D&D 5E The Int 8 Party: A Solution?

[Werebat]

In 5E, Intelligence is a dump stat for almost everyone except Wizards. Because of this, we see entire parties full of Int 8 characters. In the game I play in, I gave my Circle of the Moon druid an Int of 12 just because I didn't want to play an Int 8 character -- he is the smartest character in the party because we have no wizard (everyone else is Int 8).

I don't care for this aesthetically, and in addition I think it poses some problems when most of the PLAYERS have an Int significantly above 8 (and then try to downplay their characters' low intelligence).

Would it break anything, or overpower the Wizard, if we houseruled that for every +1 modifier granted by high Int, a character got proficiency in a bonus skill of their choosing?

Edit: After some deliberation, this is what I went with IMC:

* For every point of Int penalty, a character loses one language, skill, or tool of their choice.

* For every point of Int bonus, a character gains one language, CLASS skill, or tool of their choice.

* Wizards do not get any skills FROM THEIR CLASS (even with this, they will almost universally benefit from this houserule).

One player actually changed their character's intelligence after I implemented this -- the brand-new bard bumped Int from 8 to 14.

Not terribly impressive, maybe, but I think the real proof is in what people choose to do when it's time to make new characters. The player who looked at the rule set and decided to make a "KRUNK SMASH!" barbarian (or cleric, or rogue...) with an 8 Int might want to keep him that way a year into playing the character, but might be less inclined to make such a character in the future. Maybe.

 

[iserith]

That depends on how you use ability checks at the table.

But it'd probably be fine.

 

[Prakriti]

Granting skills is too much, IMO. Languages would be more appropriate.

Alternatively, you can and should include more knowledge checks in your game. Nature, Investigation, Religion, even History can be a matter of life and death in the right circumstances.

 

[Lanliss]

As I understand it, a lot of people already do that, or something similar. I have been playing with a lot of different ideas, my favorite being an initiative variant.

Everyone rolls Initiative. This is the order their actions will /happen/ in, either for the rest of the turn or the rest of the fight, depending on the variant you play.

Everyone declares actions, starting with the lowest INT modifier. This means that a stupid PC has a good chance for their action to be invalidated by a monster who has higher intelligence "reading the PC", and thus making some sort of action to avoid the PCs move, like moving out of Closing-range of the Barbarian. Wizards and Tacticians get the best lay of the land, and will know exactly where to best place their spells or buffs, like the recent Mystic adding a few feet to that Barbarian's movement, having "Read" the enemy, and knows it is going to move out of range.

Declarations happen, no changing them to account for changes on the field.

 

[Satyrn]

I think bonus skills would be too much.

I'd go with bonus tools and languages (any combination of the player's choice). Maybe include weapons in there, too.

Or to go crazy: If allowing bonus skills, let players select skills and cantrips, this way a fighter could use his Int bonus to get a bit of magical skill. It would really open up choices, I think.

 

[Lanliss]

I think bonus skills would be too much.

I'd go with bonus tools and languages (any combination of the player's choice). Maybe include weapons in there, too.

Or to go crazy: If allowing bonus skills, let players select skills and cantrips, this way a fighter could use his Int bonus to get a bit of magical skill. It would really open up choices, I think.

Opening up magic is something I hadn't considered. Interesting idea.

 

[Satyrn]

Opening up magic is something I hadn't considered. Interesting idea.

I was thinking of my gnome battlemaster with 14 Int. I'd have definitely snatched up at least one cantrip if that rule was in place.

And I think the game rather considers a cantrip roughly equal to a skill, at least as far as gaining them through feats counts (comparing the Skilled feat to Magic Adept)

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

I'm "guilty" of this quite often. Sometimes I throw a 10 in there, but usually an 8. The 8-9 range of intelligence isn't incredibly bad, it's just below average. Also, each score represents a multitude of things. In the case of Int, it's reasoning, mental acuity, and recalling information. A person with be okay at reasoning but have a shoddy memory. Mechanically they get a -1 across the board when Int is the stat in question, but when you put together your character's personality, these are other things that factor in.

I view all the stats that way. It's true that physical stats don't affect the pure roleplaying aspect as directly, but there can be times it occurs.

 

[Fanaelialae]

I've tweaked the training rules such that having a high intelligence allows you to learn new proficiencies and languages more rapidly. Admittedly, I've never had my players try them. That said, I didn't add the rule to address an issue like this (my players don't use intelligence as a dump stat regularly).

 

[Werebat]

Granting skills is too much, IMO. Languages would be more appropriate.

Alternatively, you can and should include more knowledge checks in your game. Nature, Investigation, Religion, even History can be a matter of life and death in the right circumstances.

Sure, but that's what the one wizard in the party is for. Making all of those checks.

I've just seen too many parties with one brilliant guy who for some reason chooses to travel around and associate with a bunch of stooges.

And "Int 8 is only a LITTLE below average!" is often asserted by people whose actual intelligence is significantly higher than "average", but are operating under the assumption that "only a little below average" means "only a little less intelligent than ME."

And often by the same sort of player who will howl if Int 8 orcs use such rudimentary tactics as moving to flank, but that's another story.