D&D (2024) Dexterity too good?

[Horwath]

Homebrewery is where it is at.
Sadly, after 5 editions of the game, the team at WotC has been unable to crack the unevenness of 6 Attributes/Abilities, whatever you want to call them, and they mostly rely on DMs to fix the issues they cannot.

That said, people are not strict enough in their games on Encumbrance and I imagine Attunement, but those only move the dial on fairness so far.

6 abilities is too much.
The more you have, it's less of a cost to dump one.

if you reduce abilities to 4 only you get more balance:

Strength:
Current STR and CON saves, call it FORT save
Bonus HPs
Carry capacity,
All armors and weapons have MIN STR score to use
Melee and thrown attack and damage bonuses
Athletics skill

Dexterity:
Current DEX saves,
AC bonus
Finesse and ranged attack and damage bonuses
Stealth, Acrobatics, Thievery skills

Willpower:
Current INT, WIS and CHA saves
Spell attack, damage and DC bonuses

Cunning:
Bonus languages and/or tool proficiencies
All current INT, WIS and CHA skills

 

[AnotherGuy]

6 abilities is too much.
The more you have, it's less of a cost to dump one.

if you reduce abilities to 4 only you get more balance:

Strength:
Current STR and CON saves, call it FORT save
Bonus HPs
Carry capacity,
All armors and weapons have MIN STR score to use
Melee and thrown attack and damage bonuses
Athletics skill

Dexterity:
Current DEX saves,
AC bonus
Finesse and ranged attack and damage bonuses
Stealth, Acrobatics, Thievery skills

Willpower:
Current INT, WIS and CHA saves
Spell attack, damage and DC bonuses

Cunning:
Bonus languages and/or tool proficiencies
All current INT, WIS and CHA skills

So whatever works for you and the table. In the end you're still doing what I said is needed - homebrewery.

 

[MGibster]

Sadly, after 5 editions of the game, the team at WotC has been unable to crack the unevenness of the 6 Attributes/Abilities, whatever you want to call them, and they mostly rely on DMs to fix the issues that are beyond them.

GURPS has four basic attributes, Intelligence, Dexterity, Strength, and Health. Since most of the skills are based off of Dexterity or Intelligence, those two attributes cost more character points to purchase. i.e. A 12 Stregth will cost you 20 character points while a 12 Dexterity will cost you 40 character points. GURPS is a point buy system and using points to purchase attributes is an optional method of character generation for D&D. But GURPS has a different design goal that D&D.

Charisma did not play a big role at our table. So maybe it really depended on how the DM made use ofndifferent abilities...

Back when we played AD&D, I don't think it played a huge role at our table either. But these days, Charisma is one of those stats that I think is very good for spellcasters. It allows them to be pretty effective at combat and have some options for social interactions outside of combat. i.e. It just allows for a more versatile character.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

So for any melee character, you want Strength. You want lots of Strength. Because the benefits are explosive and immediately noticeable. Strength can also let you wear heavy armor, carry lots of treasure, perform heroic "impossible feats" and even bust down magically locked doors if you have enough of it!

My bards always had high dex and used two weapons often enough, or 2 attacks per round with a bow. 17 Dex was gold. 17 Str was not that much.

If I needed more str, I casted bull's strength on me.
You could not get exceptional strength anyway... Except when you also found gauntlets of ogre power.

 

[John R Davis]

Yup. Dex is and always was the Uber stat
Needs pairing down in all future non-ogl game makers

 

[Bacon Bits]

6 abilities is too much.
The more you have, it's less of a cost to dump one.

if you reduce abilities to 4 only you get more balance:

Strength:
Current STR and CON saves, call it FORT save
Bonus HPs
Carry capacity,
All armors and weapons have MIN STR score to use
Melee and thrown attack and damage bonuses
Athletics skill

Dexterity:
Current DEX saves,
AC bonus
Finesse and ranged attack and damage bonuses
Stealth, Acrobatics, Thievery skills

Willpower:
Current INT, WIS and CHA saves
Spell attack, damage and DC bonuses

Cunning:
Bonus languages and/or tool proficiencies
All current INT, WIS and CHA skills

I don't agree with the division of resources, but I do generally agree that 4 stats is a better overall design. Con being separate was useful in 3e when it was a way to inflate HP without adding hit dice, but now that's not really a thing.

It's never going to happen in a game with "D&D" on the cover, though.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I remember in the d20 Conan RPG, you could use Dexterity as a defense to Dodge, or Strength as a defense to Block.

Maybe in D&D that would look something like a property for shields and heavy weapons?

Block: When wielding a shield or heavy weapon, a character may use their Strength bonus for AC instead of Dexterity.

 

[James Gasik]

My bards always had high dex and used two weapons often enough, or 2 attacks per round with a bow. 17 Dex was gold. 17 Str was not that much.

If I needed more str, I casted bull's strength on me.
You could not get exceptional strength anyway... Except when you also found gauntlets of ogre power.

I never considered Bards or Thieves to be really "melee characters". Too limited in armor, too low hit point totals. Sure a Bard can wear heavier armor than a Thief, but with a sharp cost, and you're still a d6 hit die class.

Still, I should have said "Warriors" here (though Clerics certainly can mix it up in melee, and some Mythos Priests can totally have exceptional Strength or additional attacks per melee).

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I never considered Bards or Thieves to be really "melee characters". Too limited in armor, too low hit point totals. Sure a Bard can wear heavier armor than a Thief, but with a sharp cost, and you're still a d6 hit die class.

Bracers of Armor usually did the trick. And Mirror Image, Improved blink, advanced invisibility, enlarge, fire shield, stone skin, haste (in very rare circumstances). There was literally nothing a fighter could do to win that battle.

 

[Hayato]

In my table, The players can choose between STR or DEX for initiative and DEX saves.