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Message: <blockquote data-quote="eriktheguy" data-source="post: 5100751" data-attributes="member: 83662">I'm currently working on a new house rule that will eliminate what I think has been a negative trend since 3e.Before I continue let me say that I think every edition of D&D has been a drastic improvement over the previous edition, and that 4e is by far the best, most balanced, and most newb friendly.There has been one trend in D&D that I do not like. In original D&D ability scores basically determined your character's flavor (how they acted out of combat) and affected their experience gain.In 1st/2nd edition, extreme ability scores marginally improved your combat statistics. A player with a 17 Str score was looking at +1 to hit. Since rolling was the default method, extreme scores were rare. Mostly level and class decided combat statistics.3rd edition began a real trend of having ability scores determine combat. Str improved melee, Dex was for ranged attacks, Int made your spells harder to save against, etc. Since rolling was the default method, two characters of the same level could have vast power differences. The balance was decent.4th edition makes the 3rd edition system much cleaner. Every class uses their own ability score to hit, rogues attack with dex and wizards with Int. Things are more balanced. Also, ability scores were no longer rolled. You are pretty much guaranteed an 18 (including racial mods). Everyone gets a decent to-hit value. The game is so balanced that we actually have time to complain about things like expertise making a difference.But the problem remains that most of the time, your class determines your ability scores, and this gives characters little flexibility. If you want to make a fencer style fighter with low Str that uses agility and cunning to hit, too bad. Make a rogue. Fighters require at least 16 Str to be playable, and I would suggest at least 18.Another problem is non-AC defenses. In order to have a character with decent attacks and defenses, your stat block will look like this.18101610168and will become even more exaggerated as you level up. I think it's ugly. I preferred when ability scores determined how good you were at skills and helped describe your character, and attacks were determined mostly by level.My analysis is that ability scores don't NEED to affect defenses and attacks. We already have several scaling numbers that affect these rolls (level, expertise, enhancement) and ability scores are just unnecessary.So my suggested house rule is to alter the game so that ability scores no longer affect to-hit rolls, AC, or NADs. Your primary ability score still effects damage, and your secondary ability scores still effect secondary bonuses, but attack rolls and defenses no longer rely on ability scores.The immediate effects of this are greater freedom in character creation. A fighter with 14 Str is doing 2 less damage than an 'optimal build', but no longer suffering a crippling to-hit penalty. If you want a sly rogue with only 14 dex but 18 Cha, do it! Chances are you can make a near optimal character relative to someone with 18 Dex. The character will certainly be playable.You can also make builds that involve two ability scores in the same category.   No longer do characters with 18 Str and 16 Con have to suffer terrible Ref and Will.Finally, this idea fixes some problems with the scaling of players' lowest NAD's at higher levels.To balance this rule would be difficult. I will generate a small chart of penalties to apply to monster Attacks/Defenses at each level 1-30. This will balance the monsters to the 'no ability scores' idea and make creatures from the Monster Manual usable with minimal alteration. A benefit to this is that you can work the 4e math issues into this chart and eliminate the need for expertise and paragon defenses.Another alteration I would have to make is to light/heavy armor. I don't know exactly what to do with that. I'm sure it can be fixed.The final problem, and the reason that I will probably never use this house rule, is that it would be impossible to implement in character builder.So what do you think? Would a system in which ability scores do not effect attack/defense be better? If not house rule material, would it make a good 5e?</blockquote>

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