Level Up (A5E) Do Player Characters Have Average Population Stat Distributions?

[Lucas Yew]

I'd treat all STR 20 as equal STR 20's for all creatures with Medium size, regardless of species. That number is just an expression of the total mass and quality of whatever muscle/item/whatnot's fueling the individual's brute strength, at least to me.

And for the main topic, I'd say Yes, as they are meant to be special, so...

 

[The Crimson Binome]

If the statistical distribution of NPC stats does not conform to the rules presented for PC generation, then it creates a lot of problems. Invariably, it means that PCs don't play by the same rules as anyone else; and when the rules of the game reflect the reality of the game world, that basically amounts to codified meta-gaming (i.e. you succeed at the task because you're a PC; which rather cheapens any victory you might earn, when you know it's only because the rules are biased in your favor).

Even worse, unless the writers go out of their way to write up an entire separate set of rules for NPCs, it means we don't know how the rest of the world actually works. If the statistical distribution of NPC stats does not conform to the rules presented for PCs, then we have no idea what their distribution actually is. If a PC halfling is just as likely to have Strength 20 as a PC half-orc, and those rules don't apply to NPCs, then we can't extrapolate out how strong the average (or top 10%, or bottom 10%) halfling should be.

And to what end? To remove a couple of limitations on possible character concepts? Games are built on limitations! If you don't want limitations, then you might as well write up your level 900 god-king with all of the powers and magic items, and then never actually play them because characters without limitations are boring.

 

[Maxperson]

PC stats are a choice and can range from 8 to 15 or even 10 to 17 if there is a +2 modifier.

There is no such thing as an ‘average’ PC stat as they vary so much and their is no way of calculating that average in the rules or enforcing it.

An average population stat strength for Orcs is going to be 12 or 13 presumably - Orcs in the MM are warriors after all. A wizard Orc should be allowed to be below this.

If you asked should the Orc PCs be incentivized/encouraged/enabled to be stronger than a non Orc then I would answer yes to that question.

The default range for PCs is 3-20 with a +2 modifier. Rolling is the default. Point buy and arrays, though very popular, are optional rules.

On topic. I think that if the Orc population has a +2 to strength, making them stronger on average than say Halflings, PC orcs would also have that same +2 to strength. Yes, you can have a PC Orc Wizard with a 5 strength, but he's going to be an outlier for strength.

 

[Maxperson]

I think you missed the point. PCs are explicitly exceptional. Just like there's probably an orc somewhere with Str 3 for whatever reason, there's also a halfling with Str 22. There only needs to be one -- the PC.

I guess, can there not possibly be an orc with Str 3? That's the only logical conclusion of saying a halfling can't have Str 22.

Sure, but with a +2 strength bonus there would need to be a reason, such as childhood, old age or disease, to explain why the orc is at 3. Assuming nothing causing unusual weakness, the weakest Orc would be a 5. I'm sure there are Orcs that have 0 or 1 strength due to those reasons.

 

[Charlaquin]

Ability scores mean no more and no less than their mechanical effects, and the sooner we can stop pretending they mean something else, the better.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Not even Hercules or Conan or Captain America?

So, this gets into the demi-god (Hercules) and "magical" super soldier (Captain America), both could have STR 20 (or even higher) due to the extra influences I mentioned.

As for Conan, a STR 18 mechanically would fit fine IMO. Also, as a Barbarian, he could do things a Fighter would find harder due to the advantage on STR ability checks when raging.

 

[DND_Reborn]

who’s to say Halflings arent also like Chimps and dwarfs or, like my Gnomes, have an entirely fantastic reason to be as strong as an Orc

Nothing accept a lot of the fantasy literature and such. I'm sure there might be other examples I am unaware of, but if I had comes across them I probably wouldn't have liked them and not read such material. Again, nothing wrong with it, just not my preference.

Dwarves are potentially stronger (at least mountain in 5E), so +2 STR makes sense for them IMO.

I think bonuses are high enough as it is, but if people wanted a universal 20 max score for humans, then I would rather see racial mods also affect that cap, so a STR 22 Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Mountain Dwarf would be possible. Again, I don't want this myself, as I like humans capped at 18 (along with other races), and +2 ASIs for race bump those caps up to 20. So, Elves have a DEX 20 max, Gnomes a INT 20 max, and so on. I'd rather remove the actual racial ASIs completely (not move them, remove them) and have any former +2 ASI make the cap 20 instead. shrug

This works for our tables and such, and I am perfectly happy just having them as a house-rule.

I certainly don't expect it to be the accepted norm for 5E or Level Up, however.

 

[battlebaby]

Not even Hercules or Conan or Captain America?

I think Cap America, Hercules, and Conan are high level or mythic characters. So I think they are stronger or as strong as the world strongest orcs.
It's hard to imagine how a fighter can survive a dragon breath or even a claw attack if you don't abstract hps into combat power or something like that.

 

[Maxperson]

Ability scores mean no more and no less than their mechanical effects, and the sooner we can stop pretending they mean something else, the better.

You want to stop pretending............in an RPG?

The rules say otherwise and I'm thankful that they do. It would be a sad say when an 18 strength only meant +4.

 

[Lanefan]

If in the game world the average common Dwarf is stronger than the average common Hobbit then in that same game world the average PC Dwarf should (and, for internal consistency, must) be stronger than the average PC Hobbit.

The easiest way to reflect this is by flat bonuses and-or penalties - Dwarf Str +1, Hobbit Str -1 for example. Then, if a player wants to fight this and play a weakling Dwarf or a musclebound Hobbit it's still possible; but even the weakest Dwarf will still be stronger than the weakest of Hobbits.

Put another way, on a broader scale the question you're asking is this: are the PCs intended to be an intrinsic part of the setting or are they somehow remote and-or different from it?

For my part, if the PCs aren't intended to be an intrinsic part of the setting they inhabit then why bloody bother with the setting?