D&D 5E Character sheet: Ability score or modifier in the big box?

[Mercule]

Just to be clear, I really like 5E and think the rule set is great. This is 100% about some style/presentation. It's also 100% nitpick and totally "fixed" by the conventions my players and I use. I'm just doing some prep for next week's game and venting. Figured I'd see it anyone agreed with me or not. Straightforward poll: top option agrees with me, bottom option is wrong (I kid).

This started as a raised eyebrow, but has become an increasing itch. It annoys me to no end that the expectation on the character sheet (per pregens) is to write the ability score modifiers large and the score itself underneath. I've seen it a couple times, on the WotC site, when looking for something else. It's jarring and stops me dead in my tracks. It's a visual thing and it just makes my brain scream, "you're using it wrong", every single time.

If I had a player at my table that did that, I'd correct him a couple of times then write him off as an idiot. It really started to get under my skin when I realized Dungeonscape may force users into this format. That presentation is so irksome that it pretty much kills the huge enthusiasm I had for the product. This is something that my group can ignore on the printed character sheets, but not for the tool. Hopefully, they include a "show ability scores correctly" toggle. Better yet, WotC stops using the backwards layout and burns all evidence of it. (If you can't tell, I strongly disagree with anyone who wants to replace 3-18 with just the modifiers -- the scores are writ in stone, but the modifiers are fair game to tweak from edition to edition.)

I didn't even notice the other stylistic bit, at first. I don't really care for listing skills as "Strength (Athletics)". The skill is just "Athletics". The end. I get that, in 5E, the skills are tightly married to their ability score, but writing it that way is just silly. Although vaguely related, this isn't part of the poll.

 

[The Hitcher]

This started as a raised eyebrow, but has become an increasing itch. It annoys me to no end that the expectation on the character sheet (per pregens) is to write the ability score modifiers large and the score itself underneath. I've seen it a couple times, on the WotC site, when looking for something else. It's jarring and stops me dead in my tracks. It's a visual thing and it just makes my brain scream, "you're using it wrong", every single time.

The new way makes a lot more sense, and I'm all for it. You almost never use the actual stat number, but you use the bonus all the time.

But guess what? They've deliberately designed the sheet so that you can do it either way, and thus everyone can be happy. Guess some are pretty hard to please.

I didn't even notice the other stylistic bit, at first. I don't really care for listing skills as "Strength (Athletics)". The skill is just "Athletics". The end. I get that, in 5E, the skills are tightly married to their ability score, but writing it that way is just silly. Although vaguely related, this isn't part of the poll.

They've done that so you can have a single "+X" against each skill, which incorporates the assumed stat modifier. It's simpler, and it's easy enough to recalculate if you happen to use the skill with a non-standard stat.

EDIT: You forgot to include an option in the poll for "oh look, they've designed it in a way so everyone gets to have their preference! Hurrah!"

 

[thalmin]

I prefer emphasizing the modifiers, but I believe all at the same table should do it the same way.

And neither way is the "Correct" way or the "Wrong" way. (Except when the DM or group decides what is right or wrong at his/their table)

 

[fba827]

It may have to do with my age and mental association of what stats should be, but I prefer the score to be emphasized.

That said, I do understand the functional reason for modifier to be emphasized. Just, I prefer score to be due to my history with the game and the built in preferences and assumptions that have grown for that.

 

[Mercule]

And neither way is the "Correct" way or the "Wrong" way. (Except when the DM or group decides what is right or wrong at his/their table)

Since tone of voice isn't transmitted by the Interwebs, I was being tongue-in-cheek. While the notation is jarring to me, I do understand why they did it. I strongly disagree with the decision, but I understand.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I have a very hard time accepting that this even an issue. Fill it out how you want. If the Dungeonscape default isn't the way you like it, say "Oh, well," shrug, and move on.

We're talking about a difference that is literally--and I mean "literally" literally, not the hip new "figurative" literally --meaningless.

 

[Stormonu]

Doesn't really matter to me, but when I saw the modifier in the big box, I had the same reaction as when I saw AC going up in 3E - "Why the hell didn't I do this years ago?"

 

[Chest Rockwell]

If you can't tell, I strongly disagree with anyone who wants to replace 3-18 with just the modifiers -- the scores are writ in stone, but the modifiers are fair game to tweak from edition to edition.

Bingo, Basic, 1/2nd Ed, and 3rd/4th/5th Ed, all have different modifiers, so, yes, I agree with you.

 

[delericho]

For auto-generating character sheets, I'm definitely in favour of the toggle the OP describes.

Beyond that, each person can make their own choice - I genuinely don't care.

I personally will be putting the modifier in the big box, because that's the one I'll use more often.

 

[Paraxis]

This is a thing?

The following as always is my ever so humble opinion.

The ability score number itself hardly ever matters, maybe there are more but the only things I can think of at the moment are having 13's in some stats if you want to ever multiclass and strength minimums on some heavy armors.

The ability score itself is not used for anything else in the game, only the modifier.

The modifier at it's core modifies a d20 roll, so each point of difference is only 5%.

A person with a 18 strength is only 20% stronger than someone with a 10 on feats of strength. There is a difference in what they can carry/lift but that is a matter of 150 pounds, and many groups never use encumbrance.

There is a general trivia contest, where knowledge skills play little factor or if a subject comes up assume both contestants have the proficiency. The Int 10(+0) character rolls vs a genius with a 20(+5) so on each question the genius only has a +25% chance to get the answer correct. We are not talking about the difference between a real world genius and a normal person here, this is a game and it has rules.

Now if we assume A baseline of 10 DC, a person who has the Int score just above a farm animal 4(-3) vs 20(+5) that is only a 40% difference. We do run into an issue if the DC gets to a 17 or higher on the trivia questions because now the boy raised by pigs can't roll high enough to win.

Also ability scores don't define how a character looks, nothing in the game does. A anemic looking wisp could have a 20 con score if you wanted, a big bulking thing could have a dex of 20, a tiny halfling that at most is 3ft 3 inches tall and 43 pounds can have a 20 strength score the same as an ogre.

So the ability score modifier is the most important thing, and in fact I hope in future editions of the game they do away with the score all together.

But seriously this is a thing? I mean all the above is how I think on the subject but even if someone thinks the exact opposite of how I do what is the point of the question?