 1) that makes their racial +2 +3 instead, so that they are basically swapping their extra feat for nearly as much stats as other races, thus maintaining their appeal.

[JackTR69]

I do probably agree that humans would be less unique in their versatility, but I'm not sure that taking a feat for an extra +1 to a stat would fix it. It wouldn't necessarily make humans more versatile, it would just make them better at something they're already good at.
Yes, I did intend these feats to be no brainers for certain classes. I just want to know if you think that a dwarf spending a feat to get a dexterity bonus balances with a halflings inherent one.

Note: Some feats changed, human feat added.