Ability Scores

[Man in the Funny Hat]

If true, the first thing I see is that it works wonders for rolling best 3/4d6 (or even straight 3d6) and not feeling like half your rolls are going to suck because they incur penalties. In other words, it might be an attack on stat inflation. The usefulness of such a progression really is sheer speculation until we start to know hard data on what kind of default method they intend to use for stat generation, what kind of AC and hit point progressions we'll see in monsters, how feats, skills, and magic will factor in to calculations, etc. etc.

In and of itself you really can't deduce anything from this. Too much other stuff relates to it.

 

[Gloombunny]

Hmmm, that's very interesting, I think you might be onto something. I don't think it's quite right though. Imagine the bonus damage given by high level characters!

My guess is that abilities will work pretty much how they do in 3e, and level/2 will be added to skill checks and ability checks but not to stuff like attack and damage rolls. The stat card just has the ability bonus + level bonus listed like that so a GM can see at a glance what a spined devil rolls for a Dexterity check or Dexterity-based skill check. (They might even remove that redundant terminology. Maybe "skill checks" will be replaced by ability checks that add +5 if you have the relevant skill training.)

 

[Roman]

My guess is that abilities will work pretty much how they do in 3e, and level/2 will be added to skill checks and ability checks but not to stuff like attack and damage rolls. The stat card just has the ability bonus + level bonus listed like that so a GM can see at a glance what a spined devil rolls for a Dexterity check or Dexterity-based skill check. (They might even remove that redundant terminology. Maybe "skill checks" will be replaced by ability checks that add +5 if you have the relevant skill training.)

I would not be so sure of that. Adding the half-level bonus to attack rolls could replace BAB (or part of BAB) and damage already increases with level (I don't remember whether it is at a rate of 1 per two levels or 1 per level) in Star Wars SAGA Edition, so one might as well add the growing strength bonus to accomplish the same effect. Remember that the AC is growing equally fast with the growing Dexterity bonus.

Still, I would guess the half-level bonus would not be applied to completely everything - merely all checks/rolls. For example, I doubt the half-level bonus to the intelligence modifier will grant extra skills or that the half-level bonus to the constitution modifier will give extra hit points.

 

[Li Shenron]

Ability modifiers are just the same as in 3ed.

Ability checks instead use not only the modifier but also the level bonus (+1/2 level), just like skills.

my 2cp

 

[Roman]

Ability modifiers are just the same as in 3ed.

Ability checks instead use not only the modifier but also the level bonus (+1/2 level), just like skills.

Agreed, but I would also predict that essentially all checks will be treated as ability checks in this regard (including skill checks, attacks and so on) and the level bonus will also likely apply to AC and saves/defenses, as they also use ability modifiers even though they are static numbers rather than checks.

 

[SteveC]

As I'm looking at this, I seriously hope it isn't true. The notion of the average bell-curve result giving a 0 modifier is simple, elegant game design, that often gets overlooked when people ask "why does D&D still have 3-18 stats when all you really seem to use it the bonuses."

I think a much better design is, as others have mentioned, to use the same scale, but add 1/2 your character level to checks. That way stat checks can use the same DC system as skill checks. That isn't the case now, where a DC 20 strength check represents something fundamentally different from a DC20 escape artist (or other skill) check.

Allowing the characters' level to affect all D20 rolls is an example of streamlining the system to make a unified check system, and I'll wholeheartedly endorse it.

--Steve

 

[Flynn]

Agreed. In fact, I have currently assumed that the half-level concept is so firmly integrated into 4E that they are reluctant to mention it because all numbers (Save Defenses, BAB, Skills, Magic, Special Abilities and Powers, etc.) are based on it, in order to keep the math balanced over a greater range of levels. Variations will come from simple modifiers, such as Trained and Skill Focus from SECR, and that may even extend into BAB, too. That would explain at least some of the comments from WOTC regarding how the system is integrated across the board.

But these are only my thoughts, of course, and I will likely be proven wrong.

With Regards,
Flynn

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I wonder if BAB, Caster Level and similar things still exist the way we know them, or are also entirely replaced with a "generic" level based modifier (adjusted for class, but not neccessarily class level?)

 

[Roman]

I wonder if BAB, Caster Level and similar things still exist the way we know them, or are also entirely replaced with a "generic" level based modifier (adjusted for class, but not neccessarily class level?)

I would venture a guess that these are indeed thusly replaced and classes only provide static boni, which preserves the same spread in combat ability etcetera accross the full spectrum of levels.

 

[delericho]

I think a much better design is, as others have mentioned, to use the same scale, but add 1/2 your character level to checks. That way stat checks can use the same DC system as skill checks. That isn't the case now, where a DC 20 strength check represents something fundamentally different from a DC20 escape artist (or other skill) check.

The consequence of applying half a character's level to all attribute checks is that you get back to having absurd results, such as the 4 Str 90-year-old 20th level Wizard regularly out-arm-wrestling the 18 Str 18-year-old 1st level miner's son without making any use of magic.