D&D 5E [Homebrew] − Rethinking the Ability Scores

[Yardiff]

True to some degree but dex to damage was never a thing until 5e. I think it was first introduced in Pathfinder as a feat.

 

[Yaarel]

True to some degree but dex to damage was never a thing until 5e. I think it was first introduced in Pathfinder as a feat.

I like the idea of different abilities being responsible for attack bonus versus damage bonus. That way an ability like Dex doesnt become and omni-ability.

 

[Yaarel]

This configuration corresponds to the classical six abilities. The abilities organize as follows.

Wisdom splits, giving Perception to Dexterity, Willpower to Charisma, and Intuition to Intelligence.



Strength
Athletics/Acrobatics, agility, body mobility, hand-eye coordination, jump, climb, tumble, balance, speed, gross motor skills, appearance of physique is fit and ‘in shape’
• Attack bonus (melee attack, thrown weapon, unarmed attack)
• Grapple bonus versus Constitution (size)
• AC bonus (if no armor, or light or medium armor)
• Reflex save
• Athletics/Acrobatics checks
• Physical stunts
• Slight of Hand checks

Constitution
Size, brute force, toughness
• Size (Constitution score: Tiny 1-4, Small 5-8, Lightweight Medium 9-12, Heavyweight Medium 13-16, Large 17-20, Huge 21-24, Gargantuan 25+)
• Damage bonus (melee weapon, unarmed combat, thrown weapon)
• Reach (melee weapon, unarmed combat)
• Hit points
• Resist grapple
• Heavy armor, heavy weapons
• Lift (carry, pull, push)
• Fortitude save (physical robustness versus injury)
Endurance, health
• Hit Dice (stamina, pain endurance)
• Endurance checks
• Health checks (resist disease, resist poison, lifespan)

Dexterity
Slow cautious sensitive precise motion, steady hand
• Attack bonus (ranged weapons, sneak attack versus unaware)
• Manual dexterity checks (sculpting, painting, pouring alchemical ingredients, precision)
Sensory perception
• Perception checks (physical senses for sensory description only: see, hear, touch, smell, taste)
• Stealth checks (slow cautious sensitive motion, avoiding perception)
• Initiative bonus (because of alertness and detection − not reaction speed of Strength)

Intelligence
Knowledge, calculation, anticipation, investigation
• Damage bonus (ranged attack, sneak attack versus unaware)
• Knowledge/Investigation checks (education, logic, rational intuition, technology)
• Deception checks (disguise, forgery, plausible lie, bluff, magical illusion, phantasm, sensory manipulation)
• Insight save versus Deception (disguise, forgery, plausible lie, bluff, magical illusion, phantasm, sensory manipulation)
Psychic intuition, magic affinity
• Intuition checks (psychic intuition, divination, hunch)
• Arcana checks

Charisma
Social skills, sense of self, empathy, willpower, and mental influence
• Persuasion checks (charm, friendship, gain help, avoid combat)
• Intimidation checks (cause fear only if demonstrating a credible threat, force surrender)
• Empathy checks (insight into emotions, motivations, thoughts, of an other mind)
• Attack bonus or DC bonus (mental influence, suggestion, charm, fear, domination, insanity, temptation)
• Willpower save (mental influence, suggestion, mind affecting spells, charm, fear, domination, insanity, temptation)



Notes.

Constitution: strictly speaking Health is distinct from Size, but they work together well enough, and there is some correlation.

Strength Athletics makes a check versus a Difficult DC to lift up ones own bodyweight. At the same time, Constitution determines Size. Thus it is Difficult for a Lightweight Medium creatue to pull itself up (over a cliff ledge or so on); it is Difficult for a Heavyweight Medium creature to pull itself up. Size categories change the DC. It is Very Difficult for a Lightweight to pull up a Heavyweight (up from a cliff ledge or so on); it is Very Difficult for a Heavyweight to pull up a Large. Oppositely. It is Moderate for a Lightweight to pull up a Small; it is Moderate for a Heavyweight to pull up a Lightweight. And so on.

