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D&D Q&A 12/13: Racial Ability Scores, Cleric Options & Monsters
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<blockquote data-quote="Ratskinner" data-source="post: 6060757" data-attributes="member: 6688937"><p>I've been thinking about ability scores quite a bit lately, and I think D&D should either divorce them entirely from class abilities (ending MAD, etc.) or it should just wrap them into classes directly. I prefer divorcing them, because then that makes it very easy to create the high-charisma fighter, or the high dexterity wizard, etc.</p><p></p><p>For those who need simulationist justification for things...well, its really about what a "level" means. Instead of representing a discrete unit of expertise/training, you can reconstrue level to mean an overall assessment of your (primarily combat) abilities. So the Strong and Charismatic fighter both do the same damage with the same chance to hit. They just achieve it in different ways; the Strong by pushing through, the Charismatic through feints and flourishes, the Dextrous through is puissance and speed. </p><p></p><p>It gets a little weirder for Rogues and their skill-centric class design, but its certainly not an insurmountable problem. </p><p></p><p>Alternatively, have multiple fighter-ish classes for the various styles of fighter, each one gets ability scores according to what they need. (For that matter, just make "Feat of Strength" a fighter class ability and call it a day.) Let's just skip this muddling stage of separating the ability and the class. </p><p></p><p>You can do the same thing with races and note that if your class and race have the same/similar "ability stunt" that they stack.</p><p></p><p>Of course, I realize that this would probably "not be D&D" for some people, so we'll never see it. ::shrug::</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ratskinner, post: 6060757, member: 6688937"] I've been thinking about ability scores quite a bit lately, and I think D&D should either divorce them entirely from class abilities (ending MAD, etc.) or it should just wrap them into classes directly. I prefer divorcing them, because then that makes it very easy to create the high-charisma fighter, or the high dexterity wizard, etc. For those who need simulationist justification for things...well, its really about what a "level" means. Instead of representing a discrete unit of expertise/training, you can reconstrue level to mean an overall assessment of your (primarily combat) abilities. So the Strong and Charismatic fighter both do the same damage with the same chance to hit. They just achieve it in different ways; the Strong by pushing through, the Charismatic through feints and flourishes, the Dextrous through is puissance and speed. It gets a little weirder for Rogues and their skill-centric class design, but its certainly not an insurmountable problem. Alternatively, have multiple fighter-ish classes for the various styles of fighter, each one gets ability scores according to what they need. (For that matter, just make "Feat of Strength" a fighter class ability and call it a day.) Let's just skip this muddling stage of separating the ability and the class. You can do the same thing with races and note that if your class and race have the same/similar "ability stunt" that they stack. Of course, I realize that this would probably "not be D&D" for some people, so we'll never see it. ::shrug:: [/QUOTE]
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D&D Q&A 12/13: Racial Ability Scores, Cleric Options & Monsters
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