Slander
Explorer
The ability scores themselves shouldn't stray to far from their starting point (barring magic). Experience and growth are better represented by the variety and depth of what a character can accomplish. Skills, talents, feats, and the like are all better markers of character growth that ability score bumps.
Now, that said, there are some mechanics to which we've become accustom in 3E/4E that would have to change should the game no longer assume regular ability score bumps. I don't see that as a particularly difficult obstacle to design around. As long as the other areas of the game can satisfy the feeling of character growth, I'd be much happier seeing the core ability scores [mostly] static.
Now, that said, there are some mechanics to which we've become accustom in 3E/4E that would have to change should the game no longer assume regular ability score bumps. I don't see that as a particularly difficult obstacle to design around. As long as the other areas of the game can satisfy the feeling of character growth, I'd be much happier seeing the core ability scores [mostly] static.