D&D (2024) 2024 needs to end 2014's passive aggressive efforts to remove magic items & other elements from d&d

[CapnZapp]

Each individual person, can rate ones own experience of beauty from 1 to 10.

But these individuals will assign different numbers to a same image.

That's handled by how the D&D or d20 system works.

If your character has an Appearance of 16 (+3) you can easily beat my character in the eyes of a judge, even though I have Appearance 20 (+5).

You just need to roll three higher than me. That will happen all the time.

On average I'd guesstimate 40% of "individual persons" will prefer your character. The game will certainly result in individuals assigning different numbers to the same image.

 

[Yaarel]

That's handled by how the D&D or d20 system works.

If your character has an Appearance of 16 (+3) you can easily beat my character in the eyes of a judge, even though I have Appearance 20 (+5).

You just need to roll three higher than me. That will happen all the time.

On average I'd guesstimate 40% of "individual persons" will prefer your character. The game will certainly result in individuals assigning different numbers to the same image.

In reallife, men benefit more from beauty than women do, such as earning more money, being trusted more readily, and other advantages. How would a Comeliness ability represent this? What would it do that Charisma doesnt already do?

What is the point, mechanically, of tracking minute differences in visual appeal?

 

[CreamCloud0]

Eh... the fact that if you only have one score, every charismatic hero is also beautiful?

I bet you can name ten actors and actresses that are incredibly charismatic but still aren't considered traditionally handsome or beautiful.

Likewise, pick any random day-time soap. Are most of the actors considered attractive? Yes. Are most of them considered good charismatic actors? Not really.

If you want to play a hag-like character, the game might force you to max Charisma. Having the ability to put "Charisma 18, Appearance 3" is a feature to some groups.

sure but i wouldn't say that having an extra stat purely to determine who's beautiful is a 'real benefit', does having a high charisma actually enforce that your character is beautiful? that you couldn't be physically unappealing but are really likeable or that a 3 charisma can't mean that you're drop dead gorgeous but with a personality of burning trash? very little if anything actually mechanically keys off how aesthetically pleasing you are so i see no good reason to implement a way to mechanically track it, especially if it has to be intergrated into the existing stat system for a 7th stat that may or may not even be used in any given game.

 

[Yaarel]

Maybe Comeliness is more like a tool proficiency, so when making a Charisma check one gains advantage when applying both Persuasion and Comeliness.

 

[CapnZapp]

In reallife, men benefit more from beauty than women do, such as earning more money, being trusted more readily, and other advantages. How would a Comeliness ability represent this?

Not gonna touch this with a stick

(Hint: you're probably the only one that wants the game to represent this)

What would it do that Charisma doesnt already do?

Again, it would chiefly do the "not Charisma" thing.

What is the point, mechanically, of tracking minute differences in visual appeal?

At this point perhaps I can ask you to google the concept and inform yourself, so I don't have to give you the beginner's course in old-timey AD&D scores.

We can meet here again if you still have questions afterward, okay?

 

[CapnZapp]

Maybe Comeliness is more like a tool proficiency, so when making a Charisma check one gains advantage when applying both Persuasion and Comeliness.

Maybe.

And by "maybe" I mean "I have no clue". What WotC intended when they came up with proficiencies and how they are meant to be something other than skills is a mystery.

 

[nevin]

sure but i wouldn't say that having an extra stat purely to determine who's beautiful is a 'real benefit', does having a high charisma actually enforce that your character is beautiful? that you couldn't be physically unappealing but are really likeable or that a 3 charisma can't mean that you're drop dead gorgeous but with a personality of burning trash? very little if anything actually mechanically keys off how aesthetically pleasing you are so i see no good reason to implement a way to mechanically track it, especially if it has to be intergrated into the existing stat system for a 7th stat that may or may not even be used in any given game.

In my experience this turns into a thing in games where people are obsessed with looks, because they percieve it as an advantage, (which it is) and they don't want it tied to thier charisma (which in the real world it isn't). Nothing wrong with someone wanting to make it seperate not sure the game actually benefits from it. In 2e days a lot of tables did perception as an almagam stat of int + wis/2 because of all the argument of whether wisdom or intelligence should make you more perceptive. Though I think anyone who has spent time with smart people knows in real life that perception can be completely disconnected from both.

Whatever works at the table, and what the players want, but I like simple.

 

[James Gasik]

Maybe.

And by "maybe" I mean "I have no clue". What WotC intended when they came up with proficiencies and how they are meant to be something other than skills is a mystery.

Yeah, Tool Proficiencies are very puzzling. I'm curious to see how they will be handled in 2024.

 

[Yaarel]

Not gonna touch this with a stick

(Hint: you're probably the only one that wants the game to represent this)


Again, it would chiefly do the "not Charisma" thing.


At this point perhaps I can ask you to google the concept and inform yourself, so I don't have to give you the beginner's course in old-timey AD&D scores.

We can meet here again if you still have questions afterward, okay?

I am already familiar with the 1e Comeliness ability, and what it did was kinda dumb and kinda offensive.

If 5e is to reincarnate the concept of Comeliness, it needs to be a more useful and more plausible stat. Hence a feat, its benefit to Charm effects is worth the feat.

 

[Yaarel]

Yeah, Tool Proficiencies are very puzzling. I'm curious to see how they will be handled in 2024.

The playtest describes toolset proficiencies. If applying both skill and toolset the check gains Proficiency and Advantage.