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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Character sheet: Ability score or modifier in the big box?
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<blockquote data-quote="Charlaquin" data-source="post: 7284486" data-attributes="member: 6779196"><p>It makes more sense to write the modifier in the big box, because the modifier is the more important number to reference at a glance. Ability Score almost never matters except when Multiclassing and qualifying for Feats. The rare times it does matter, you’re usually doing character sheet management, so it’s not necessary for the number to be big and noticeable. On the other hand, the modifier comes up every time you roll a D20, and is important to be able to quickly assess.</p><p></p><p></p><p>That’s not why it’s written that way. The reason it’s written “Ability (Skill) check” is because there’s no such thing as a Skill check in 5e. There are exactly three kinds of d20 rolls: Attack rolls, Saving Throws, and Ability Checks. Proficiencies allow players to add their Proficiency Bonus to one of those three types of rolls when the Proficiency in question is applicable. So, for example, you don’t make Intimidation checks, you make Charisma checks, to which you can apply your Proficiency Bonus if you have Proficiency in the Intimidation Skill. As such, when modules call for checks, they first list the Ability required to make them, and then the relevant Skill or Tool Proficiency that players can apply if they have it. In fact, during the open playtest, Skills weren’t even tied to specific abilities. It was written that way because if they just wrote the Skill, you wouldn’t know what Ability to use with it. Even though they ended up tied to Abilities in the final version, there’s still an optional rule for using Skills with different abilities in the Player’s Handbook, which is one of the few optional rules allowed in Adventures League.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Charlaquin, post: 7284486, member: 6779196"] It makes more sense to write the modifier in the big box, because the modifier is the more important number to reference at a glance. Ability Score almost never matters except when Multiclassing and qualifying for Feats. The rare times it does matter, you’re usually doing character sheet management, so it’s not necessary for the number to be big and noticeable. On the other hand, the modifier comes up every time you roll a D20, and is important to be able to quickly assess. That’s not why it’s written that way. The reason it’s written “Ability (Skill) check” is because there’s no such thing as a Skill check in 5e. There are exactly three kinds of d20 rolls: Attack rolls, Saving Throws, and Ability Checks. Proficiencies allow players to add their Proficiency Bonus to one of those three types of rolls when the Proficiency in question is applicable. So, for example, you don’t make Intimidation checks, you make Charisma checks, to which you can apply your Proficiency Bonus if you have Proficiency in the Intimidation Skill. As such, when modules call for checks, they first list the Ability required to make them, and then the relevant Skill or Tool Proficiency that players can apply if they have it. In fact, during the open playtest, Skills weren’t even tied to specific abilities. It was written that way because if they just wrote the Skill, you wouldn’t know what Ability to use with it. Even though they ended up tied to Abilities in the final version, there’s still an optional rule for using Skills with different abilities in the Player’s Handbook, which is one of the few optional rules allowed in Adventures League. [/QUOTE]
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Character sheet: Ability score or modifier in the big box?
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