D&D (2024) Using general Feats when your ability is already 20

[Flights of Fancy]

*Actually, I think the game works better (more fun) with lower ability scores.

Agreed.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Agreed.

I think so too, but you will never see it in official WotC D&D. That would mean less powerful PCs, and that appears to run directly counter to WotC's design philosophy.

 

[Flights of Fancy]

I think so too, but you will never see it in official WotC D&D. That would mean less powerful PCs, and that appears to run directly counter to WotC's design philosophy.

But the power really is often less in the ability score and more in the feature.

Option A: +2 ASI
Option B: +4d6 damage on every attack
Option C: +8 AC
etc.

A +2 ASI, earning a meager +1 modifier increase, will never give you better DPR than +4d6 damage or make your survival better than +8 AC.

I mean obviously these are extreme examples, but I think you get my point. In a tamer sense, would you rather have +1/+1 attack/ damage or +1d6 damage...? You already hit easily enough in 5E, so the extra damage is often the better bet.

 

[Horwath]

And we play a game with no ASI (feats only) and max ability score of 18. It works just fine too.*

*Actually, I think the game works better (more fun) with lower ability scores.

any array that you agree on works great. everyone is on a same playing field, there is no metagame planning of your scores to match your feats.

we had several choices to take:

20,20,18,16,14,12
20,18,16,14,12,10*
18,16,14,14,12,10
18,16,14,,12,10,8
16,14,12,12,10,8

we decided on no.2, strong, but not overkill.

 

[Micah Sweet]

But the power really is often less in the ability score and more in the feature.

Option A: +2 ASI
Option B: +4d6 damage on every attack
Option C: +8 AC
etc.

A +2 ASI, earning a meager +1 modifier increase, will never give you better DPR than +4d6 damage or make your survival better than +8 AC.

I mean obviously these are extreme examples, but I think you get my point. In a tamer sense, would you rather have +1/+1 attack/ damage or +1d6 damage...? You already hit easily enough in 5E, so the extra damage is often the better bet.

Can you acquire a +1d6 damage on every attack as easily (and through character creation or other off-the-table method) as you can the ASI? I'm not sure you can.

 

[Horwath]

But the power really is often less in the ability score and more in the feature.

Option A: +2 ASI
Option B: +4d6 damage on every attack
Option C: +8 AC
etc.

A +2 ASI, earning a meager +1 modifier increase, will never give you better DPR than +4d6 damage or make your survival better than +8 AC.

I mean obviously these are extreme examples, but I think you get my point. In a tamer sense, would you rather have +1/+1 attack/ damage or +1d6 damage...? You already hit easily enough in 5E, so the extra damage is often the better bet.

anyone with a half a brain will see that option B is better than option A if you make any kind of attack rolls.
And option C is a sure choice in any combination there is.

as fore more tame approach, it would really depend on what ability is +2.
dex would probably win over +1d6 damage, and even +2 AC
wis as primary attack/casting stat would also be better than +1d6 damage, not sure about +2 AC
Con is a definite loser. maybe +4 con would temp me.
str, int or cha are worse, but depending on build and how much you need those score, may be equal.

 

[Micah Sweet]

anyone with a half a brain will see that option B is better than option A if you make any kind of attack rolls.
And option C is a sure choice in any combination there is.

as fore more tame approach, it would really depend on what ability is +2.
dex would probably win over +1d6 damage, and even +2 AC
wis as primary attack/casting stat would also be better than +1d6 damage, not sure about +2 AC
Con is a definite loser. maybe +4 con would temp me.
str, int or cha are worse, but depending on build and how much you need those score, may be equal.

That's a good point. IMO all stats are simply not on equal footing mechanically, so a blanket ASI is never going to be "balanced", if that's important to you.

 

[Distracted DM]

That's a good point. IMO all stats are simply not on equal footing mechanically, so a blanket ASI is never going to be "balanced", if that's important to you.

yeah, I’ve had players ask to take mine medium armor feat, which also grants +1 to str or dex, but they want the +1 to go to their spellcasting stat instead. “I don’t have any use for +1 strength or dex” it’s + to str or dex, not + to any score.

 

[Flights of Fancy]

anyone with a half a brain will see that option B is better than option A if you make any kind of attack rolls.
And option C is a sure choice in any combination there is.

as fore more tame approach, it would really depend on what ability is +2.
dex would probably win over +1d6 damage, and even +2 AC
wis as primary attack/casting stat would also be better than +1d6 damage, not sure about +2 AC
Con is a definite loser. maybe +4 con would temp me.
str, int or cha are worse, but depending on build and how much you need those score, may be equal.

That's a good point. IMO all stats are simply not on equal footing mechanically, so a blanket ASI is never going to be "balanced", if that's important to you.

I guess I didn't make my point clearly enough.

You can cap out the game at 16s and +3s and it plays great, letting it go to 20s and +5s really doesn't change the experience that much.

Other features offer a lot more in terms of power and enjoyment of the game experience than the lowly ASI bump.

 

[Distracted DM]

One would think with 5e's flat math that ASI bumps would be statistically significant, rather than something to be dismissed.