Intresting, fun, and easy race fixing. [PEACH]

[JMS]

So, Pathfinder has an issue with it's races: They vary wildly in power, from the Kolbold to the Drow Noble, and even a more reasonable range has it's problems. We have two options: Min-Max Alternate Racial Traits, or use the Race Point Builder, which both have problems. However, I think I found a solution: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fNr_uC74mvVDYgKefhK1bBlJpgoIegPG4e87SFLrht0/edit

[pi4t]

I'm afraid I don't think your solution will work too well. As you've observed, the RP system has problems. Most importantly, it overvalues fluff abilities compared to general power increases. Also, it's designed assuming that players don't get to pick and choose their abilities - for example, a fixed bonus feat chosen when designing the "race" and a flexible bonus feat are obviously exactly as powerful as each other if you're making your "race" specifically for your character; but the one costs only half the RP of the other. There are several other examples of this kind of thing, both obvious and subtle.

Thus, your system heavily encourages people to play races which cost as few RP as possible, since you can spend your remaining budget far more efficiently if you're not being locked to the choices made for a particular race. You're particularly discouraged from choosing any race which has significant numbers of fluff abilities (even if it also has useful stuff), or ones with any flexibility (like human with its variable bonus feat) since you could get the same effect more cheaply by buying the feat/etc you wanted directly. From an optimisation perspective, the ideal race is one which costs 0RP and gives you absolutely nothing but a blank slate, and the closer you can get to that hypothetical race the better.

If you want to make a race more viable and fairly balanced, you'd be better off just giving them some fixed extra abilities for free when preparing the campaign (or removing some racial abilities, in the case of an overpowered race). You could even choose them from the list of alternate racial traits if you need inspiration. Use the RP system as a rough guideline, but keep in mind it's not really very accurate. I'm afraid you're not going to find a good way to balance things otherwise.

Alternatively, just give the race a bonus feat for every full 4RP below the "target" RP it is.