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<blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5913458" data-attributes="member: 3192"><p>Unlike Saving Throws, Ability Scores were randomly rolled. I don't believe they were ever meant to be either target numbers or modifiers, but rather numerical representations for the players to make judgements off of. </p><p></p><p>Ability Score rolls have been around a long, long time though, and originated as house rules. They aren't that bad of an idea, but I think you'll definitely want to drop their randomly rolled generation, if they are mean to be target numbers. I'm not quite sure a 3-18 variance for a d20 roll would have parity enough for most players. The odds stack up for and against too quickly. Perhaps a roll that is an inverted bell curve could work? Something that tends towards zero and a higher number? But then that's pretty swingy in its own right. </p><p></p><p>Overall I don't particularly care for skill systems and that's what this sounds like. Skills become the modifiers to the Ability Score checks rather than vice versa. Only 6 kinds of rolls might be called for, but players can suggest any one(?) of many modifiers (skills) to be added. This puts the bonuses in the players hands and that's a positive IMO.</p><p></p><p>Traits sound like bonus goods and unrolled abilities at 1st level. Unrolled abilities, like languages and Feats, add on to a characters sure-fire abilities. Skills as modifiers are pretty sure fire too. Nothing is left up to chance except the rolls already in place. The abilities unequivocally alter them or give what they state. I like this kind of thinking too.</p><p></p><p>What you're missing is variable pay outs. That's probably too random to really test out a core systemology, but I wouldn't want you to forget them. For the sake of example, recall Clerical Turning could be attempted all day long, but had 2d6 variable results for two different effects. Pretty crazy, right? But it is another sure-fire ability that allows growing effectiveness over the level progression and potential effectiveness across a wide swath of varying level challenge creatures. This kind of thing can really define a class though, so I would keep them rare and largely identifying.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="howandwhy99, post: 5913458, member: 3192"] Unlike Saving Throws, Ability Scores were randomly rolled. I don't believe they were ever meant to be either target numbers or modifiers, but rather numerical representations for the players to make judgements off of. Ability Score rolls have been around a long, long time though, and originated as house rules. They aren't that bad of an idea, but I think you'll definitely want to drop their randomly rolled generation, if they are mean to be target numbers. I'm not quite sure a 3-18 variance for a d20 roll would have parity enough for most players. The odds stack up for and against too quickly. Perhaps a roll that is an inverted bell curve could work? Something that tends towards zero and a higher number? But then that's pretty swingy in its own right. Overall I don't particularly care for skill systems and that's what this sounds like. Skills become the modifiers to the Ability Score checks rather than vice versa. Only 6 kinds of rolls might be called for, but players can suggest any one(?) of many modifiers (skills) to be added. This puts the bonuses in the players hands and that's a positive IMO. Traits sound like bonus goods and unrolled abilities at 1st level. Unrolled abilities, like languages and Feats, add on to a characters sure-fire abilities. Skills as modifiers are pretty sure fire too. Nothing is left up to chance except the rolls already in place. The abilities unequivocally alter them or give what they state. I like this kind of thinking too. What you're missing is variable pay outs. That's probably too random to really test out a core systemology, but I wouldn't want you to forget them. For the sake of example, recall Clerical Turning could be attempted all day long, but had 2d6 variable results for two different effects. Pretty crazy, right? But it is another sure-fire ability that allows growing effectiveness over the level progression and potential effectiveness across a wide swath of varying level challenge creatures. This kind of thing can really define a class though, so I would keep them rare and largely identifying. [/QUOTE]
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