Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Fiddling with a homebrew system, one that has ability scores, but they have less constant importance than D&D and are more all-generally-useful-for-all-characters instead of being more focused by class like D&D. In D&D terms, these are not informal gatekeepers to class - you can be good (though different) no matter how these are arranged. They also are not intended to increase as character advancement.
I was considering a downtime/freetime system where part of it was if you are spending significant time doing something that works out any of the ability scores, you have bonuses to that score that last until you change around your downtime activities and (potentialy) gain bonuses elsewhere. Work out, eat well, get more fit as long as you keep it up. That sort of thing.
For instance, a character who spends a lot of their downtime researching, studying, or attending classes might have a +3 bonus to KNOWLEDGE as long as that's true, while someone else who is doing physical labor or working out might have +3 to FITNESS, and someone who is working as an electrician might have a +1 to KNOW, +1 FIT, as well as income and possibly an excuse to increase a related skill,but that's outside the scope of this discussion. Players are free to change these whenever they have downtime, to change their concept over time. (Again, there is no Attack/Casting ability score like in D&D - you can modify your conept over time without falling into a hole.)
The problem is that I don't picture all downtime spent giving the maximum bonus. Part of me worries that there are many players who would always go for maximum bonuses because it helped them at the table, and the converse - players who follow their concept but because of this are "penalized" (by not having as big a bonus) and resent the rule.
What's your thought on the psychological aspect of it?
I was considering a downtime/freetime system where part of it was if you are spending significant time doing something that works out any of the ability scores, you have bonuses to that score that last until you change around your downtime activities and (potentialy) gain bonuses elsewhere. Work out, eat well, get more fit as long as you keep it up. That sort of thing.
For instance, a character who spends a lot of their downtime researching, studying, or attending classes might have a +3 bonus to KNOWLEDGE as long as that's true, while someone else who is doing physical labor or working out might have +3 to FITNESS, and someone who is working as an electrician might have a +1 to KNOW, +1 FIT, as well as income and possibly an excuse to increase a related skill,but that's outside the scope of this discussion. Players are free to change these whenever they have downtime, to change their concept over time. (Again, there is no Attack/Casting ability score like in D&D - you can modify your conept over time without falling into a hole.)
The problem is that I don't picture all downtime spent giving the maximum bonus. Part of me worries that there are many players who would always go for maximum bonuses because it helped them at the table, and the converse - players who follow their concept but because of this are "penalized" (by not having as big a bonus) and resent the rule.
What's your thought on the psychological aspect of it?