D&D 5E D&D Peoples/Species change ideas

[Crimson Longinus]

Realistically, I know that this ship is pretty much sailed. But I don't need my game trumpeting that fact to the heavens as a feature. Give me some pretense, darn it!

There is abstraction and then there is disassociation. The line is somewhat blurry but not non-existent.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

There is abstraction and then there is disassociation. The line is somewhat blurry but not non-existent.

Abstraction is the transformation of the physical into the conceptual. It isn't the fine art of double speak.

 

[GreenTengu]

So Strength shouldn't mean strength?

Is that really what you want to advocate?

My choice would be to throw ability scores into the same place that racial class restrictions and level limits, hireling tables, individual weapon proficiencies/specializations, exotic weapon class and treasure types tables went.

Divorce the core mechanics from ability scores or remove them from the game entirely. Have "Strength" dictate the die roll exclusively when it is unequivocally the only possible attribute that could be contributing to success and not when it is just the one that happened to be arbitrarily assigned when narratively success could be granted by a number of other attributes.

But-- sure-- aside from rewriting the entire system so the Strength doesn't contribute to attack bonus or damage bonus or any skills and is exclusively called upon solely when determining how much weight a character can lift-- then, yes, Strength should not mean "Strength" because it doesn't currently remotely mean "Strength" and instead, because of the way it ties into to-hit bonus, to-damage bonus, athletics and so on-- it really means "aptitude in fighting" with its function as "strength" being almost an outlier.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

My choice would be to throw ability scores into the same place that racial class restrictions and level limits, hireling tables, individual weapon proficiencies/specializations, exotic weapon class and treasure types tables went.

Divorce the core mechanics from ability scores or remove them from the game entirely. Have "Strength" dictate the die roll exclusively when it is unequivocally the only possible attribute that could be contributing to success and not when it is just the one that happened to be arbitrarily assigned when narratively success could be granted by a number of other attributes.

But-- sure-- aside from rewriting the entire system so the Strength doesn't contribute to attack bonus or damage bonus or any skills and is exclusively called upon solely when determining how much weight a character can lift-- then, yes, Strength should not mean "Strength" because it doesn't currently remotely mean "Strength" and instead, because of the way it ties into to-hit bonus, to-damage bonus, athletics and so on-- it really means "aptitude in fighting" with its function as "strength" being almost an outlier.

In other words, OD&D did it right the first time.