D&D (2024) 1D&D; new ability cap at 18?

[Horwath]

Would it be better for the game and the whole bounded accuracy if abilities would be capped at 18(+4) instead of 20(+5)?

For point buy/array ability generation there would be no problem, and as for rolling, if you get an 18 you just will not be able to apply ASI to that stat, but some other.

There would be less pressure to take ASI's over feats.
Characters could invest in secondary stats sooner, or better yet invest at all.

For light armor AC calculation, Chain shirt can be moved to light armor, with no cap on DEX bonus and some better price, like 200GP so it can't be available at 1st level.

 

[tetrasodium]

This would mitigate the pressure a lot of players feel to spend 2 tiers bumping a primary attrib & make for a nice improvement. I'd pair it with a secondary change intended to carve out more room for magic items though... Specifically one where there are a umber of reduced point point-buy options with differing caps. Keep the over the top extreme of elite array & 20 for those who want a power fantasy supers game but include reduced arrays with base attrib caps at 18 & 16 that spell out the intent of creating more room for exciting magic items to exist in the world or a grittier game.

Put it in a chart where they put the pointbuy in the PHB & explain it in the DMG without making standard elite arrayu w/20 cap. Give them all names that avoid one being seen as the default

 

[aco175]

I think it depends on the intent of the game. If you want people to take non-fighting cool feats, then reward that. If the game continues to be slay monsters and get cool crap, then just rework the broken feats.

I want to see magic items be more impactful. Where is the cool items that make a character? I remember old characters not by the 14th level power they got, but by the cool combo of items that allowed him to do cool stuff.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I'd prefer it, yes, if only to make the total bonus of a maxed out stat + proficiency bonus be +10 instead of +11. Its more elegant.

It also give more room for stat boosting items or consumables. Ok, previous editions went too far with each character having boatload of generic +X items, but going with the notion that magic items arent even factored in the game and that most powers come from character building is giving up on a huge part of what makes a fantasy world...well...fantastic.

 

[Horwath]

I'd prefer it, yes, if only to make the total bonus of a maxed out stat + proficiency bonus be +10 instead of +11. Its more elegant.

It also give more room for stat boosting items or consumables. Ok, previous editions went too far with each character having boatload of generic +X items, but going with the notion that magic items arent even factored in the game and that most powers come from character building is giving up on a huge part of what makes a fantasy world...well...fantastic.

only magical item I would have for abilities would be:

Item name X, body slot Y; requires attunement
rare item
gives +2 to specific ability with max of 20 or sets the ability to 15, whatever is higher.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

only magical item I would have for abilities would be:

Item name X, body slot Y; requires attunement
rare item
gives +2 to specific ability with max of 20 or sets the ability to 15, whatever is higher.

What? No belt of fire giant strength and such?

I'd make thing like Gauntlet of Ogre Strength sets STR to 18, for example. But items pushing stats beyond 20 could be consumables or charge-based. Exceptional ability scores should be the exception, not the norm passed 8th level!

 

[Horwath]

What? No belt of fire giant strength and such?

I'd make thing like Gauntlet of Ogre Strength sets STR to 18, for example. But items pushing stats beyond 20 could be consumables or charge-based. Exceptional ability scores should be the exception, not the norm passed 8th level!

that is the belt, it gives part of giants strength, hence +2 STR or reasonably high STR for average human(15).

 

[tetrasodium]

What? No belt of fire giant strength and such?

I'd make thing like Gauntlet of Ogre Strength sets STR to 18, for example. But items pushing stats beyond 20 could be consumables or charge-based. Exceptional ability scores should be the exception, not the norm passed 8th level!

Items that bump ability score from anything to max or ear max are God awful & create many serious problems that dwarf the supposed problem accredited to +2/+4/+6/+8 items tied to slot affinities that 3.5 had. Players are too incentived to engage in illogical & extreme charop then bully the gm into giving them the item that they need before they stop sabotaging the gamewhen it involves anything but "let's get Bob HIS gauntlets of ogre strength". The gm loses "no +4/+6is inappropriate for your level". The gm loses the ability to deliberately introduce slot conflicts to encourage who gets an item or encourage dumping an old problematic item for a new needed one. The gm really can't even point to the rarity to end the bullying because the gauntlets are only uncommon & the belt starts at only rare while lmop has made clear That wotc thinks the gauntlets are appropriate for a 1-5 adventure in an edition where magic items are "optional".

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

EDIT: sorry, got angry there for a minute. I hate when I hear about some D&D players mistreating others over a game.

 

[Clint_L]

I'm initially agnostic about the idea - I can see pros and cons - but it seems like a non-starter because backwards compatibility is the linchpin of the whole OneD&D thing and this proposed change would complicate every existing character and text.