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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Obryn" data-source="post: 5966345" data-attributes="member: 11821">I would normally say "it's okay in a module" but I had to pick "Nope" here.  And here's why...I don't like the fiddliness of ability score damage. I don't like stopping a game for 5 minutes, 20 minutes, or more to recalculate everyone's derived statistics.  That goes with buffs, debuffs, polymorphs, dispels, and - yes - on-the-fly ability score changes.  It may be an easier burden in Next, but I don't think ability score damage does much interesting stuff that an easier-to-track mechanism wouldn't.I am going with "Nope" because in order for ability score damage to really work as a sub-system of the rules, the following needs to be true:(1) It needs to be baked into monster statistics at a minimum.  So a creature with poison would need to note that it does "X dex/str/whatever" damage from the outset of the system.  Switching to an optional corebook for cross-referencing is probably not in the cards.(2) Likewise, it needs to be baked into the spells, including some we'll almost certainly see early on like Feeblemind and Ray of Enfeeblement.(3) It makes assumptions about how monsters are built that goes outside what I expect out of a simple monster-building system - namely that ability scores shouldn't directly affect a monster's stats.  I don't want them built like a PC; that's an excess I've left behind.So given all that, I don't think it works as an optional module.  Maybe I'm wrong - and I hope so for all the people it's important to.  But this isn't something like "fighter with powers" or "wizard with at-will spells" where a DM can easily flip a switch and allow/ban it.  It needs to be a deeply-embedded part of the system, or it won't work at all.My suggestion?  I think it's easy enough, honestly.  I don't need a paralytic poison to do Dex damage*.  I want paralytic poison to, you know, paralyze people.  And do damage, if necessary.  Enfeebling effects?  Change the attack/damage bonuses directly; don't bootstrap it off changing a Strength score.I think it adds a ton of complication and doesn't give sufficient rewards for its use.YMMV, of course.-O* Sidebar: And actually that makes no sense to me; dextrous people are not more resistant to poison by virtue of being dextrous.</blockquote>

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