Yaarel
He Mage
Instead of reducing to four, the ability scores might achieve salience by increasing to eight. Splitting off two incongruencies seems to alleviate some of the main difficulties.
Here, Athletics and Senses, are two ability scores that add to the traditional six, Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
So there are eight ability scores, plus four defenses (see below). Each defense benefits from two corresponding ability scores. Because of 5e bounded accuracy, the defense will likely benefit from either one or the other. But it would be nice if a defense can somehow benefit from both, making investment in both more salient.
Hopefully tradition can more easily integrate the adding of ability scores, rather than subtracting from them.
Strength. Size matters. Bigger creatures hit harder. Bigger creatures tend to carry more. Also, bigger creatures might sometimes be clumsy and less athletic. Here, Strength represents the attack bonus in the sense of bashing thru defenses, as well as the damage bonus, plus the overall carrying capacity, and thus the physical Size. A very high Strength score is effectively a Large creature, and likewise gains reach in melee. The Giant type tends to exhibit extraordinary size along with the exceptional Strength.
Size according to the Strength score might formulate as follows: 3-6 Tiny, 7-10 Small, 11-14 Medium, 15-18 Powerful Build, 19-22 Large, 23-26 Huge, 27-30 Gargantuan.
Constitution. Sheer physical toughness, and the ability to shake off damage. Also the ability to resist fatigue and maintain concentration. Even a smaller creature might be amazingly tough, such as a Tiny cat. (My family had one cat that lived up to the reputation of ‘nine lives’!)
The Fortitude defense benefits from either the size of Strength or the toughness of Constitution.
Athletics splits off to function as its own salient ability score to represent bodily maneuverability. Athletics includes move and speed, extending to climbing, jumping, balancing, and falling. Grappling and finesse weapons are also part of this score. It is an important ability score. Large creatures can be strong but clumsy, such as the archetypal Ogre. Here having Large-size Strength but low Athletics is easier to represent. Conversely, smaller creatures might be amazingly maneuverable yet not especially strong. I have in mind Wood Elves, who seem to me to have high Athletics (including climbing and falling from trees) yet not be especially strong. But consider stats for a Cat, being Tiny and relatively weak, yet amazingly Athletic and maneuverable, including grappling ability.
Dexterity emphasizes manual dexterity, emphasizing hand-eye coordination and sensitive manipulation of objects, including the aim of missile weapons. Note, a champion archer or marksperson might never miss a shot, while simultaneously being very low Athletics, even unhealthily obese or missing limbs. Dexterity also includes the ability to Craft high quality items, including magical clothing and weapons.
The Reflex defense can benefit from either the body-agility of Athletics or the hand-eye coordination of Dexterity. Personally, I would like 4e AC to merge into the Reflex defense. So, without armor, the Reflex defense and ones AC are identical. In this case, armor is a special equipment that can effectively improve the Reflex defense by means of deflection, but might require a Strength score (against heaviness) or a Constitution score (against fatigue) as an item prerequisite.
Senses split off to function as its own ability score, to represent the ordinary five senses, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. Many animals have an extraordinarily high Senses ability score, without having an especially high Intelligence score, nor having an especially high Wisdom empathy. An Senses is no longer a ‘must have’ skill, but rather a fundamental ability like Strength and Intelligence. Skills associating with the Senses score might include acute smelling, long-distance seeing, faint-sound. Special senses like darkvision, echolocation of bats and dolphins and vibration detection of spiders, also key off of the Senses ability score. Illusionists might need a high Senses score in order to simulate sensorial experiences. The Senses ability score improves the initiative bonus.
The Stealth skill might relate moreso to avoiding being sensed, thus an aspect of the Senses ability score. A Rogue is both stealthy and highly observant sensorially. Someone who understands vision is more likely to camouflage well. Similarly stealthy animals tend to be sensitive, and not especially with a high Dexterity to aim missile weapons or craft objects. A high Senses score improves ones talent int the Stealth skill.
Intelligence includes every form of knowledge, whether by education or intuition, including experience and reason. In the sense of intuition, Intelligence also extends to extrasensory ways of knowing, including psychic hunches and mystical insights, and perhaps fateful luck from prescience. For these intangible aspects, the Psion specializes in Intelligence.
The Perception defense defends against hiding, invisibility, illusion, and surprise. It benefits from both the animalistic Senses ability score and the more distinctively human Intelligence to figure things out.
Wisdom relates to social skills, but is moreso about willpower and force of personality. Mental attacks and damage, such as psychic damage, key off of Wisdom. Wisdom is more like mental Strength and power, whereas Charisma is more like mental Athletics and maneuverability. Moreover, Wisdom in the sense of mental force includes effects relating to fear, frightening, and intimidation, as well as domination and hold effects that override the will of a target.
Charisma includes the social skills, in order to persuade other minds. It includes empathic insight to perceive and navigate the emotions of others. Charisma extends to all charm effects. In addition to empathy, Charisma ultimately relates to telepathy, the direct contact between two minds. Charisma also relates to communication and language, not so much about a large vocabulary, but being able to convey oneself accurately in the context of a listener, and to discern the gist of where an author is coming from. Empathy also extends to the ability to impersonate a particular individual.
The Will defense benefits both from Charisma in the sense of perceiving and side-stepping a mental manipulation, and from Wisdom in the sense of resolve pushing back the mental attack. The Will defense also serves to see thru the attempts of an impersonator.
Fortitude defense
• Strength
• Constitution
Reflex defense
• Athletics*
• Dexterity
Perception defense
• Senses*
• Intelligence
Will defense
• Charisma
• Wisdom
* These two ability scores add to the traditional six, totaling eight ability scores.
