Using level instead of 1/2 level modifier

[keterys]

Yeah, I've thought for a long while that it'd be worth switching to +level and stopping stat bumps and the rest of it.

Real surgery, though.

 

[Arlough]

I understand how lack of ability score increases would impact feats, and of course I would change the requirements on all those feats -- I'd probably even do away with them.

I also appreciate that stat bonuses are a nice reward for players, I could imagine instituting something to account for that, or looking into the math more to see if ability score increases could be accommodated.

However, I don't understand the "reduction in group synergy" comment, however. Players can still take feats and powers that mold their character. And they still choose skills, and allocate their ability scores at 1st level. I am not sure I understand the limitation here.

Basically, if they don't start out as being talented in something, they can only become skilled in that area. The way this works out is if they have a low stat, the best they can do is, at the cost of two feats, add a +8 to a single skill. On the other hand, if they discover some thing or things that are lacking, they can make up for it by having someone both train, and use up a stat increase or two, to become good at one thing and okay in a group of things.

Example. Had a standard adventuring party +1.

• Rageblood Barbarian (STR,CON)
• Battle Cleric (STR, CHA)
• Great Weapon Fighter (STR, CON)
• Trickster Rogue (DEX, CHA)
• War Wizard working toward Blood Mage (INT, CON)

City setting, our business was chasing down stolen goods, kidnapped relatives, and other things people wanted found. That is when the party realized that nobody had pumped WIS. The closest was the Wizard had an 11.

Under the current system, a single stat increase gave the Wizard +1 to all wisdom based skills, and by paragon he had a +2. He then took a couple of feats to increase further Perception and Dungeoneering (being a city-scape, the DM ruled that Dungeoneering would be used for tracking). Sure, he wasn't optimized for his Blood Mage, but it didn't ruin it either, and the party was better able to pursue the targets.

Under the proposed system, odd numbers are just wasted, and should be discarded, so that 11 would be meaningless. The best that any of them could hope for is to spend 4 feats for those two skills, and that would not help with any Nature, Insight, or Heal checks. (all of which were used periodically)

Now, if your group is the type to optimize from the beginning, and the type to build a group to be optimized together, then this obviously is not likely to be a problem for you.

It isn't something that will ruin the game, or even risk maiming it. And the simplicity may be well worth it to you.
I say, try it with people who have played under the current rule set and poll them after a few games.

Oh, and let us know how it went.