One could make an Illusionist with 15 Int and 18CHA. Maybe he wasn't smart enough to go to MIT (Magical Insitute of Technology), but his way with people (CHA) seriously amps up his illusions to decieve people and get his way.
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Ability scores - How intrinsic are they to D&D?
- Thread starter Fanaelialae
- Start date
One could make an Illusionist with 15 Int and 18CHA. Maybe he wasn't smart enough to go to MIT (Magical Insitute of Technology), but his way with people (CHA) seriously amps up his illusions to decieve people and get his way.
The Shaman
First Post
Ah yes, I forgot that "cinematic fantasy" means there is no floor and no ceiling for silliness.
AeroDm
First Post
The core-6 are a strange beast. In older versions your abilities really didn't confer that much power. This was true even up through AD&D2nd (IMO) and only stopped being true once variants to ensure higher averages and the ability to split stats came into the game. In 3e and 4e abilities became a significant source of character power and further entrenched the core-6.
The problem is that because they were originally designed when they didn't matter that much, it didn't matter that they were not all equal. Both 3e adn 4e have tried to rebalance the stats through various methods, but I still don't think they've hit on the right balance.
I would say that they are intrinsic to D&D though. The core-6, d20s, and classes = D&D. Removing any one of those and you don't have D&D, although you might still have the spirit of D&D.
The problem is that because they were originally designed when they didn't matter that much, it didn't matter that they were not all equal. Both 3e adn 4e have tried to rebalance the stats through various methods, but I still don't think they've hit on the right balance.
I would say that they are intrinsic to D&D though. The core-6, d20s, and classes = D&D. Removing any one of those and you don't have D&D, although you might still have the spirit of D&D.
The Human Target
Adventurer
No mechanic is intrinsic to D&D.
As long as I'm killing monsters, exploring ruins, bedding wenches, and hearing dwarves speak in Scottish accents its D&D to me.
Doesn't matter if I'm rolling my STRENGTH plus a d20 to hit or my half level bonus plus 3d6 to hit or whatever.
I'm all for any changes that make the game better at being fun.
As long as I'm killing monsters, exploring ruins, bedding wenches, and hearing dwarves speak in Scottish accents its D&D to me.
Doesn't matter if I'm rolling my STRENGTH plus a d20 to hit or my half level bonus plus 3d6 to hit or whatever.
I'm all for any changes that make the game better at being fun.
dangerous jack
First Post
I don't think having two players that want to play fighters (one with a rapier and the other with a greatsword), and have them be equally effective, qualifies as silliness.
Crazy Jerome
First Post
My response was a serious response to yours, taking it at face value, acknowledging explicitly that it was relevant, but not conclusive. The quoted response above appears to be nothing more than an excluded middle. But perhaps there is a hidden point in the above that I am missing that you would like to qualify?
Fanaelialae
Legend
I'm actually of the opposite mindset. For me, classes are a far more central aspect of D&D than ability scores. I can imagine D&D without ability scores, but not without classes.
To each his own I suppose.
ExploderWizard
Hero
I'm actually of the opposite mindset. For me, classes are a far more central aspect of D&D than ability scores. I can imagine D&D without ability scores, but not without classes.
To each his own I suppose.
I think that both classes AND ability scores are central to the core of D&D. A fine game might be written without either or both of these but it wouldn't seem like D&D.
