D&D 5E Possible Changes to Rebalance the Ability Scores

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

There are also some with a speed that can catch up to a dash-and-dash-and-moving rogue with just a dash-and-move.

Yes, there are some that do have very high speeds, but from my experience, they're not super commonly used. Anyway, it depends on how far apart they start combat.

This is mostly off topic. The point is that ranged combat is OP compared to melee combat, and part of this discussion is how it can become more balanced.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

I like the idea, but I'm not sure how you would go about doing that. It seems like it would be a lot of math crunching for each character that wouldn't really benefit the game a ton.

I guess it would benefit the game by making STR more valuable.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I guess it would benefit the game by making STR more valuable.

I'm all for making Strength more valuable, especially for ranged weapons, but seems unnecessarily complex compared to just giving a Strength requirement for bows, crossbows, heavy guns, and other heavier ranged weapons.

 

[Don Durito]

You could always allow Str to Add to AC as an alternative to Dex.

Then maybe give everyone Heavy Armour Mastery as part of proficiency to keep Heavy Armour worth using.

Another thing I've considered is base bonus hit points on the lowest of Strength or Dex.

It might be worth looking at 13th Age for some ideas as well.

In 13th Age AC is based on the middle of Con/Dex/Wis

 

[Argyle King]

I'd prefer that Initiative not be tied to any particular ability score.

Make initiative a flat d20 roll; feats and abilities could still exist to modify the results of the roll.

 

[DammitVictor]

• Take away [Dexterity's] importance for Initiative. ...

Make it a skill, make it INT based. Classes that fight get proficiency for free, classes that are fast get to add a different ability or get Expertise.

• Make heavy armor better. Dexterity is too useful when it comes to Armor Class...

In Rolemaster, armor actually makes you easier to hit-- in a system where margin of success matters-- but significantly reduces the severity of most hits. There's a tradeoff there with armor being a massive advantage against smaller attacks, and a slight disadvantage against "gonna kill you anyway" attacks.

Dexterity and Unarmored Defense class features add to AC. Armor adds to AC and reduces any damage that targets AC and/or Dex Save.

• Allow characters to start with more skills/tools/languages/weapon proficiencies equal to their Intelligence modifier. This would just boost the stat and make it a lot more valuable.

Tools and languages I can definitely see working here. Skills is awkward, because as in 3.X you get the situation where being smarter makes you better at everything simply because you have more skill points-- Fighters don't get enough skill points to max out Climb, Jump, Swim, Balance, and Intimidate unless they are high INT humans.

• First and most importantly, sever its ties to hit points. You can still add your Constitution modifier to your hit points, but only if you are a certain class.

In Shroompunk, which is (mostly) based on B/X rulesets with some adjustments, I'm using playing with some ideas:

• You add your Constitution score (plus rolled HD) to hit points at 1st level, but not your Constitution modifier.
• You add/subtract your Constitution modifier to your daily Hit Dice, 5e style. (Which limit magical healing, too, 4e style.)
• You reroll your HD every level, taking the better of the new result or the old result plus a value derived from either class or CON.
• Some healing abilities, especially self-healing, are improved by CON.

• Make Sorcerers use Constitution as their spellcasting ability.

I don't mind this, but it makes Dwarves the best Sorcerers unless you're using the new ASI rules.

• Add a skill called Endurance that is Constitution based. ...
• Make Concentration more common. ...

I am all about these. Friendly reminder that in 3.X, Concentration was actually a skill, and it was CON based. I frequently ruled that the Endurance feat was a skill, and that Concentration was a separate skill combined with Autohypnosis from Expanded Psionics Handbook.

• Make Death Saving Throws be Constitution based. This would make it so even though they don't necessarily need Con for their HP, it is still important for their survival.

This has the added benefit of making classes that are proficient in Constitution saves extra hard to kill-- and you look at those classes, Fighter, Barbarian, Sorcerer, high-level Monks (others I'm missing?) that is entirely appropriate.

Strength: half your ability modifier to hit / full ability modifier to damage.
Dexterity: full ability modifier to hit / half ability modifier to damage.

That is so elegant, I am awestruck and I am stealing this. Also key this into the function of the -5/+10 feats.

 

[Don Durito]

Endurance was a skill in 4E. It was probably removed in 5e because it tended to be reactive and therefore Constitution saves made it redundant.

 

[Don Durito]

Strength: half your ability modifier to hit / full ability modifier to damage.
Dexterity: full ability modifier to hit / half ability modifier to damage.

Wouldn't it just be easier to say Dexterity to hit, Strength to damage universally. Wouldn't it amount to the same?

 

[Bawylie]

Wouldn't it just be easier to say Dexterity to hit, Strength to damage universally. Wouldn't it amount to the same?

Easier? Maybe. Wouldn’t it amount to the same? Mathematically, maybe (though im not sure).

But it isn’t the same. It feels different. And the feeling is important. Deciding to invest heavily in Strength OR Dexterity is different than thinking “oh I need both of these to hit and deal damage.”

 

[TheAlkaizer]

Someone else mentioned it earlier in the thread, but I find Pathfinder 2nd edition way of handling initiative to be really cool.

Instead of your initiative pulling the modifier from an ability score, it's tied to a skill. In most cases, you'll use your Perception skill as a modifier for your initiative, but in different situations you could use skills like Stealth, Deception, Athletics, etc.

Here's the link to the rule: Link.

I'll use this opportunity to echo back to something I enjoyed in D&D 4th edition. I think WotC overdid it a bit, but I really liked the idea of your saving throws taking the highest value between two ability scores. So your Fortitude would be the highest modifier between your Strength or Constitution, your Will was the highest between Charisma and Wisdom and your Reflex the highest between Dexterity and Intelligence.

I often like the idea of characters achieving the same end results but in different way. A fighter wearing plate and a monk being unarmoured both achieve a high AC in different ways that fit their classes. So back to the discussion of maybe toying with Initiative to nerf Dexterity a bit and give value to Intelligence.

How about simply allowing characters to take the higher modifier of either Dexterity or Intelligence? This could open up a different range of builds.

I also think the removal of certain skills based on Intelligence from 3rd edition and 4th edition hurt Intelligence a bit.