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Ability Scores - Should they increase?
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<blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 5772551" data-attributes="member: 59082"><p>I guess I have more of a "simulationist" bent in this regard in that it makes sense for ability scores to increase over time, so I'd rather work out the details of that rather than decide based solely upon how it impacts the game play itself (which is more "gamist"). </p><p></p><p>Does it make sense for a young warrior with immense strength to develop his physical power over years of combat and physical training? Does it make sense for a bright young apprentice wizard to fine-tune his intellect through study and experience? Or for a nimble rogue to develop his sense of balance, agility and manual coordination through long-term practice and focus? Or for a devout and contemplative priest to deeper their awareness and focus their will through meditation and prayer? </p><p></p><p>The answer to all of the above is "yes" so I think the question becomes, how much should ability scores increase and then work out the ramifications. Maybe we could look at 18 as representing the maximum that an untrained ability score could be in a human--it is pure natural talent. 20, then, would be natural talent with some kind of basic training equivalent to 1st level, and 28 would be the maximum possible human development. So we have:</p><p></p><p>10-11 (0) - average</p><p>12-18 (+1 to +4) - above normal range, from good to great</p><p>18 (+4) - maximum untrained human potential</p><p>20 (+5) - maximum human potential with basic training</p><p>28 (+9) - maximum human developed potential</p><p></p><p>The key in terms of game play is not the numbers themselves but the modifiers. Given the d20 range, the first three make sense: no mod for average, a range of +1 to +4 for above average, and an added +1 to +5 for basic trained ability. But then the difference is +5 to +9 -- that's an 80% increase. Does that make sense? Could Conan, for instance, increase his 18-year old strength by 80% over the course of his fighting years? Or Raistlin his intelligence?</p><p></p><p>I think so. And, again, I'd rather there be a sense of realism, that the rules somewhat simulate reality (with some degree of "fantasy embellishment", of course). And of course we're talking about the d20 system, which simply by virtue of its wide range of possibilities, has a "gamist" bent; if we really wanted something more realistic we could use a mechanic with a softer curve of possibilities, like 3d6 or FATE.</p><p></p><p>On the other hand, this might be an example of how a modular approach could provide different options. One campaign could include increasing ability scores while another could not use that option. But I would think the default should be increasing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mercurius, post: 5772551, member: 59082"] I guess I have more of a "simulationist" bent in this regard in that it makes sense for ability scores to increase over time, so I'd rather work out the details of that rather than decide based solely upon how it impacts the game play itself (which is more "gamist"). Does it make sense for a young warrior with immense strength to develop his physical power over years of combat and physical training? Does it make sense for a bright young apprentice wizard to fine-tune his intellect through study and experience? Or for a nimble rogue to develop his sense of balance, agility and manual coordination through long-term practice and focus? Or for a devout and contemplative priest to deeper their awareness and focus their will through meditation and prayer? The answer to all of the above is "yes" so I think the question becomes, how much should ability scores increase and then work out the ramifications. Maybe we could look at 18 as representing the maximum that an untrained ability score could be in a human--it is pure natural talent. 20, then, would be natural talent with some kind of basic training equivalent to 1st level, and 28 would be the maximum possible human development. So we have: 10-11 (0) - average 12-18 (+1 to +4) - above normal range, from good to great 18 (+4) - maximum untrained human potential 20 (+5) - maximum human potential with basic training 28 (+9) - maximum human developed potential The key in terms of game play is not the numbers themselves but the modifiers. Given the d20 range, the first three make sense: no mod for average, a range of +1 to +4 for above average, and an added +1 to +5 for basic trained ability. But then the difference is +5 to +9 -- that's an 80% increase. Does that make sense? Could Conan, for instance, increase his 18-year old strength by 80% over the course of his fighting years? Or Raistlin his intelligence? I think so. And, again, I'd rather there be a sense of realism, that the rules somewhat simulate reality (with some degree of "fantasy embellishment", of course). And of course we're talking about the d20 system, which simply by virtue of its wide range of possibilities, has a "gamist" bent; if we really wanted something more realistic we could use a mechanic with a softer curve of possibilities, like 3d6 or FATE. On the other hand, this might be an example of how a modular approach could provide different options. One campaign could include increasing ability scores while another could not use that option. But I would think the default should be increasing. [/QUOTE]
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