Will D&D make strength matter again?

[smbakeresq]

I don't like the feel of strength being a dump stat either. I seriously considered house ruling that it was still strength that added to damage if the 'to hit' bonus came from dex. But in the end decided it didn't really matter plus with Xanathar's Hexblades could use Charisma as attack stat convinced t stick with the RAW.

I just have a lot of really heavy doors to open or bandits leaders who want to arm wrestle for the parties life if they all dump strength lets them know how I feel about it.

Use variant encumbrance rules and when PC slow down to 20’ speed and have to leave treasure behind they won’t dump STR anymore.


The dumping of stats is due to array and point buy systems that encourage (demand) that.

 

[Rossbert]

There still aren't enough to go around. Especially compared to when smart characters got extra skill points. Educated characters almost need all their skill picks to be good at knowing things, same for sneaky characters, it is just hard to find the picks to build a character with proficiency outside of the class focus without hurting the basic role. So most of my characters end up having to pick between survival, stealth, athletics, perception and insight, even if a mix of a bit more make sense, a social character other than a bard or rogue often can't get insight, and the three social skills which seems weird, (I have a wizard who can convince you of the most outrageous lie, but if he tells the truth will be laughed out of the room).

 

[Gradine]

STR could be worse, it could be INT.

Came here to post exactly this. STR still plays a pretty significant role in my games. INT is basically cooties unless you're a Wizard, Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster. INT needs a fix loooong before STR does.

 

[Rossbert]

Jumping and climbing have mattered far more in most games I've played than knowing history, religion, nature or arcana.

That is on top of the big damage weapons.

 

[Satyrn]

Came here to post exactly this. STR still plays a pretty significant role in my games. INT is basically cooties unless you're a Wizard, Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster. INT needs a fix loooong before STR does.

The smartest character in my table's current group is the sorcerer with a 10 Int. All the rest of us put our 8 there.

 

[Spastik]

Hexblade makes it even worse now. Just pump Charisma and you can have a nice greatsword attack and just work on Con, totally ignore STR and Dex both.

 

[Hayato]

Hexblade makes it even worse now. Just pump Charisma and you can have a nice greatsword attack and just work on Con, totally ignore STR and Dex both.

"Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one weapon that you are proficient with and that lacks the two-handed property. When you attack with that weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls".

You can not use this feature with greatsword, or am I wrong?

 

[CleverNickName]

Came here to post exactly this. STR still plays a pretty significant role in my games. INT is basically cooties unless you're a Wizard, Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster. INT needs a fix loooong before STR does.

There are a lot of threads about this. Some of the ideas that I've found for making Intelligence more important:

1. Use Intelligence for Initiatve instead of Dex.
2. Give bonus languages for higher Intelligence.
3. Give bonus tool proficiencies for higher Intelligence.
4. Use Intelligence for ranged attacks.
5. Characters can attune 2, 3, or 4 magic items, depending on their Intelligence score.

I'm testing out #5 right now, and it's going pretty well.

 

[Spastik]

You can not use this feature with greatsword, or am I wrong?

Initially, you cannot. But if you take pact of the blade (which you need to get improved pact weapon and the second strike at 5 anyway) it allows any weapon "this benefit extends to every pact weapon you conjure with that feature, no matter the weapon's type."

 

[Hayato]

So hexblade warlock is better fighter than a fighter?