D&D 5E Ability Score Increases

[Johnny Angel]

Just to be clear... it appears that your ability score increases are tied to your class levels, not your character level. "At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature."

So, if you're a Barbarian 3, and you choose to switch to Cleric at 4th level, you don't get your Ability Score Improvement until 7th character level?

That seems to be what the rules literally say, though it also explicitly uncouples Proficiency Bonus from actual class levels even though these are given on the charts for each class. Plus, if Ability Score Improvements are not tied to class, then there will be even more dead levels, which I recall used to be a concern that WotC acknowledged at some point under 3-3.5.

 

[variant]

Ability Score Increases are tied to the classes.

 

[Johnny Angel]

Okay. A sharp disincentive to multiclass. Of course, I have faith that my fellow gamers will have an FAQ out any day now on how to multiclass without hosing yourself. I mean, just because the system was set up by professional game designers doesn't mean somebody can't exploit it to hell and gone.

I myself am above that sort of thing, of course. I have no respect for anybody who can't handle a whole 20 levels of bard.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Just to be clear... it appears that your ability score increases are tied to your class levels, not your character level. "At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature."

So, if you're a Barbarian 3, and you choose to switch to Cleric at 4th level, you don't get your Ability Score Improvement until 7th character level?

Right!

Some classes actually get more ability score improvements than others. Well, the Fighter does, anyway.

That seems to be what the rules literally say, though it also explicitly uncouples Proficiency Bonus from actual class levels even though these are given on the charts for each class. Plus, if Ability Score Improvements are not tied to class, then there will be even more dead levels, which I recall used to be a concern that WotC acknowledged at some point under 3-3.5.

So, the first thing is that Proficiency Bonus is about character level, not class levels, because a level 10 thingamajig + a level 10 doohickey still need to hit level 20 AC on the dire whatsit. But if they're not doing it with a +5 ability score bonus, the game ain't gonna break.

The second thing is that there's no empty levels in 5e for any class. All of those blank class feature levels still grant you a bump in your spellcasting level. So I don't know that taking a level in any class is ever a "dead" level.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

Your best bet if you are looking for a bit of versatility beyond a class concept is to whip-up a custom subclass or feats with your DM if you are planning to do a 20 level campaign. As long as it isn't anything overpowered or obviously broken, it is pretty easy to do in 5E just by eyeballing unless there is a lot of convoluted resource management going on or you are using a custom subsystem that interacts with other sources of resource management in weird ways. If that becomes a problem, it can always be revised post-hoc though.

 

[LdCadhla]

Yes, fighter gets additional bumps at 6 and 14. Rogue gets an additional at 10. With that being said, every other stat bump is at 4,8,12,16,19 across all classes. The ability increase does not limit you to increasing a stat(or two) that are class specific. It allows your choice of stat/stats to increase. Does that not imply that it should be character level for the 4,8,12,16,19 bumps and the additional ones for rogue and fighter should be class level dependent. I am running a Rogue(Assassin)/Fighter. I went from Rog3 to Rog3/Ftr1 and skipped stat bump as the book implies. Then went to Rog3/Ftr2, Rog3/Ftr3(Champion) so that I got the archery fighting style and the improved crit range. The next level went Rog4/Ftr3 with a stat bump and my next will be Rog4/Ftr4 just to get the stat bump by the rules. Stats are not class dependent so the training that I have undergone between the two classes making up my character should still increase my stats at stat bump levels independent of the class I choose. Yes, Rog and Ftr use different primary skills, but the increase gives you the choice of skills not class skills. Lets look at Ftr/Pal multi-class. They both use strength, why wouldn't the stat bumps happen every 4 character levels instead of class levels?

Cadhla

 

[Tony Vargas]

Does that not imply that it should be character level for the 4,8,12,16,19 bumps and the additional ones for rogue and fighter should be class level dependent.

It's not implied, but it is quite intuitive, especially if you played 3e, in which everyone got feats & stat bumps based on character level, and the fighter got additional bonus feats based on class level.

The next level went Rog4/Ftr3 with a stat bump and my next will be Rog4/Ftr4 just to get the stat bump by the rules. Stats are not class dependent so the training that I have undergone between the two classes making up my character should still increase my stats at stat bump levels independent of the class I choose. Yes, Rog and Ftr use different primary...

Hadn't thought about it quite that way. It would, indeed, make more sense for ASIs to be tied to class level if they bumped stats associated with the class. So a level 4 Fighter might give you the choice of say +2 STR or +2 DEX or +1 CON & WIS; Rogue @ level 4 might give you the choice of +2 DEX or +1 WIS & CHA or +1 DEX & CON... etc...
...obviously too fiddly for the 5e design paradigm. :shrug:

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Okay. A sharp disincentive to multiclass. Of course, I have faith that my fellow gamers will have an FAQ out any day now on how to multiclass without hosing yourself.

If you're experienced enough with games that you would consider adding the multi-class option, then you're probably also experienced enough that you can design a new class entirely.

 

[Nicholas Ross]

Question. Is there a way in the 5e to earn ability points through potions, items, gear, or some form of reward or spell? I know ability scores can be improved through leveling up a class, but from what I’ve seen so far that there’s nothing in the rules saying you can’t earn it another way. So for those more experienced than I in D&D I ask is it possible to earn ability points without having to level your class up?

 

[Tormyr]

Question. Is there a way in the 5e to earn ability points through potions, items, gear, or some form of reward or spell? I know ability scores can be improved through leveling up a class, but from what I’ve seen so far that there’s nothing in the rules saying you can’t earn it another way. So for those more experienced than I in D&D I ask is it possible to earn ability points without having to level your class up?

Welcome to the boards! Have some XP.

There are a few other ways the rules state you can increase an ability score.
* Some feats are a little less powerful and give a +1 to an ability score to make up the difference.
* Some magic items set an ability score to 19 (or higher!), but they have no effect if your ability score is already that number or higher.
* There are even more rare items in the form of magical books that give the equivalent of an ASI.