Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Ability Scores
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5926603" data-attributes="member: 3192"><p>The thing with pre-d20 Ability Scores is they weren't simply results from dice rolls. They were core descriptors of a character's abilities. </p><p></p><p>The hidden modifiers that followed the bell curve expression were each uniquely their own. Some were +/- modifiers, some were 1d6 rolls, some %ile, and some flat out resource additions like bonus languages or encumbrance coin. </p><p></p><p>Instead of having these systems in place to model the game world Ability Scores have become a referentially meaningless skill system - what in Forge terms means "Mother May I". This is popular though and a unified modifier table is much easier to track, especially when everyone at the table is understood to be doing so. </p><p></p><p>That the modifiers of this new Check [Skill] system aren't expressed as a parabolic relationship isn't that big a deal. The parabolic relationship isn't there anymore anyways. The die roll generation method for "assigning" Ability Scores became largely a legacy mechanic in 2000 and the modifiers became the only element useful element for play.</p><p></p><p>The Ability Score totals as Saving Throw DCs may change this, but I'm dubious it will turn out well. Unless they do a lot of Ability Score advancement than these DCs won't progress anywhere near what the Saving Throw matrix of the past did. Also, how will the 3d6 + keep method really hold up for these DCs? Maybe the 8 = zero point buy won't be bad, but it may still be undercutting Saving Throw advancement. We don't know yet.</p><p></p><p>The good thing is there's a lot more still to come and many changes will still be made. Otherwise, we can just house rule it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="howandwhy99, post: 5926603, member: 3192"] The thing with pre-d20 Ability Scores is they weren't simply results from dice rolls. They were core descriptors of a character's abilities. The hidden modifiers that followed the bell curve expression were each uniquely their own. Some were +/- modifiers, some were 1d6 rolls, some %ile, and some flat out resource additions like bonus languages or encumbrance coin. Instead of having these systems in place to model the game world Ability Scores have become a referentially meaningless skill system - what in Forge terms means "Mother May I". This is popular though and a unified modifier table is much easier to track, especially when everyone at the table is understood to be doing so. That the modifiers of this new Check [Skill] system aren't expressed as a parabolic relationship isn't that big a deal. The parabolic relationship isn't there anymore anyways. The die roll generation method for "assigning" Ability Scores became largely a legacy mechanic in 2000 and the modifiers became the only element useful element for play. The Ability Score totals as Saving Throw DCs may change this, but I'm dubious it will turn out well. Unless they do a lot of Ability Score advancement than these DCs won't progress anywhere near what the Saving Throw matrix of the past did. Also, how will the 3d6 + keep method really hold up for these DCs? Maybe the 8 = zero point buy won't be bad, but it may still be undercutting Saving Throw advancement. We don't know yet. The good thing is there's a lot more still to come and many changes will still be made. Otherwise, we can just house rule it. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Ability Scores
Top