Ability Scores and game playability.

[DM-Rocco]

So for years D&D has had 6 ability scores. Many other games have mostly the same scores, or the same number of relative scores. D&D also had a seventh score for a time. Some game may only have 5 scores.

Does the number of scores affect the playability of a game?

Say those D&D scores were reduced to just 3. Close to the way 4th emulates the saves/defenses and pair up scores to 3 groups.

But you only have 3 scores total.

-Physical
-Mental
-Social

Do you think these scores alone would allow for RPGs to encompass all that the existing scores represent?

Does this exist in some mainstream game of the past or present, and maybe I did not notice?

If you only had those 3 "ability" scores for a character would it affect your ability to play the game due to any sort of limitations real or perceived?

Aside from a few special cases, 4e pretty much relies on 3 ability scores. Each class has 3 basic ability scores that they need and the rest really doesn't matter, Con for Hit Points and Dex for Initative being the exception. You no longer have to have a high Dex for your Wizard because you can use your Int for AC, as an example.

So, 4e pretty much only needs 3 ability scores. Or rather, you can make a really good character with 3 good scores.

 

[justanobody]

Yes but what if it was only 3, and you didn't have the other group for dump stats?

 

[Staffan]

You know, I’d been thinking about picking up the PDF, but after that little jog of my memory...maybe not. (^_^)

Mythus had lots and lots of weird terms, because Gygax and GDW were afraid TSR would sue them. So instead of calling the PCs PCs, they used the term Heroic Persona (HP). Instead of the term "wizard" or "magic-user", they used "dweomercraefter". Instead of "Strength", they used "Physical Muscular".

Didn't help them though, TSR sued them anyway, and claimed ridiculous things like "the skill First Aid is similar to the AD&D spell Cure Light Wounds."

 

[Henry]

You know, I’d been thinking about picking up the PDF, but after that little jog of my memory...maybe not. (^_^)

As Gary used to say, the basic DJ game was very simple - it just used Body, Mind, and Spirit, just like his Lejendary Adventures, actually. He said the expanded game was designed to let the players do all the work.

In my opinion, it was using all the other stuff that you got into some positively apoplectics-inducing math. There was a time when my gaming buddies of the time and I both wanted something really simulation-like and comprehensive. We enjoyed more playing with rules and characters than actually playing the game.

That didn't last very long. Nowadays, the quicker I can grok and play, while presenting enough options where players are happy, the better.

 

[Tyrrell]

I like GURPS with str, dex, health(con), and int. I don't really feel the need for many intellectual or social aspects of characters to be done out in fine grained mechanics so collapsing D&D's wisdom and charisma is fine by me.

I'm fine though with D&D or OWoD or even Palladium.

I forget the stats in Shadowrun and Ars Magica.

Shadowrun has six (plus some derived ones such as essence, magic and reaction, well magic is a real stat in fourth edition)

Ars Magica has eight (which in first-third editions were grouped into four pairs but aren't grouped in fourth or fifth edition

 

[Simon Atavax]

3 Scores could work fine for a game. It wouldn't be d&d but could work fine for a system.

Well said. I've always liked GURPS, and it has four scores. But as you said, it ain't D&D. I have to drawn the line somewhere, gawdammit.

 

[The Green Adam]

From the Land of the Rising Sun...

One of my favorite 'generic' RPGs hails from Japan and has the following 5 stats:

Mental
Physical
Social
Spiritual
Etcetra

While the first three are pretty obvious as to what they cover, Spiritual and Etc. may need some explaining.

Spiritual is used for all those things that are not perfectly covered by the first three but are otherwise mundane in nature. Things like Willpower, Morale, Fatigue, all utilize Spiritual as a way of portraying the inner strength a character has to overcome adversity.

Etcetra is for everything that is not mundance. In a SciFi game its your Psionic potential. In a fantasy setting its Mana for spellcasting. In a 1970's Smokey & The Bandit style romp its your Luck, Moxie or what the Japanese call Yahroh! (A combonation Cool and Machismo).

Not sure why but for someone who not a fan of 'generic' rules systems, I find this an intriguing way to handle things.

AD
"Never Give Up, Never Surrender!"