D&D 5E Anyone ever try playing with just 9's and 10's?

[rollcrit]

Just curious, has anyone ever tried playing as if you were a normal Human being forced into adventure? Playing with race = Human and all your abilities being 9-10's with no + mods?

 

[jamesjhaeck]

I've always liked the "normal person" angle, but I feel like that game would be way too swingy. With no die modifiers (or only negative ones), it becomes a very luck-based game.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

I have done "commoner campaigns" with 4d4 drop the lowest for stats (instead of 4d6), but I would also allow them to earn ability score points as they gained levels (like a d6 at levels 2, 4, and 6 to add to any one ability score or something like that).

 

[Crothian]

When I have done this it was more like the character funnel of DCC RPG. There were a lot of character and it was expected that most of them would die. It can work okay.

The best luck I've had with this type of game was to make it a horror game of normal people caught in extra ordinary circumstances like a typical slasher flick.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Just curious, has anyone ever tried playing as if you were a normal Human being forced into adventure? Playing with race = Human and all your abilities being 9-10's with no + mods?

Pretty much who started in the 1970s and early 1980s likely did so at least once. I know I did.

It puts an emphasis on player skill (which was more the focus then anyway) than relying on good scores to solve your problems.

 

[Greg Benage]

Pretty much who started in the 1970s and early 1980s likely did so at least once. I know I did.

It puts an emphasis on player skill (which was more the focus then anyway) than relying on good scores to solve your problems.

Yeah, you do 3d6 in order, a 10 is sometimes your prime attribute. Ability scores were less impactful and character mortality much higher, so it usually wasn't anything to fuss about.

 

[diaglo]

3d6 in order
Str
Int
Wis
Con
Dex
Cha

OD&D(1974)
then Supplement I Greyhawk (1975) added the Thief. so Dex and Con switched up order for 1edADnD by 1978 PHB.

 

[Uder]

I've always wanted to run G1 where each player gets a squad of 1st level characters led by a 2nd or 3rd level sarge or spellcaster. My players look at me like I"m crazy when I suggest it.

 

[Paraxis]

Nope, without ability score modifiers the game relies way to much on the d20, and things like AC have a far to big disparity between light armor users and heavy armor users.

I also don't get why people would want things like this, or 0 level play. Level 1 is pretty scrubby and pathetic as it is, the characters don't even feel significant until level three. Gladly with as fast as xp flows those first two levels are only like a game session each.

 

[Morrus]

Ordinary people don't have to have average ability scores. I know plenty of bright people, strong people, etc, none of whom are adventures.