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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 9661825" data-attributes="member: 58172">The DSC configuration ("disk") achieves balance among the three physical abilities: Dexterity (Attack), Strength (Reflex), Constitution (Fortitude). I would be surprised if any other configuration of the threesome could achieve mechanical balance while each remained thematically salient.Importantly, where the abilities of DSC are roughly equal to each other, these three abilities demonstrate how much design space an ability should have. There is a measuring unit. When an ability has too much more mechanically, it needs a nerf. When an ability lacks it needs a boost.Each of the three mental abilities in CIW ("kyoo") need to mechanically equal the measuring standard that DSC demonstrates.The physical abilities seem to only have one configuration that can achieve balance, namely DSC. The mental abilities seem to only have two configurations that might work successfully, either WIC or CIW. WIC seems the easier candidate: Wisdom (DC), Intelligence (Perception), Charisma (Will). But CIW seems to adhere better with various D&D traditions: Charisma (DC), Intelligence (Perception), Wisdom (Will).Intelligence and Perception are so mutually entangling: Search-Investigate, Survival-Nature, reason-intuition, so on. Among the configuration of the three mental abilities, Intelligence locks into place as the Perception save, thus doesnt serve as an ability to establish a spellcasting DC.However, thematically, both Wisdom and Charisma could serve as the Will save. Thus the other would serve as the spellcasting ability for the DC. One might assume that Charisma is aggressive and supplies the spellcasting DC, while Wisdom serves for the Will save. One way or an other, the D&D traditions have always used Wisdom for the Will save. But, Charisma is so abundant in useful skills and spellcasting applications, while Wisdom without Perception is so bare bones, there are mechanical reasons to consider the Wisdom for the very powerful spellcasting DC, then allow Charisma to set the Will save. Even so, overall, the CIW feels closer to more of the D&D traditions.The CIW configuration for the mental abilities is: Charisma (DC), Intelligence (Perception), Wisdom (Will). Consider the following narrative flavor for the Charisma (DC).Among the physical abilities, the success of the physical attack relies on the precise, steady, and sudden movements of the fine motor skills of ones own manual Dexterity. However this precision is untrue for magical attacks. When one wields magic, it is not one bodily self wielding it. Rather one becomes the universe, and the universe itself manipulates the effect according to the intention of the spellcaster. In order to achieve this universal attunement, the spellcaster must achieve a state of consciousness that is the universe, while at the same time also maintaining the intentions and desires of the person, oneself, who is an aspect of this universe. One can be the universe while forgetting ones sense of self. To do magic, one must be both the altruistic universe and a personal self at the same time. This authenticity of being true and honest about oneself and who oneself is within this universe, and the ability to express oneself even when difficult in this universe, is why the Charisma ability is vital to achieve a magical effect.</blockquote>

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