D&D 5E Why do you use Floating ASI's (other than power gaming)? [+]

[Scribe]

Maybe... You don't need to understand? You just need to accept that for some people, removing the restriction promotes creativity.

Well...no. lol

If people believe that they use floating ASI for 'creativity' and thats all, just 'Creativity' that really doesnt tell me much, but I guess I dont need to understand so have a good one.

 

[Malmuria]

Currently playing a water genasi pact of genie warlock. I was sort of modeling her after Jesper from Shadow and Bone, so I wanted her to be rougish in some aspects, so I gave her a +2 to dex (with the charlatan background). The idea is that as she grows in power from being a warlock she'll lean into her magic more and that will represent her growth as a person (for good or ill). Because of this, fwiw, I currently use a crossbow/dagger as primary weapons instead of eldritch blast (currently level 3, low combat game).

 

[MoonSong]

Maybe... You don't need to understand? You just need to accept that for some people, removing the restriction promotes creativity.

It is valid to use the option. Even if the only reason is "I want a +3 in my prime stat". However, what am I to do with ideas like these?:

I don't feel like this is much in the way of optimization, it's more about not feeling like I'm ineffective compared to the guy next to me. Playing against type is cool, but I don't want to drag the rest of the party down by not pulling my weight. A tpk isn't fun unless it's meaningful and we had at least a decent shot

Ineffective, dragging the party down, not pulling your weight... I've been told all of them in the context of my characters by other people. My problem is the attitude that +3 is zero and everything under you might as well be a useless load and a tpk waiting to happen. Oh and this means you aren't a team player and aren't taking things seriously and how you dare play the same game as us if you are going to play it wrong?

As I said, I' ve been thrown out of games because this attitude, and it isn't a healthy one...

 

[Older Beholder]

Ineffective, dragging the party down, not pulling your weight... I've been told all of them in the context of my characters by other people. My problem is the attitude that +3 is zero and everything under you might as well be a useless load and a tpk waiting to happen. Oh and this means you aren't a team player and aren't taking things seriously and how you dare play the same game as us if you are going to play it wrong?

As I said, I' ve been thrown out of games because this attitude, and it isn't a healthy one...

This has nothing to do with floating ASI's though, which can give more flexibility to create sub-optimal characters too.

The person you were responding to wasn't saying they'd treat someone with a less effective character as a problem, they were saying that they didn't want to be treated the way you were treated either.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Not policing at all, I dont understand how creativity is created by just removing restriction, but perhaps I missed an example.

Removing the restriction expands the universe of possible character builds. And while it's probably fair to say that this doesn't "create" creativity, it does open the door to more creativity.

When Crayola adds a new color to the box of crayons, even if it's just a slightly different shade of blue, it doesn't "create" creativity, but it allows more creative expression.

 

[Scribe]

Removing the restriction expands the universe of possible character builds.

I'm just going to bow out, but this is the issue I have. Carry on folks.

 

[Dire Bare]

Haven't read the entire thread, so hopefully I'm not repeating points already made.

For me, the "floating ASI's" from Tasha's isn't really about those ability bonuses. It's about decoupling ability scores from race/culture, which is important to me. But with 5E's current balance, you can't just rip out those ability bonuses, so they become "floating", you can put them wherever you want.

Ideally, in a future edition of D&D, there would be no racial/cultural ability bonuses, and no "floating ASI" bonuses either, because they wouldn't be necessary.

Either way, it helps the game move past some uncomfortable assumptions about race, culture, and inherent ability . . . and also (as a bonus) helps us move past stereotypical character builds.

When initially determining ability scores, and using the classic random dice rolls to do so . . . adding some extra points to be distributed any way you like I think helps give the player a stronger sense of control and ownership over the creation of their character. Roll 3d6 six times, assign the results to your scores, then add 3 more ability points as you want to help build your character. Huh, perhaps I just argued myself back into wanting the floating bonuses kept in the eventual next edition . . . .

 

[Bill Zebub]

I'm just going to bow out, but this is the issue I have. Carry on folks.

If you're still here, what's your objection to that statement? It's objectively, factually true that with floating ASIs the universe of possible (legal) character builds is larger.

 

[Scribe]

If you're still here, what's your objection to that statement? It's objectively, factually true that with floating ASIs the universe of possible (legal) character builds is larger.

Its a (+) thread.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Maybe... You don't need to understand? You just need to accept that for some people, removing the restriction promotes creativity.

Isn't the whole reason for this thread coming up with reasons why floating ASIs are good other than power-gaming? You cant just say "creativity" and leave it at that without explanation.