D&D 5E 5e "Skill" Checks

[the Jester]

I like this...a lot. What are your opinions?

Love it.

A lot of the stuff in 5e looks very similar to my homebrewed "D&D Jazz" project, which is designed to be my personal ideal form of D&D- Jester's Platonic ideal of D&D, if you will. If 5e comes anywhere near that- and in its embryonic form it looks like it will- it'll knock it out of the park for me.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I like this...a lot. What are your opinions?

I think it's fantastic! I've used it a fair bit, and think it works nicely. As others have mentioned, it's an option that's been around at least since 3.0, and is also codified in Microlite20, among other d20 variants, I imagine. It can be abused if players are allowed to determine the skill/ability combos, but even that can be handled by tweaking DCs on the fly.

 

[Rogue Agent]

Did people not read the Dungeon Master's Guide for 3.0? The author discussed allowing players to use alternate ability scores with skills.

This is true. And I used to do this a lot in the early days of 3rd Edition (having been influenced from years of playing the Storyteller system).

But because the system has players calculate their skill totals using default attributes, there's a functionality issue in actual practice.

The 5E presentation removes that functionality block.

 

[AeroDm]

I really like the general approach but I fear it will have a rich-get-richer outcome. In general, the broader applicability of a stat, the more easy it will be to come up with how it applies to a given skill. Dexterity and Strength are such broadly defined stats that I think players will have an easy time explaining how they pull them into other tasks. Weaker stats (like Wisdom and Charisma) will get even weaker because you can explain away how you work around not using them. Using Strength for Intimidate is probably the most obvious example, but I can't picture anything Wis/Cha can do that I couldn't explain away with Intelligence.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I really like the general approach but I fear it will have a rich-get-richer outcome. In general, the broader applicability of a stat, the more easy it will be to come up with how it applies to a given skill. Dexterity and Strength are such broadly defined stats that I think players will have an easy time explaining how they pull them into other tasks. Weaker stats (like Wisdom and Charisma) will get even weaker because you can explain away how you work around not using them. Using Strength for Intimidate is probably the most obvious example, but I can't picture anything Wis/Cha can do that I couldn't explain away with Intelligence.

True, thus creating a need to have more concrete uses for all six ability scores, starting (but not ending) with the six saves. Hopefully, some serious caster MAD, a combat system that uses more of the character's statistics and a broader array of options, and some new mechanics for Wis and Cha.

 

[Minigiant]

I really like the general approach but I fear it will have a rich-get-richer outcome. In general, the broader applicability of a stat, the more easy it will be to come up with how it applies to a given skill. Dexterity and Strength are such broadly defined stats that I think players will have an easy time explaining how they pull them into other tasks. Weaker stats (like Wisdom and Charisma) will get even weaker because you can explain away how you work around not using them. Using Strength for Intimidate is probably the most obvious example, but I can't picture anything Wis/Cha can do that I couldn't explain away with Intelligence.

Yup this is what I'm afraid of.
Especially with ability score meaning training and natural talent. Intelligence means education now so...

"Iptor read a book on climbing"
"Iptor read a book on stealth"
"Iptor read a book on intimidation"
"Iptor read a book on- Ow. Why'd you hit me?"