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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ferrous" data-source="post: 6039553" data-attributes="member: 61796">Again thanks for the replies. Just quick clarifaction I like 5th edition and I am pointing out what  I perceive as a flaw so the game can be made better.That out of the way DefCon. I did not give Bill or Bob a bigger shield because it ain't in the equipment list. However if it was Bill and Bob could both use it so that is a wash. There is even an archetype for Bob of Dervish with big shield and scimitar.Also I used Bill and Bob at 10th level because it could be seen that one was "strictly better" than another option. However even at 1st level with basic equipment the problem is there if slightly less marked:Bill is a 1st level human heavy  fighter with chain armour, longsword and  shield. Bill has a 18 Strength  and an 9 Dex to take advantage of heavy  armour. Bill’s AC is 17 and  does d8+4 damage. Bill is -1 to Initiative, and  usually -1 to Balance,  Disable Device, Drive, Ride, Sleight of Hand,  Sneak, Tumble, Use Rope.  Bill is at +4 to Climb and Swim checks. Bill  is at -5 movement and  disadvantage to Stealth. Bill’s armour is very  visible and takes minutes  to put on. Bill is disadvantaged with the  Ambusher and Stealth  specialties. Bill has a limited selection of  missile weapons that have  poor range.  Bob is a 1st human level swashbuckling Fighter with leather armour, rapier  and a shield (buckler). Bob has a 18 Dexterity  and a Str of 9.  Bob AC16 and does d6+4 damage. Bob is +4 to  Initiative and Balance,  Disable Device, Drive, Ride, Sleight of Hand,  Sneak, Tumble, Use Rope.  Bob is at -1 to Climb and swim checks. Bob has  no disadvantages Bob has no speciality he  can’t take. Bob can use the best missile  weapons with the best range.  So in effect Bill has traded +1 AC and +1 damage per blow that hits for: -5 Initiative -5 to 8 different skills -5 movement Disadvantage on Stealth Donning armour rules 10 rather 1 minuteWorse missile fire Can’t use 2 specialities very well. Armour costs more And still the two skills that Bill is good at don’t really make a lot of   sense, “OK let’s get the guy in chain armour to climb the sheer cliff   wall and swim across the river…”Thanks for the catch of Strength and Dex should be 9 Blackbird. Of course these are functionaly the same but nice to be accurate anyway. I only varied the two variable of Str and Dex because I wanted a nice direct comparison. Even with your more "organic" stat array the difference between Bill and Bob would be as you said +3 on Dex base stuff + whatever the 5 points of stat increase could buy you like +2 with all Cha skill or +1 hit point per level, etc. So with your array in effect at 10 level Bill has traded  +1 damage per blow that hits for: -3 Initiative -3 to 8 different skills -5 movement Disadvantage on Stealth Donning armour takes 10 minutes rather 1 minuteWorse missile fire weapon or -3 to hit and damageCan’t use 2 specialities very well. Armour is not concealed so cannot always be worn.-10 hit pointsI think that we both agree that this is not balanced.P.S.Rolling stats does not make the problem go away, unless of course you roll the exact same number for all stats because you will still have some bigger and some smaller stats and a decision on where to put them. Indeed you are more likely to get one 16, 17 or 18 so the problem manifest earlier.</blockquote>

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