Level Up (A5E) Do we need ability scores for A5E? And any racial/ancestry/lineage/background/culture ability bonuses?

[Stalker0]

A game that is intended to be compatible with 5e shouldn’t change ability scores.

i agree with the notion, but it changes the entire presentation. More suitable for a 6e than a level up

 

[Imaculata]

It's not a bad suggestion, but one of the goals for Level up, is that it can seemlessly be added to standard 5e, without having to relearn the rules. Levelup should in my view leave the core 5e rules relatively untouched, and simply add to it.

 

[Deset Gled]

Why not axe the score completely and just have modifiers?

My question is "why?" What is broken that you are trying to fix?

Things this change would break:
Backwards compatibility
Dice based stat generation
Carrying capacity
Long jump
Ability drains
Feat prerequisites
Granularity for roleplaying (or many other things listed above).
Historical continuity

For all the work it would take to re-write these things, are there any actual benefits to the game?

 

[WarDriveWorley]

I dunno. I feel this is more a "let's change things for the sake of change" than it is a change with a specific intent behind it.

 

[The Green Hermit]

I am with the no vote. This is not a needed, nor a wanted change at my table.

 

[Horwath]

Characters with double the ability modifiers they had before are not compatible with all the monsters and DCs in the rest of the game. You'd have to rewrite everything, and bounded accuracy has now gone out the window.

Yes, you CAN rewrite everything. But you do not need to.

This is mostly a change for PC characters.
Power level would stay the same, it just removes ASI boosts from races and molds them into point buy. And it gives ability modifier progression more intuitive with ability score: ability modifier = score -10.

You can use MM numbers 100% with this variant.

Yes, you cannot have "17" score at start point buy with this variant, as there is no option for score of 13,5. But you can have 13(+3) or if you want to include for higher cost 14(+4) score.

also, if you want to roll scores, it prevent someone from getting 4 or 5 odd scores and needing several ASIs to make them all even(for getting increase in modifier).

 

[dave2008]

minor tweak and it's compatible.

I disagree; I don't think you can change the modifier progression with LevelUp. That would be something for a 6e.

However, I wouldn't mind if odd ability scores where given some relevance and there is precedent in 5e: Lifting, carrying, & encumbrance. L,C, & E are a multiples of your Strength score not your modifier. So every point of Strength does matter. I would prefer this idea be expanded to other ability scores instead of ditching ability scores or increasing the modifiers.

 

[dave2008]

You can use MM numbers 100% with this variant.

Except you have to recalculate their attack bonus and damage bonus for every attack of every monster. I just don't see the benefit. There are better ways, IMO, to make every point matter if that is important to you.

 

[Horwath]

I disagree; I don't think you can change the modifier progression with LevelUp. That would be something for a 6e.

However, I wouldn't mind if odd ability scores where given some relevance and there is precedent in 5e: Lifting, carrying, & encumbrance. L,C, & E are a multiples of your Strength score not your modifier. So every point of Strength does matter. I would prefer this idea be expanded to other ability scores instead of ditching ability scores or increasing the modifiers.

Yes, we can muddle in this and add some value to odd scores in current version. Or just make modifiers go 1-for-1.
But adding things to odd scores and other things to even scores just complicates things.

But if you want something:
attack bonus stays the same, damage bonus is +1 for score of 11 or 12, +2 for 13 or 14, +3 for 15 or 16, +4 for 17 or 17, +5 for 19 or 20...etc...

Intelligence of 11,13,15,17,19 can give one to five bonus tool or language proficiency,

 

[Horwath]

Except you have to recalculate their attack bonus and damage bonus for every attack of every monster. I just don't see the benefit. There are better ways, IMO, to make every point matter if that is important to you.

again no need. All current books would stay the same with same current mechanics. This is idea mostly for creating PC characters.
Your 23 STR monster from MM would still have +6 modifier. Now in future books that might get reprinted as STR 16(+6).