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Message: <blockquote data-quote="NotAYakk" data-source="post: 9333381" data-attributes="member: 72555">I've played with that idea.  I named it "assumed competence".  Namely, you are assumed to be competent at your attacks, so your modifier for your attacks doesn't depend on anything but your level.A few modifiers creep in to avoid having to do more work.  And a power or two need tweaking.For attacks, your attack bonus is (level+2) + Weapon Proficiency.  As I like the weapon/implement expertise feats, allow a +1 from an expertise feat (capped, not scaling) on top of this.  Weapons and implement enhancement bonuses don't add to accuracy.For AC, we do run into the light/heavy problem.  Either we erase the difference between the armor types or we need something to distinguish them.  And sadly we have light armor defenders who need reliable AC.One idea is to cap the attribute bonus on light armor at +4.  This is enough that you'll want to be somewhat dexterous to wear light armor, but not superhuman.So your AC is (10+Level+Armor bonus), plus up to +4 in light armor from an attribute.For FRW, I think they should actually reflect your stats.Your high attributes in 4e are 16/14/13/12/10/8ish; top modifiers are +3/+2/+1/+1/0/-1.  Over 29 more levels you get +8/+8/+2/+2/+2/+2 or +4/+4/+1/+1/+1/+1 modifier.One thing I played with is to use your high attribute in the pair, plus the other attribute modifier, as your base defence.  So 16 str/16 con has a base Fort defence of 19.  Then if you split your +8s you gain +9/+9/+3 to your NAD defences from levels.  Throw back in 1/2 level and you are at +24/+24/+18.We can let attributes grow a bit faster than in baseline 4e honestly.  So at level 11 and 21, add +2 to all attributes.  At level 8/18/28 add +1 to 3 attributes instead of 2.  Now we are +10/+10/+7/+4/+4/+4 on your attributes.Now your NADs grow by +27/+27/+24, short 9 points.Allow feats to add up to +2 to your NADs, as I like the "superior will" rider feats, and assume 3 of them by level 30.  We are now +29/+29/+26, short 3 points on scaling.If you double-dip (boost str and con) in one defence, it costs you 5 total NADs, but that one NAD becomes insanely large; and the game still works, as the strong Fort means your Ref/Will trail behind.A plate+shield armor wearing PC has 20+level ACA leather armor wearing PC has 16+Level AC (once they hit +4 in their defence stat).An unarmored PC has 14+Level AC (assuming at least 18 dex).Average NADs are about 14 at level 1 and (assuming 3 feats and spreading attribute bonuses) and 42 at level 30 (Level +13 to Level +12), which is a few points behind AC as designed.Max starts with 18 Str/16 Con (21 Fort, level +20), goes Demigod (for +2 str/con) and hits 30 str/28 con, has Great Fort feat (+2) for 30+9 con +15 level +2 feat = 56 Fortitude (level +26).Min starts with 10 wis/8 cha (9 will, level +8), only puts +4/+4 into it (14 wis/12 cha) and doesn't get superior will feat for 30 Will (Level +0).  But this character has insane Reflex or Fortitude in exchange, they just chose to be auto-hit on will.In any case, it isn't great.  I really do feel that attributes should somehow influence NADs unlike AC/Accuracy however.One of the advantages of flat math is that the minion/normal/elite/solo isn't about modifiers anymore.Instead it is about mechanical depth and encounter pacing design.If PCs and monsters mainly change in difficulty based on (a) HP/Damage, and (b) nastiness of conditions and (c) ability to veto the game state, and not "does it connect or not", the difference between a high-level normal monster and a mid-level solo ends up being pacing and narrative weight.Both have similar total damage and HP.The mid level solo is designed to challenge multiple PCs at once.  It should spread threat around, be it damage or conditions.  It can afford more complex mechanics, because it is the focus of the encounter.  It should have an excellent ability to handle debilitating conditions that mid-level adventurers are able to apply, ideally in a way that doesn't make the PC feel like it was a waste of effort to apply the condition (things like "trade a legendary action to nullify a condition", ideally with in-world effect like a limb (or head for a hydra) becoming useless, or some ability shutting down like an aura, or consuming one of a set of narrative minions).The high level normal monster is designed to be one part of a larger encounter.  It must be mechanically more simple, as the DM is running 5+ creatures of similar complexity.  It can deal most of its damage and threat to one target if it makes sense.  It should have a modest ability to deal with debilitating conditions, but an appropriate high level debilitating condition can shut it down.When I was porting 4e monster building to 5e, I came up with with the idea of monster width.  A monster of width X represents X monster slots in an encounter; in 4e, Minions are 0.16 to 0.25, normals are 1, elites are 2 and solos are 4.You can brainlessly take a normal monster and make it wider by:1. Scaling HP by the width2. Scaling total damage output by (Width+1)/2, ideally spread around.3. Giving it Width-1 "get out of jail free" cards nullifying an effect.I like calling it Elite(N).  So an Elite(2) is a "width 2 monster", equivalent to a 4e elite.  An Elite(4) is a "width 4 monster" equivalent to a 4e solo.Using 5e techniques, I'd apply 2 as a legendary action; you get (width-1) legendary actions, each does (normal action damage/2).  Second, the monster can sacrifice a legendary action (maybe forever?) and maybe a chunk of HP to "get out of jail free".  Third, you scale HP by the width.Building a stat block so the monster can be Elite then consists of making a normal monster and then:1: HP is listed as a multiplier of its Elite level.2: Add a set of Elite actions (aka Legendary).  The monster gets (Elite-1) uses of these per round, and they can be used after an opponents turn.  They get some bonus (advantage in 5e) if used on the opponents who just went (this encourages spreading the threat out, and has fun narrative consequences in the fight as the PCs get maximum time to recover from being turned to stone or whatever).3: Add in a "get out of jail free" card mechism.  A possible standard one is "As an Elite action, ignore one effect.  So long as you ignore the effect, you don't regain the Elite action."Now the monster can scale.  So your L 3 Goblin Leader (Elite) can be a 2, 3 or 7 "wide" monster depending on what you need from the narrative.I hate complex books of stat conditions.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" /></blockquote>

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