D&D (2024) Should +ASI feat be point buy based?

[Horwath]

Right now raising ability scores through feats/ASIs has only sense if you do for your primary/highest ability.

everything else is completely sub-par.

Why does ASI not use present pointbuy formula, with expanded costs for scores 16 to 20.

I.E:
Every +1 ASI now gives 4 pointbuy points: that is 4pts with half feat and 8pts for +2 or +1/+1

Point buy costs:

3->5: 1pt
4->6: 1pt
5->7: 1pt
6->7: 1pt
7->8: 1pt
8->9: 1pt
10->11: 1pt
11->12: 1pt
12->13: 1pt
13->14: 2pts
14->15: 2pts
15->16: 3pts
16->17: 3pts
17->18: 4pts
18->19: 4pts
19->20: 4pts

this way you can raise 17 to 19 or 18 to 20 or 17 to 18 or 19 to 20 as normal, but you would get more out of your ASIs if you raise your non maxed scores.

if you raise 6 with 8 pts, you would get 14, but if you raise 17, you would get 19 as normal.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Maybe, yes, but only for the ASI feat.

I would probably limit the scale to a maximum of 3 and give 4 points for the ASI feat.

 

[SakanaSensei]

Nah, sounds complicated.

Not to be dismissive, you clearly put thought into this, but at the end of the day, as the kids say, that’s just doin’ too much.

 

[Amrûnril]

I definitely like the idea of tweaking the ASI rules to make primary vs. non-primary ability increases more competitive. An alternative framing would be to create multiple competing versions of the ASI feat. For instance:

Add a total of 4 points to your ability scores. You may not raise any score above 12.

Add a total of 3 points to your ability scores. You may not raise any score above 16.

Add a total of 2 points to your ability scores. Only one of the points may be added to a score 18 or higher.

Choose one ability score. That score and its maximum increase by one point.

 

[mellored]

Not everyone uses point buy, so no.

But a simpler version.

No Weakness:
increase your lowest ability score by 1, up to a maximum of 13. Repeat 3 times for a total of 4 increases.

 

[aco175]

I like the idea as well but make it simple suchas;

Raise one ability by 2 points or 2 abilities by 1 point if it is below 14, or raise one ability by 1 point if 14 or higher.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Not everyone uses point buy, so no.

But a simpler version.

No Weakness:
increase your lowest ability score by 1, up to a maximum of 13. Repeat 3 times for a total of 4 increases.

An advantage of designing it as feat. You can always design such a feat and make it non repeatable.

 

[Horwath]

Not everyone uses point buy, so no.

But a simpler version.

No Weakness:
increase your lowest ability score by 1, up to a maximum of 13. Repeat 3 times for a total of 4 increases.

I like this idea, we had similar for 3,5e when you only had +1 asi.
it was +1 to any ability or +2 to lowest ability.

 

[glass]

Nah, sounds complicated.

I do not think it is that complicated, but @Amrûnril's suggestion achieves much the same while being simpler, so that is good. Not sure about the last one raising the cap, though - that's a big deal in a 5e context.

 

[Olrox17]

This is a cool idea, it might indeed be too complex to become standard, but it would make for a fine variant rule.