Ability scores - How intrinsic are they to D&D?

[Fanaelialae]

I think the core six ability scores have some flaws. I think some of the charm of D&D--for better and worse--is tied up into those flaws. Then enters my perception of human ability and its nature (which others might not share). To wit, I think any designer clever and wise enough to radically replace those ability scores (and/or classes and levels), while retaining the vast majority of the good stuff--is also capable of doing something pretty darn nifty while keeping it all. If that is true, I'd rather see his version of D&D built within those constraints, and his other game, that isn't D&D, built without them. Both have their merits.

I'm not saying they have to replace ability scores, although I'm not excluding that possibility either. There's certainly something to be said for the preservation of tradition, but I also think that innovation shouldn't necessarily be restricted for tradition's sake. If they figure out a way to tighten up the mechanics of ability scores, I'll probably be happy. (I'd still take issue with Wisdom though; that stat really feels like it has multiple personality disorder.)

I've been thinking about the pros and cons of ability scores quite a bit recently, and I don't have an issue with keeping them if that turns out to be the more worthwhile direction. For example, one idea I've been playing with in my head, largely as a result of this conversation, is applying ability score requirements to equipment. For example, anyone who doesn't have 14 Str and Con would suffer a penalty when wielding a great axe. A longsword might require 14 Str and Dex. You might even include mental stats and make Dex/Cha the requirement for rapiers, or Dex/Wis the requirement for bows. Superior weapons, such as the spiked chain, might require more than two ability scores while inferior weapons like the dagger might only call for one (or none). Perhaps those with low scores (7 or lower) wouldn't be able to wield items with those requirements at all. Obviously the numbers 14 and 7 are just something I made up for the sake of demonstration.

Magic items (aside from perhaps weapons) might have mental stat requirements instead. A potential implication which intrigues me is the capacity to shore up the capabilities of generalists using enchantments that require all six ability scores. You could have some kind of really potent enchantment that requires a minimum of 13 in every ability score, making the generalist a viable option. An example of such an item might be the broach Taran acquires in The Black Cauldron (Chronicles of Prydain). I'm not saying it doesn't have it's pitfalls, but it's an idea I've been considering the implications of all the same.

In any case, I probably won't be responding to anything until at least Thursday. I had the flu two weeks ago and missed a few classes. I have an important math test coming up, so I need to start focusing on studying.

(As an aside, to illustrate the nature of my luck, I currently have an A in my Precalc class. Most of the topics I remember at least a little from high school, so it's not too bad. As my luck would have it, the two classes I missed were on division of polynomials and logarithms, which just happen to be two of the only topics I can't recall a thing about.) >.<

Anyway, I just didn't want anyone who might respond to think I was ignoring.

 

[LurkAway]

I was thinking that a more interesting model for D&D combat might be adding two abilities to the roll instead of just one. For example, attack could be 1d20+Str+Dex against a defense of 10+Dex+Con. Damage done could be dX+Str against a health pool of dX+Con.

So Str would make you more likely to hit, and hit harder
Des would make you more likely to hit, and more likely to avoid damage
Con would allow you to shrug off damage, and give you more health.

How about D&D with fighting styles that used different synergies? So a strong whip-smart warrior might duel with Str+Int attacks, switch to Str+Dex when throwing a handaxe, and then Str+Str when intoxicated or smashing a slow lumbering golem. By the time he's epic level, he might be combining Str+Dex+Int when his sword technique is so efficient and in tune with body and mind. For sake of simplicity, a character may be adept at up to a few fighting styles at a time, which I think is also believable. So you don't have a scenario where Str is arbitrarily the default attack modifier for every hero all the time without a special feat (arguably, some balance of all 6 ability scores might be used to hit at any one context). From the point of view of simulation, the fluff explanation is that 1 or 2 ability scores act like a bottleneck for any one fighting style.

Or a contrary view: modifiers from ability scores are already built into the concept of hero levels and attack bonuses, so you don't really need to ability score attack modifiers, and you can fluff it however you want (much like how hit points are abstracted). You choose a class with certain ability score prerequisites and bake the modifiers into the combat bonuses.