You can use a Dexterity check to ‘balance’, but it means inching ones way across a tightrope, in place of using a Strength Athletics/Acrobatics check to run across the tightrope at top speed.

Both Intelligence and Charisma are magic casting abilities for spells and psionics, but more attention is needed to distinguish which is responsible for what. Because Charisma lacks regular combat application, it is tempting to make it the casting ability for all magic, spells, and psionics. But that would make Intelligence need help, heh, and I am tired of Intelligence needing help.

 

[Yaarel]

Heh, I want to reduce the abilities down to four. But I keep ending up with the ‘5-Guy Band’.

Smart Guy ≈ Intelligence (Knowledge, Intuition)
Heart Guy ≈ Charisma (Charm, Empathy)
Jock Guy ≈ Strength (Athletics/Acrobatics)
Protector Guy ≈ Constitution (Size, Toughness, Brute Damage)
Rebel Guy ≈ Dexterity (Alertness, Stealth)

 

[Yaarel]

It seems possible to reduce well to four abilities, after all.

The four abilities are adjectives:

Athletic (Strength-Finesse): Reflex save
- mobile reflexive attack: melee, wrestle, throw
- agility, coordination, balance, dodge, juggle
- jump, climb, fall, speed, stunts

Perceptive (Intelligence-Perception): Perception save
- steady thoughtful attack: range, sneak, coup de gras
- senses, initiative
- precision control, steady hand, stealth
- knowledge, intuition

Tough (Constitution): Fortitude save
- bonus damage: melee, range, etcetera
- hit points
- weight class, size, reach
- stamina, pain tolerance, recovery
- immune system, lifespan

Social (Charisma-Will): Will save
- mental effects, telepathy, charm, fear, suggestion, domination, phantasm
- social interactions, empathy, persuasion, appropriateness, common sense
- esthetics, art, beauty, awe
- sanity, centeredness
- ambition, will power

 

[Yaarel]

It is possible to use each ability as a casting stat.

Athletic
Elemental magic
(inorganic matter: air, water, fire, earth)

Perceptive
Force magic
(telekinesis, fly, force construct, space-time teleport, outofbody, clairvoyance)

Tough
Shapeshift magic
(organic form: healing, alter body, plant, animal, acid, poison)

Social
Mind magic
(telepathy, communication charm, fear, suggestion, domination, phantasm, hallucination, mind blast)



These four abilities seem to cover all spells. Sorcerers wielding elements like weapons will tend to be Athletic. Here, similar to the way a sword becomes an extension of a sword masters own body, the elementalist mage is ‘wielding’ the element that is in affinity. Druids shapeshift and heal, thus tend to be tough. A Cleric whose casting ability was Wisdom can instead choose either Perceptive for cosmic insight, or Social for community spirituality.

There are some blurry lines that might need attention. For example.

Using Tough to ‘shapeshift’ into an animal with a heightened sense of smell, but then using ‘Perceptive’ to make use of this new ability to smell. Or similarly, shapeshifting into a living statue of iron using Tough, but then using Athletic to wield this element of earth.

Magical communication (Comprehend Languages, Tongues) is an aspect of telepathy using Charisma to communicate. But to some degree, Perceptive to know a large vocabulary seems relevant.

Once the overlaps disambiguate, these four abilities as casting abilities work well. Gishes especially can benefit from spells that utilize Athletic and Tough.

 

[Xaelvaen]

Interesting to read a direction that's opposite of what we do for custom ability scores around our table. We usually inflate to 8 (+2), and you've found an elegant way to shrink to 4 (-2).

 

[Yaarel]

Heh, using Athletic for the casting ability for elemental spells ... has a total ‘Last Avatar’ vibe.

The idea is, ones bodily aura (Ki) is in tune with the element. The element moves with the body as part of the bodys movement.