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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Willie the Duck" data-source="post: 8610201" data-attributes="member: 6799660">Really, because I had a pretty specific point above about it having nothing to do with what the numerical output of the scores meant and more about communicated norms. And I think that is really a major focus of the issue for people who don't spend their time on D&D-focused message boards, and don't care if the +1 modifier is +5% or +20-30% or whatever*. A system in which attributes highly influence success in a given class; which has array/point buy such that you can get to +2 mod max, or +3 if you choose a synergistic race*; communicates a benchmark of what well-inhabits the role of 'I am playing a reasonably competent starting <class>' completely irrespective of how much that influences your in-game success. Can the game be played thoroughly successfully starting with a +2 mod? Absolutely**. But it still comes with the framing of you could have started one notch higher if you'd chosen a race that complements a given class. *none of these comparisons are going to include all the necessary context anyways. A +1 Dex Mod isn't just to-hit and damage for an archer, it is initiative, AC, saves, and skills. An Int Mod for a wizard is variety of spells prepared every morning. A Bard get to use his primary unique ability more times per rest for each +1 Cha mod. The number of context-qualifiers in the model are immense.**Or for rolled stats maxes of +4 and +5, respectively.***On default difficulty and if you retreat when in over your head, most options are playable, minus deliberate worst-build thought experiments.I think that speaks to a real shift in the starting 5e-- when the designers thought they were trying to make the most D&D of all D&Ds and bring back the prodigals from all the previous editions-- to now that it has been a runaway success and bringing in so much new blood. They initially assumed people wanted to hew to the old format of you choosing a halfling if you wanted to be a thief, a half-orc if you wanted to run up and hit things with (sometimes metal-tipped) sticks, and so on. The ne influx came along and said (roughly) 'no thanks, why have two separate choice tracks if you aren't supposed to do a many-to-many join and try out all the different results?'</blockquote>

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