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<blockquote data-quote="Minigiant" data-source="post: 9415796" data-attributes="member: 63508"><p>The game even in the future is not going in that direction.</p><p></p><p>Ability scores and ability modifiers are poor choices to display the difference between races in a TTRPG because the formula required to make it matter if too complex for in-person play.</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>That doesn't address my point.</p><p></p><p>The number one problem with ability score modifiers in the modern state is.</p><p></p><h2><strong>The d20. </strong></h2><h2></h2><p>Until your total modifier is about 1/3 of the size of the dice you are rolling (for the d20 that's +7), The d20 overpowers whatever modifies you have.</p><p></p><p>When modifiers are small you're just rolling the die against the difficulty class.</p><p></p><p>This is why first edition and second edition really didn't use ability scores to do anything except for requirements and prerequisites.</p><p></p><p>Gygax and Arneson used charts because charts gave you the exact results you want to create. The drawback of charts of course is you need to have the chart available at all times in order to use it it can't just go off a memory like a modifier.</p><p></p><p><strong>Hot take</strong>: ability modifiers are bad mechanics for anything except for repeated combat roles.</p><p></p><p>If you want a species to be strong or fast you need to write the rules and formula that they are strong or fast.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Minigiant, post: 9415796, member: 63508"] The game even in the future is not going in that direction. Ability scores and ability modifiers are poor choices to display the difference between races in a TTRPG because the formula required to make it matter if too complex for in-person play. That doesn't address my point. The number one problem with ability score modifiers in the modern state is. [HEADING=1][B]The d20. [/B][/HEADING] [HEADING=1][/HEADING] Until your total modifier is about 1/3 of the size of the dice you are rolling (for the d20 that's +7), The d20 overpowers whatever modifies you have. When modifiers are small you're just rolling the die against the difficulty class. This is why first edition and second edition really didn't use ability scores to do anything except for requirements and prerequisites. Gygax and Arneson used charts because charts gave you the exact results you want to create. The drawback of charts of course is you need to have the chart available at all times in order to use it it can't just go off a memory like a modifier. [B]Hot take[/B]: ability modifiers are bad mechanics for anything except for repeated combat roles. If you want a species to be strong or fast you need to write the rules and formula that they are strong or fast. [/QUOTE]
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