I've been jotting down different house rule ideas for the next time I take the reins and DM a campaign. Here's some of what I cam up with, as it pertains to the races. Let me know what you think. Oh, and FYI I want to go with a 20 point buy, with some added rules and options. The added rule is that your 6 ability scores, after all racial modifiers, cannot have any score lower than a 6. With some races and point allotments, a 5 was possible, and to me that's too low due to possibility of ability score damage becoming too big a problem. Also, I think a 5 in anything is ridiculously low and to role play some very low scores properly is either too difficult or too annoying for very long. I mean it just get's old fast.
That said, the racial house rules are:
1. Races from the bestiaries are allowed, with some exceptions. For one, Merfolk are not allowed unless we're doing an all-underwater campaign,which I have yet to ever do. Any non-humanoid race will cost you 5 build points, this is because a lot of them have better ability score adjustments that the core rulebook, not to mention energy resistances. Drow is also 5 points (they get SR). Drow Noble is 15 points (they're just loaded with goodies).
2. I don't allow PCs to be of Evil alignment or to be true neutral, so the more evil-aligned races are tricky. I allow them, but in any civilized area you'd probably have to disguise yourself, so put some points in that skill. Also, you're still not allowed to be evil, even if you are a drow, or Orc, or whatever. Note that only races that have a "PC's of this race" entry in the bestiaries are allowed.
3. Dwarves: Since I don't see the need for the Appraise skill, I just drop the dwarven racial bonus to it and in exchange make the Hardy ability work on all saving throws, not just the categories given in the description. Ninety of the saves one has to make are against spells or spell-like abilities anyway, so this way the Dwarves out these can just write a static +2 to all saves on their sheets and be done with it, it makes life easier for everyone.
4. Half-Elves: By RAW, except the +2 to one ability score must go into Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. Alternatively, a half-elf PC can forgo the +2 to one score and instead put +1 point in each of Int, Wis and Cha.
5. Half-Orcs: By RAW, except that the +2 to one ability score must go into Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. Alternatively, a half-orc PC can forgo the +2 to one score and instead put +1 point in each of Str, Dex and Con.
6. Humans: By RAW, but in addition, human characters have the option of taking either the usual +2 to one ability score, or taking +1 to any three different ability scores instead.
7. Aasimars: Aasimars who take levels in sorcerer may not take Abyssal, Infernal, or any other “evil” bloodline, due to their celestial lineage. Aasimar clerics must channel positive energy.
8. Tieflings: Tiefling sorcerers cannot take the Celestial bloodline or any other “good” aligned bloodline, due to their fiendish lineage.