D&D 5E Let's discuss PC contribution and D&D Next

[DEFCON 1]

I don't know about you but we don't have this magical list of what we think PC contribution needs to be measured against to see if they are contributing enough. PC contribution covers a wide range of areas and I don't think we need to be measuring classes according to certain notions that we have about contribution.

I think we do.

People forget that "Min-Maxing" goes both ways. A player who wants to contribute to a game a certain way can MINIMIZE their PC quite easily... just as easily as an optimizer can MAXIMIZE their PC, if that is their choice. But the game should not do that automatically.

If all RCBTs (Race/Class/Background/Theme) default to 4-7 on a 10 point scale for each of the three pillars... a player can MIN-max their character down to 1-3 in certain pillars through ACTIVE CHOICE on their part. Same way a player could Min-MAX their character up to an 8, 9, or even 10 (depending on the generosity of the DM.)

But to set the game up such that specific RCBT combos with typical ability score arrays (the kinds of things most players will go with) nets you scores down in the 1-3s on a 10-point scale is unnecessary and rather poor design in my opinion. Options should not be outright bad off the top if at all possible. Because there's no further downward you can go.