Here, Athletics and Senses, are two ability scores that add to the traditional six, Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
So there are eight ability scores, plus four defenses (see below). Each defense benefits from two corresponding ability scores. Because of 5e bounded accuracy, the defense will likely benefit from either one or the other. But it would be nice if a defense can somehow benefit from both, making investment in both more salient.
Hopefully tradition can more easily integrate the adding of ability scores, rather than subtracting from them.
Strength. Size matters. Bigger creatures hit harder. Bigger creatures tend to carry more. Also, bigger creatures might sometimes be clumsy and less athletic. Here, Strength represents the attack bonus in the sense of bashing thru defenses, as well as the damage bonus, plus the overall carrying capacity, and thus the physical Size. A very high Strength score is effectively a Large creature, and likewise gains reach in melee. The Giant type tends to exhibit extraordinary size along with the exceptional Strength.
Size according to the Strength score might formulate as follows: 3-6 Tiny, 7-10 Small, 11-14 Medium, 15-18 Powerful Build, 19-22 Large, 23-26 Huge, 27-30 Gargantuan.
Constitution. Sheer physical toughness, and the ability to shake off damage. Also the ability to resist fatigue and maintain concentration. Even a smaller creature might be amazingly tough, such as a Tiny cat. (My family had one cat that lived up to the reputation of ‘nine lives’!)
The Fortitude defense benefits from either the size of Strength or the toughness of Constitution.
Athletics splits off to function as its own salient ability score to represent bodily maneuverability. Athletics includes move and speed, extending to climbing, jumping, balancing, and falling. Grappling and finesse weapons are also part of this score. It is an important ability score. Large creatures can be strong but clumsy, such as the archetypal Ogre. Here having Large-size Strength but low Athletics is easier to represent. Conversely, smaller creatures might be amazingly maneuverable yet not especially strong. I have in mind Wood Elves, who seem to me to have high Athletics (including climbing and falling from trees) yet not be especially strong. But consider stats for a Cat, being Tiny and relatively weak, yet amazingly Athletic and maneuverable, including grappling ability.
Dexterity emphasizes manual dexterity, emphasizing hand-eye coordination and sensitive manipulation of objects, including the aim of missile weapons. Note, a champion archer or marksperson might never miss a shot, while simultaneously being very low Athletics, even unhealthily obese or missing limbs. Dexterity also includes the ability to Craft high quality items, including magical clothing and weapons.
The Reflex defense can benefit from either the body-agility of Athletics or the hand-eye coordination of Dexterity. Personally, I would like 4e AC to merge into the Reflex defense. So, without armor, the Reflex defense and ones AC are identical. In this case, armor is a special equipment that can effectively improve the Reflex defense by means of deflection, but might require a Strength score (against heaviness) or a Constitution score (against fatigue) as an item prerequisite.
Senses split off to function as its own ability score, to represent the ordinary five senses, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. Many animals have an extraordinarily high Senses ability score, without having an especially high Intelligence score, nor having an especially high Wisdom empathy. An Senses is no longer a ‘must have’ skill, but rather a fundamental ability like Strength and Intelligence. Skills associating with the Senses score might include acute smelling, long-distance seeing, faint-sound. Special senses like darkvision, echolocation of bats and dolphins and vibration detection of spiders, also key off of the Senses ability score. Illusionists might need a high Senses score in order to simulate sensorial experiences. The Senses ability score improves the initiative bonus.
The Stealth skill might relate moreso to avoiding being sensed, thus an aspect of the Senses ability score. A Rogue is both stealthy and highly observant sensorially. Someone who understands vision is more likely to camouflage well. Similarly stealthy animals tend to be sensitive, and not especially with a high Dexterity to aim missile weapons or craft objects. A high Senses score improves ones talent int the Stealth skill.
Intelligence includes every form of knowledge, whether by education or intuition, including experience and reason. In the sense of intuition, Intelligence also extends to extrasensory ways of knowing, including psychic hunches and mystical insights, and perhaps fateful luck from prescience. For these intangible aspects, the Psion specializes in Intelligence.
The Perception defense defends against hiding, invisibility, illusion, and surprise. It benefits from both the animalistic Senses ability score and the more distinctively human Intelligence to figure things out.
Wisdom relates to social skills, but is moreso about willpower and force of personality. Mental attacks and damage, such as psychic damage, key off of Wisdom. Wisdom is more like mental Strength and power, whereas Charisma is more like mental Athletics and maneuverability. Moreover, Wisdom in the sense of mental force includes effects relating to fear, frightening, and intimidation, as well as domination and hold effects that override the will of a target.
Charisma includes the social skills, in order to persuade other minds. It includes empathic insight to perceive and navigate the emotions of others. Charisma extends to all charm effects. In addition to empathy, Charisma ultimately relates to telepathy, the direct contact between two minds. Charisma also relates to communication and language, not so much about a large vocabulary, but being able to convey oneself accurately in the context of a listener, and to discern the gist of where an author is coming from. Empathy also extends to the ability to impersonate a particular individual.
The Will defense benefits both from Charisma in the sense of perceiving and side-stepping a mental manipulation, and from Wisdom in the sense of resolve pushing back the mental attack. The Will defense also serves to see thru the attempts of an impersonator.
Fortitude defense
• Strength
• Constitution
Reflex defense
• Athletics*
• Dexterity
Perception defense
• Senses*
• Intelligence
Will defense
• Charisma
• Wisdom
* These two ability scores add to the traditional six, totaling eight ability scores.
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