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<blockquote data-quote="CleverNickName" data-source="post: 7553139" data-attributes="member: 50987">I didn't mean to nit a nerve.&nbsp; Game balance is always important, but the exact amount of importance people give it can vary.&nbsp; Some people play this game as a power fantasy (and things like rules and restrictions really spoil their fun), others play it as a combat simulator (and things like weightless weapons and armor really spoil their fun).&nbsp; Most of us fall somewhere in between, picking and choosing the things that are most important to maximize fun for everyone.&nbsp; I'm willing to bend on some things, but I will not bend at all on magic.But since you brought it up, and at the risk of going off-topic, here's my thoughts on Strength as a dump stat.&nbsp;&nbsp; I don't require the player to keep track of every pound and coin they are carrying.&nbsp; But if a character has a below-average Strength score, they are &quot;on my radar.&quot;&nbsp; I will constantly describe the player as being out of breath, muscles still sore from carrying their backpack the day before, breaking a sweat over menial tasks, etc.&nbsp; I start asking for Strength checks out of the blue for things like using a heavy weapon or trying to lift a trapdoor open (and then ignore the result.)&nbsp; And so forth.&nbsp; It reminds the player that I'm watching for exploits, and that their build matters...which keeps them from trying stunts like dual-wielding halberds or whatever.&nbsp; It creates a bit of work for me, but no more than tracking every pound of weight on ever character sheet would.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="CleverNickName, post: 7553139, member: 50987"] I didn't mean to nit a nerve. Game balance is always important, but the exact amount of importance people give it can vary. Some people play this game as a power fantasy (and things like rules and restrictions really spoil their fun), others play it as a combat simulator (and things like weightless weapons and armor really spoil [I]their[/I] fun). Most of us fall somewhere in between, picking and choosing the things that are most important to maximize fun for everyone. I'm willing to bend on some things, but I will not bend at all on magic. But since you brought it up, and at the risk of going off-topic, here's my thoughts on Strength as a dump stat. I don't require the player to keep track of every pound and coin they are carrying. But if a character has a below-average Strength score, they are "on my radar." I will constantly describe the player as being out of breath, muscles still sore from carrying their backpack the day before, breaking a sweat over menial tasks, etc. I start asking for Strength checks out of the blue for things like using a heavy weapon or trying to lift a trapdoor open (and then ignore the result.) And so forth. It reminds the player that I'm watching for exploits, and that their build matters...which keeps them from trying stunts like dual-wielding halberds or whatever. It creates a bit of work for me, but no more than tracking every pound of weight on ever character sheet would. [/QUOTE]

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