D&D 5E Eight Abilities (Str-Con, Dex-Ath, Int-Per, Cha-Wis)

[LuisCarlos17f]

In the past I suggested my own list of abilities scores.

D&D 5E - Sacred Cows: Added new abilities scores.

Sometimes I thought about how to create an universal d20 for all genres and the most of 3PPs wanted to used, and easy to adapt other systems. After a idea storm I have chosen to add two new abilities scores: acuity and spirit. - Acuity(Acu) would be perception and astuteness, very important in...

www.enworld.org

I wonder about adding "body mass", something like the "size" in "Call of Chulthu".

 

[overgeeked]

I am a fan of reducing the six abilities to four abilities. Each of these four is salient and balances well with each other.

I find the tradition of six abilities problematic, especially how some abilities are more powerful than others, and how it is often blurry which one to apply.

Reduce them to three. It fits better and you combine less used abilities to make them roughly on par with the more used abilities.

Dexterity stands alone. Call it DEX.

Strength and Constitution are combined. Call it STR.

Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are combined. Call it INT.

You break the symmetry of having three stats for "mind" and three stats for "body", but these groupings make more sense mechanically.

 

[overgeeked]

In the past I suggested my own list of abilities scores.

D&D 5E - Sacred Cows: Added new abilities scores.

Sometimes I thought about how to create an universal d20 for all genres and the most of 3PPs wanted to used, and easy to adapt other systems. After a idea storm I have chosen to add two new abilities scores: acuity and spirit. - Acuity(Acu) would be perception and astuteness, very important in...

www.enworld.org

I wonder about adding "body mass", something like the "size" in "Call of Chulthu".

Size is all but vestigial in CoC. You derive stats from it, but it's all but useless on its own. The size categories of D&D and the specific height and weight numbers work just as well without needing to be codified in a stat.

 

[niklinna]

Reduce them to three. It fits better and you combine less used abilities to make them roughly on par with the more used abilities.

Dexterity stands alone. Call it DEX.

Strength and Constitution are combined. Call it STR.

Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are combined. Call it INT.

You break the symmetry of having three stats for "mind" and three stats for "body", but these groupings make more sense mechanically.

And I didn't think you could simplify beyond GURPS.

Lack of symmetry isn't a problem, really (which I got into in my earlier post). It's perfectly fine to have physical stuff be more differentiated, and to roll up both force and movement for non-physical stuff, and to roll up multiple non-physical things (mental, emotional, social) into one.

 

[overgeeked]

And I didn't think you could simplify beyond GURPS.

Of course you can simplify beyond GURPS. There's all kinds of rules light, super-light, ultra-light, and otherwise games that go for minimalism. Two stats, one stat, no stats. Set stats, no set stats, player defined stats.

 

[niklinna]

Hence the smiley.

 

[Aldarc]

Reduce them to three. It fits better and you combine less used abilities to make them roughly on par with the more used abilities.

Dexterity stands alone. Call it DEX.

Strength and Constitution are combined. Call it STR.

Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are combined. Call it INT.

You break the symmetry of having three stats for "mind" and three stats for "body", but these groupings make more sense mechanically.

Which is what some OSR games and the Cypher System does. I do kind of like distinguishing though between Wits and Willpower somewhat, which is lost when you combine all the mental attributes.

 

[Mannahnin]

Did I hear someone say "one ability score"?

TWERPS - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[RangerWickett]

4 abilities are better than 8.
More abilities, more opportunity to dump something without much of a cost.

I recall a game where there are only three stats, and no skills, just Kick Ass, Drive Fast, and Hold On!

 

[niklinna]

Did I hear someone say "one ability score"?

TWERPS - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I used to have a copy of that! I never played it though. (Of course.)