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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shadow Over Mystara" data-source="post: 8189416" data-attributes="member: 7029539">In original D&D, ability scores had very little mechanical effect. Their biggest impact was probably in giving bonus XP if the prime requisite for your class was high enough. But with 3d6 straight down, most stats were 9-12 and did nothing. You could drop them and not lose much.Nowadays, I think there's even less need for them, at least if the game is tweaked (5e) or designed (6e) with that in mind. Characters can be defined and differentiated so many other ways: more races than before, A LOT more classes than before, skills, feats, spells, equipment, etc.The assumption could be that characters are average, except where they're exceptional. If you want to play a strong character, you could select a martial class and/or pick skills and feats that reinforce being strong. A fighter without any such skills or feats is one who relies on more than brawn to succeed, but is still reasonably strong. A wizard WITH such skills or feats might actually be stronger than that fighter, but would still lose to him in a swordfight, and do worse on physical saving throws.Clearly it would be a surprise for D&D to move away from such an iconic part of its identity, but were it to happen, this would still be as much of a fantasy adventure roleplaying game as ever. Roles would still be well-defined, yet customization options would still abound.In my experience, one of the barriers to entry for D&D is just how many "levers" there are. You have ability scores, as well as ability score modifiers. Then races with adjustments to those scores. Then classes with no adjustments to those scores, but which depend on specific scores (making it hard to break from archetype anyway). Then class abilities, then skills, then feats, etc.I think ability scores would be much more important in a game with fewer levers. But with so many robust levers now, there's simply less need. I get why so many people are fond of them, I just wish they were more modular at least.My ideal version of D&D would strip away ability scores, rolling for hit points, and alignment, and would roll all 3 core rulebooks into one. But that's another topic for another day!</blockquote>

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