D&D 5E Hypothetical Campaign: No ASIs, Only Feats.

[Skyscraper]

That's what I do. I like it. Except that it's 6 x 3d6 in order, and increase one stat to 14 (no switch).

 

[jodyjohnson]

Some of the feats are half an ASI. You can still get to 20.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I like it. Unfortunately +2 to a stat is simultaneously the best thing to do most of the time you get an ASI and also the most boring thing to do.

I don't see any serious problems with balance: every class wants to have a high primary stat. There's not really any classes that don't require stats unless you're a pure utility spellcaster. But everyone else is being forced to diversify somewhat, so your edge in versatility is slightly eroded.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Some of the feats are half an ASI. You can still get to 20.

Not necessarily, assuming you start with a 16 (after racial modifiers) and that's not all that unlikely if you're generating stats with 3d6. Not all of the ability scores have 4+ half ASI feats. Although I suppose you could work around that by creating a bunch of new half ASI feats...

 

[Blue]

I think you'll see a lot less variation in race/class match-ups. Because you can't "make up" stats later, you will need to maximize them from the get-go. Have the stats to playa strength-based frontliner? Mountain dwarf with +2 Str and Con will be very attractive while this half-elf concept you want to try with +1 to two stats and +2 to charisma likely wont cut it.

Also some classes are more reliant on secondary stats, I think MAD classes will be less effective.

There's diminishing return for feats. Think like this, for your second feat choice you can never get anything as good as your first choice, because you already have it. After a couple there's less synergy in a 4th or a 5th as well. Will that encourage characters who can get synergies from lots of feats, like the sentinal, polearm master, great weapon master with heavy armor mastery, vs the monk with mobility and three things that don't feed together?

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

It isn't a choice that will cause any mechanical troubles to form, but it is a choice that would be a deal-breaker for me as a player because feats mean things (special training, particular exceptional aptitude, and so on) and I don't want to be forced to only play characters that have a multitude of those qualities.

 

[Kalshane]

I've considered doing a game like this, though I was still going to allow ASIs at 8th and 16th levels. The lack of +1 ASI feats for certain scores (particularly Charisma) has caused me to hold off for now.

 

[TwoSix]

I like it. I always dislike the nagging feeling like I should be boosting my attack stat when I want to take a feat instead.

Bonus: Items like gloves of ogre strength become way more valuable.

 

[jodyjohnson]

I just lower the cap to 18. If folks are aiming to cap, they cap early. And if they don't want to the stat gap is one less.

And we don't do rolling for stats.

If challenging PCs is actually difficult at the higher levels dropping everyone's numbers by 1 or 2 can't hurt (we're not there yet, but I see rumblings).

 

[bogmad]

I really like this idea but after reading the posts I do have some concern about the same feats appearing over and over again...

... time to look at what's available in the DMs Guild!

Would a ASI-less game be mitigated by bloat?