How important is Con to the game?

[fireinthedust]

By this I mean: do we need a Constitution stat? Is it a realistic ability score to need? I mean, yes we can think of "weak" people with good stamina, but do we really need one-of-six ability scores to be endurance?

Hit Points
Fortitude Saves
Endurance skill

Do any of the editions really need constitution?

Is there a way to get around it?

 

[Thunderfoot]

Yes, as a concept, the constitution score meant your general health and well being. In 1st edition when you rolled disease rolls as a DM like you drank Mountain Dew at the table, meaning all the time, a low con could be the difference between being alive in a dungeon or being alive on your way to an infectious mass of shambling death in a dungeon.

Hit Points were NEVER meant to indicate health in a general sense but were an abstract conglomeration of health, combat experience and sheer luck. Of course, most people forgot to read that in the description. So when HP started to = health, it is easy to see why CON would suddenly = useless or at least redundant stat.

Same in 2nd edition, but much less so.

In 3rd edition as your CON was tied directly to your Fortitude save, it could be considered important, but much less so than in previous editions as your Saves increased based on level and Feat selection as much as stat boosts.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

[Shatner]CONNNNNNNNNNN![/Shatner]

*ahem*

Con is a measure of health, toughness and fitness. One may be physically strong, but may have low stamina, a chronic disease or merely be grossly fat.

Think of it this way- the high Str and Dex PC is the young, raw recruit who is running the army obstacle course...and the high Con PC is the grizzled old drill sergeant who effortlessly beats them through it.

 

[Thunderfoot]

[Shatner]CONNNNNNNNNNN![/Shatner]

*ahem*

Con is a measure of health, toughness and fitness. One may be physically strong, but may have low stamina, a chronic disease or merely be grossly fat.

Think of it this way- the high Str and Dex PC is the young, raw recruit who is running the army obstacle course...and the high Con PC is the grizzled old drill sergeant who effortlessly beats them through it.

EXCELLENT example...

 

[frankthedm]

Hit Points were NEVER meant to indicate health in a general sense but were an abstract conglomeration of health, combat experience and sheer luck.

1E AD&D DMG p 82

 

[S'mon]

Hit points should key off STR, but keep the Great Fortitude feat.

 

[S'mon]

[Shatner]CONNNNNNNNNNN![/Shatner]

*ahem*

Con is a measure of health, toughness and fitness. One may be physically strong, but may have low stamina, a chronic disease or merely be grossly fat.

Think of it this way- the high Str and Dex PC is the young, raw recruit who is running the army obstacle course...and the high Con PC is the grizzled old drill sergeant who effortlessly beats them through it.

Of course this is impossible in 4e where the Fortitude defense can key off STR...

 

[jbear]

Of course this is impossible in 4e where the Fortitude defense can key off STR...

But Endurance keys off CON ... so it is possible (that the drill sergeant beat the strong cadet at an obstacle course)

Remove CON!!! But CON is general fitness, well being, endurance and health!

And if you have nothing else, at least you have your health!

 

[S'mon]

And if you have nothing else, at least you have your health!

I don't.

 

[jbear]

I don't.

See what happens when you remove CON...