D&D 5E The Perils of Dump Stats

[Horwath]

4e deemphasized con a fair amount at least at higher levels, as con didn’t scale with level (only set your starting hp)

yeah, it was one step from being completely irrelevant.

 

[Mannahnin]

Just don't have Con add HP per level.
Have CON add HD and only add HP when you spend HD.

4e deemphasized con a fair amount at least at higher levels, as con didn’t scale with level (only set your starting hp)

These equate pretty closely.

4E did a good job of moderating the importance of Con without making it irrelevant. It added to starting HP and thus increased your healing surge value a little (more, proportionately, at lower levels) and it added to your number of surges, thus increasing your durability over the course of an adventuring day. It was interchangeable with Strength for Fortitude defense, so you could emphasize either one for defense. And it had the Endurance skill keyed to it, mostly for skill challenges having to do with extended exertion. IIRC a few Defender features and powers also used it (and maybe Barbarian ones, among Strikers?). Oh, and with some energy-drainers draining healing surges, a high Con made you a little more resistant to energy drain.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

yeah, in the course of 5E, I have seen a hundred of PCs, 90+% had CON 14.
just delete the stat and give everyone +2 HP per level in addition to class, add all Con saves to STR and game would not feel any different.

It is not that easy, as casters use con for concentration saves. What save would you change that to, as STR saves seem inappropriate. Just a caster stat check? Or while writing it, STR might be better than I initially thought, because you want melee casters to be better at concentration than ranged ones...

Might be worth a try.

 

[Horwath]

It is not that easy, as casters use con for concentration saves. What save would you change that to, as STR saves seem inappropriate. Just a caster stat check? Or while writing it, STR might be better than I initially thought, because you want melee casters to be better at concentration than ranged ones...

Might be worth a try.

concentration is Con save so it goes to STR, it might finally solve the STR-DEX debate.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

concentration is Con save so it goes to STR, it might finally solve the STR-DEX debate.

Probably. Would make STR a very useful stat for casters.

Maybe instead of adding flat +2 to HP, you could just have max HD per level. And start with 2 HD instead of one (or add flat 5hp). Also heal your max HD when spending HP.

Maybe rename HD to something else, as you never actually roll them.

 

[Minigiant]

Why should it be a casting stat?

Bloodmagic, spiritmagic, Shadowmagic, and soulmagic are often health based.

So certain casters can double down on spell attack/DC and HPs with same ASI? Add bonus unarmored AC to them while you are at it

The plan is that Constitution would grant less HP. A big chuck at level 1 but nothing after

 

[Minigiant]

And you are right, it's legacy reasons, reasons that CON is not deleted from the game completely

No.

CON doesn't need to be deleted.

D&D designers just need to get their brain out of 1979 and stop listening to grognards.