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General Tabletop Discussion
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Ability Scores - Should they increase?
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<blockquote data-quote="delericho" data-source="post: 5772579" data-attributes="member: 22424"><p>When a person takes up, say, weight-lifting, does he increase in <em>Strength</em>, or does he instead:</p><p></p><p>- train his innate capabilities to their utmost (which a D&D character can be assumed to do)</p><p></p><p>- apply lots of ranks to his 'weight-lifting' skill, and</p><p></p><p>- gain an equipment bonus (or equivalent) from the steroids he's almost certainly taking?</p><p></p><p>The answer is almost certainly, "yes, a bit of all of the above". But, given that the game already has so many moving parts, and given that ability modifiers are so fundamental to the underlying math of the system, do we <em>really</em> need to be able to move all of these around?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This could just as well be levels in Fighter, ranks in Athletics (and similar skills), and appropriate feats.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Levels in Wizard, plus ranks in Knowledge skills.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Levels in Rogue, plus ranks in Acrobatics...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And, of course, ranks in Cleric coupled with ranks in Religion/Concentration/Meditation...</p><p></p><p>I'm not saying these are the <em>only</em> explanations, and I'm not trying to be one-true-wayist. But if we can put together an alternative 'simulationist' explanation, can we not use that to free us from ability score increases if those are felt to be harmful from the 'gamist' perspective?</p><p></p><p>(Also, I suppose I should note - I'll readily accept that the argument that they <em>are</em> harmful from the 'gamist' perspective is not absolute, either. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> )</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="delericho, post: 5772579, member: 22424"] When a person takes up, say, weight-lifting, does he increase in [i]Strength[/i], or does he instead: - train his innate capabilities to their utmost (which a D&D character can be assumed to do) - apply lots of ranks to his 'weight-lifting' skill, and - gain an equipment bonus (or equivalent) from the steroids he's almost certainly taking? The answer is almost certainly, "yes, a bit of all of the above". But, given that the game already has so many moving parts, and given that ability modifiers are so fundamental to the underlying math of the system, do we [i]really[/i] need to be able to move all of these around? This could just as well be levels in Fighter, ranks in Athletics (and similar skills), and appropriate feats. Levels in Wizard, plus ranks in Knowledge skills. Levels in Rogue, plus ranks in Acrobatics... And, of course, ranks in Cleric coupled with ranks in Religion/Concentration/Meditation... I'm not saying these are the [i]only[/i] explanations, and I'm not trying to be one-true-wayist. But if we can put together an alternative 'simulationist' explanation, can we not use that to free us from ability score increases if those are felt to be harmful from the 'gamist' perspective? (Also, I suppose I should note - I'll readily accept that the argument that they [i]are[/i] harmful from the 'gamist' perspective is not absolute, either. :) ) [/QUOTE]
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Ability Scores - Should they increase?
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