D&D 4E 4e: Stats of Stat Bonus?

[AdmundfortGeographer]

It's not the most confusing thing, but really, isn't it better to just have the stat be the number as opposed to having a number that calculates the stat, the number you really need anyway?

I think this is the time for this sacred cow to go.

Plus, I'd like to eliminate the linear curve of abilities. The higher the score/bonus, the more difficult it is to get the next higher modifier . . . even with magic. Not necessarily through size changes though. It would make really big things believably frightening because you expect them to have immense strength equal to their size.

 

[Branduil]

Hopefully they at least eliminate "null" stat increases. It's quite lame to get to a level where you can increase a stat and then you have to use it to increase a 16 to a 17, for instance. Every stat increase should result in a tangible effect.

 

[frankthedm]

Hopefully they at least eliminate "null" stat increases. It's quite lame to get to a level where you can increase a stat and then you have to use it to increase a 16 to a 17, for instance. Every stat increase should result in a tangible effect.

Then you'd only get one each 8 levels.

 

[breschau]

Yes, encumbrance

I would be glad if they got rid of ability score and left modifier only (and renamed it to something else than Ability - abilities are those special things you can do, like darkvision or SR). As for ability damage, you could just state that when it reaches -5, or -10, or whatever, you are down. Different limits could exist for different characters - it would actually allow the game to present a cat or a frog the way it should be (with Str of -20 for example).

They're axing the d6/level Fireball, that's a sacred cow as well. Time and again the official word is they're getting rid of design relics in hopes of streamlining the game, making it more playable, and more fun.

I hope the scores go as well.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've only played True20 once, so I've encountered it...but I'm curious as to how a system like that handles sub-par scores.

IOW, how does one have/generate a -2 Str stat?

 

[Aus_Snow]

how does one have/generate a -2 Str stat?

By reducing your start-at-0 stat by 2. This gives you 2 more bonus points to throw around elsewhere (max. +5 in any).

That's for True20, anyway.

 

[takasi]

You mean you guys don't have people roll 3d6 anymore?

In one of our campaigns we do. Not 4d6 drop the lowest. We use plain old 3d6 down the line.

(Of course, the requirement is that your character must have a net of +3 or greater in order to play, otherwise you reroll. Also, any roll below an 8 is automatically bumped to an 8. For example, an array of 16, 13, 9, 14, 12, 4 (8) would be a +5 net character and thus playable. We had someone roll 27 times once to get a playable character. )

 

[Aus_Snow]

You mean you guys don't have people roll 3d6 anymore?

Muh? Um, where did you get that from?

(Of course, the requirement is that your character must have a net of +3 or greater in order to play, otherwise you reroll. Also, any roll below an 8 is automatically bumped to an 8. For example, an array of 16, 13, 9, 14, 12, 4 (8) would be a +5 net character and thus playable. We had someone roll 27 times once to get a playable character. )

Of course?

The 3e PHB rules that you can reroll if it's less than +1 in mods (or if your highest stat is only 13, or lower), f'rex. . .

 

[Scribble]

get rid of stat numbers...

would take me a while to play a character with a strength of 3... and not think of it as a bad thing...

 

[Aus_Snow]

would take me a while to play a character with a strength of 3... and not think of it as a bad thing...

Would it being +3 make it any more comforting?