D&D General Friday Nonsense: Add One Stat To D&D (For PCs)

[Charlaquin]

What if it was "you can add this to any roll in place of your normal modifier, but you don't add your Proficiency Bonus"? This makes it the Luck stat.

Death save? Add luck. Attack roll when you're not good with weapons? Add luck. Trying to pick a lock when you don't know how? Add luck.

A wizard with a maxed luck (+5) makes an attack roll with a dagger... he only gets +5. The rogue (max dex & proficiency) gets +7 to +11, so the "lucky" character isn't ever better than a specialized character. Putting ASIs into Luck helps characters get lucky, but doesn't substitute for true proficiency or primary-stat ASIs.

Dang, took my joke idea and came up with something genuinely cool and useful based on it!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Comic Timing

 

[Reynard]

Comic Timing

Is this one of those things where you need a stat because the player can't be expected to have the ability themselves? Like spell slots?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Is this one of those things where you need a stat because the player can't be expected to have the ability themselves? Like spell slots?

Players generally have plenty of spell slots.

 

[Tonguez]

What if it was "you can add this to any roll in place of your normal modifier, but you don't add your Proficiency Bonus"? This makes it the Luck stat.

Death save? Add luck. Attack roll when you're not good with weapons? Add luck. Trying to pick a lock when you don't know how? Add luck.

A wizard with a maxed luck (+5) makes an attack roll with a dagger... he only gets +5. The rogue (max dex & proficiency) gets +7 to +11, so the "lucky" character isn't ever better than a specialized character. Putting ASIs into Luck helps characters get lucky, but doesn't substitute for true proficiency or primary-stat ASIs.

sounds a lot like Inspiration

or the dreaded Guidance spam

 

[J-H]

sounds a lot like Inspiration

or the dreaded Guidance spam

Not really, more of an alternative. Luck rolls never add proficiency, so you don't want to use Luck if you have skill at whatever you're rolling.

Dang, took my joke idea and came up with something genuinely cool and useful based on it!

I've been trying to figure out how to make a Luck stat work for years, and you fixed it by having it apply to straight rolls instead of added to others.

 

[Charlaquin]

I've been trying to figure out how to make a Luck stat work for years, and you fixed it by having it apply to straight rolls instead of added to others.

That’s awesome, I’m glad to have helped! And here I was just trying to be funny.

 

[Epic Meepo]

Spellcasting.

Does having a stat called Spellcasting make the game better? Probably not. But it means I never again have to read, "Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for X (choose when you select X)."

 

[jayoungr]

Some of my oldschool friends still add comeliness as separate from charisma. Mostly just for fun and roleplaying opportunities.

I kinda think initiative would be an interesting stat to have divorced from dexterity.