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

[Iosue]

With the order of the abilities already mixed up, I find it hard to really worry about which number goes in the big box. In the end, I can write it down as I always have. Str, Int, Wis, Dex, Con, Cha, with the ability score to the right of that and the bonus/penalty in equally large numbers to the right of that.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Really, in 5e, the modifier IS the ability score. In my opinion, the new edition should have made that clear: the old ability score should have been abandoned completely.

 

[Mr Fixit]

Really, in 5e, the modifier IS the ability score. In my opinion, the new edition should have made that clear: the old ability score should have been abandoned completely.

They might as well have. I guess they are left in the game for reasons of tradition primarily. And, of course, those 4d6 rolls at character creation...

 

[Riley]

On my own character sheets, the actual ability scores should be presented prominently, and in the correct order of: strength, intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, charisma.

Everyone else, of course, is welcome to write them down however they want.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I prefer emphasizing the mod, since it's what is used. I would actually prefer to not even have a 3-18 attribute in the game at all. Just call the mod the attribute and be done with it. You can still use 3d6 or whatever to generate it. The only reason I can think of to not do this is D&D tradition.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

They might as well have. I guess they are left in the game for reasons of tradition primarily. And, of course, those 4d6 rolls at character creation...

It's a weird, convoluted way to generate these scores anyway.

 

[Mercule]

Really, in 5e, the modifier IS the ability score. In my opinion, the new edition should have made that clear: the old ability score should have been abandoned completely.

This is the only reason why it's anything more than a minor annoyance. I don't want to see 3-18 disappear. I'm afraid that having the mod emphasized is sort of the first step towards eliminating the scores for 6E. That would make me sad. The scores are one of my sacred cows.

 

[Tormyr]

Really, in 5e, the modifier IS the ability score. In my opinion, the new edition should have made that clear: the old ability score should have been abandoned completely.

One nice thing that works well with keeping the ability scores as is, is when you are building a non standard human character in point buy where your primary ability score for the class is not the one you get a +1 in. You can set up your primary/secondary ability scores as 15/15 or 17/15 or 15/17 depending on which ability score bonuses you get. You can then split your ability score increase at level 4 to make that a 16/16 or 18/16 or 16/18 and get two modifier bumps and catch up to the other players.

Yes, this is a bit convoluted, but we have a few players at our table who did this. A halfing rogue/monk started with 17 Dex/15 wis; a Dragonborn wizard started with 15 Dex/15 Int. If the ability scores were reworked to just be the bonus, this granularity would be lost.

And some things should stay with tradition if the alternative does not make them significantly better.

 

[Riley]

I prefer emphasizing the mod, since it's what is used.... The only reason I can think of to not do this is D&D tradition.

The reason to preserve the 3-18(+) distribution is because of things like this:

Bill Gates Grants Self 18 Dexterity, 20 Charisma

NEWS • Business • ISSUE 31•21 • Jun 18, 1997

REDMOND, WA—Microsoft head Bill Gates, already considered by many to be among the most powerful men in the world, further increased his powers Monday, augmenting several of his key statistics to near-immortal levels....

..."This is a very shrewd move on Gates' part," PC Magazine columnist John C. Dvorak said. "His vastly increased charisma--the prime stat of a chaotic evil executive--will help him tremendously in his ongoing struggle to convince skeptical Microsoft stockholders that his ventures into television and his massive content-buying spree will pay off in the long run. The extra CHR will also assist him greatly in dealing with wary CEOs of companies he wishes to invest in and cast spells over, like Comcast."

http://www.theonion.com/articles/bill-gates-grants-self-18-dexterity-20-charisma,837/

An 18 stat is essential to the core cultural identity of Dungeons & Dragons. And that is the only reason it remains.

 

[mcbobbo]

I think you could do away with the stats entirely (after rolling them up) by allowing a .5 qualifier that always rounds down. So a 12 is now +1 and a 13 is now +1.5. Stat increases that gave +2 to a stat now give +1 to the stat bonus. Gauntlets of blah now give a minimum bonus instead of a minimum score. And so on ...