Essentials: An end to MADness?

[Howndawg]

I'll be upfront and frank; I hate multi-ability dependency with a passion. Power gamers hate it because it spreads resources too thin, and roleplayers hate it because it encourages playing stereotypical characters without individual idiosyncrasies.

Essentials seems to do away with that. Every character type in HotFL needs no more than two decent ability scores and the thief can get away with only one. Want a smart cleric or a charming fighter? Essentials makes it easier. And with the Disciple feats which provide rewards for characters with any ability being good, it makes it easier to individualize a character than ever since 2e.

Hopefully, this trend will continue with HotFK. I know there are many paladin and ranger fans who would love non-MAD versions of their favorite classes.

Goodbye, MAD, I really don't miss you.

 

[Retreater]

I noticed it with my warpriest cleric. I'm focusing on Wisdom and have an 11 Str. I'm still doing as much damage as the knight. It's a far cry from the Pathfinder Cleric which needs high Str, Con, Wis, AND Cha.

Retreater

 

[nookiemonster]

I noticed that while putting together an elven cleric last night. Put a 16 (before bonus) in Wisdom obviously, but where to put the other points? Strength, for decent opportunity attacks? Charisma, for negotiating? Intelligence, so she doesn't suck at Religion?

Using the "balanced" array, wound up 18/16 Wis/Dex and wearing hide armour so she wasn't slowed down, and 14 in Con for the bonus to Cleric powers that it gives, the extra surges, and hit points. For the Warpriest, extra con is useful, but not mandatory. Picking a feat was also tricky. There's a lot of them worth taking IMO.

 

[Shin Okada]

While I am highly admiring the streamlined structure of Essentials, I doubt there was such a measure improvements on MAD problem (if that is a problem) in this line.

Seriously, even before Essentials, there were only 3 classes which have multiple ability scores for making attacks, Cleric, Paladin & Ranger. And "Powers" books solved those problems already. With plentiful of powers available in those books, you can just make Str Cleric, Wis Cleric, Str Paladin, Cha Paladin, Str Ranger, Dex Ranger and all work fine. Martial Power 2 has even introduced some Str ranged powers and Dex melee powers for rangers.

The only significant addition in Essentials is Wis melee weapon powers for cleric. But Essentials cleric does not have implement powers and thus, when used only by this, it is not that much different from STR cleric or Runepriest. Only when you combine pre-essentials powers and essentials powers, you can create a cleric who can bush and shoot only with one's wisdom.

Regarding secondary stats for "rider" effects, actually, they are still in Essentials. For example, while most (all?) of the powers in essentials don't have additional effects from secondary stats, some features such as 11th-level benefit from enchantment school does need at least +1 CHA to work.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I have noticed that Essentials builds tend to need no more than 2 high stats. Tough choices are less apropriate in a beginner-focused product line.

 

[drothgery]

While I am highly admiring the streamlined structure of Essentials, I doubt there was such a measure improvements on MAD problem (if that is a problem) in this line.

Seriously, even before Essentials, there were only 3 classes which have multiple ability scores for making attacks, Cleric, Paladin & Ranger.

And Warlocks. Not surprisingly, all were from PH1.

 

[LostSoul]

You know what else would stop MADness?

3d6 down the line; raise rolls lower than eight to eight, raise one stat of your choosing to sixteen.

(J, the halfling rogue, didn't roll higher than a nine, but got more XP than any other PC.)

 

[cdrcjsn]

Even if sticking to just PHB1, you can ignore MADness.

It just meant that if you went with one stat over another, it limited the powers that you could use (well, maybe for Str Paladins, who had no choice for their 9th level Daily).

 

[Ahrimon]

Str paladins who use Str for their attacks, wis for the loh and cha for their divine challenge. I think the str paladin is the most hard up for MAD.

 

[Mirtek]

Seriously, even before Essentials, there were only 3 classes which have multiple ability scores for making attacks, Cleric, Paladin & Ranger.

My thoughts exactly. In this case essentials did nothing that was not already done since PHB2 onward.