What are the ability *scores* used for in 5e?

[Eltab]

Another "house rule" and relic of previous game systems:

With new players, if they want to do something that has no listed rules or a set DC to achieve, I will pick the most appropriate attribute (INT to remember something, say) and tell them,
"Roll a d20 for your Intelligence or less."
Having high STR / INT / whatever makes it visibly easier to succeed, and vice versa. It is an intuitive way to show what the modifiers &c will eventually get to, via a bit-more-complicated process.

Players who know math also figure out that their 'dump stat' really is the thing their characters aren't good at; higher chance of failure than success.

 

[Parmandur]

I know it's a houserule, but I allow PCs to automatically succeed on un-opposed ability checks where their score is equal to or greater than 5 + the DC of the check. So, if you had a 15 Strength you'd never have to make a Strength check to force open a door (for example) with a DC of 10 or less.

Pretty reasonable houserule.

 

[Psikerlord#]

Note the emphasis in the thread title. I'm not new to D&D. I'm well aware of what the functions of the individual abilities are; I also know that the numbers that actually get used in-game are the ability modifiers, and that the ability scores are (and have been since 3rd edition) mostly a historical artifact, carried on for the sake of tradition.

However, I also know that there are a few rules that still make reference to the raw score, and I'm trying to make a list of them (to assist in explaining character creation to new players). These are the ones that I've found so far:

- Strength score is used to determine carrying capacity, and how far you can jump. A few types of armor have minimum Strength requirements.

- A few feats have an ability score prerequisite (which is always 13, as far as I can tell), as does multiclassing.

And that's it. Are there any uses that I'm missing?

Wyvern

Very little. It's one of the failings of 5e. In older dnd , attribute checks were made against your score, eg want to break down a door, roll d20 and get your str score or less. Every point of every attribute mattered, so Int 8 was very different to Int 13, as opposed to a -1 or a +1 against an independent DC.

The roll equal or under approach also allows a lot of other cool things. For example, roll less than half your attribute for a great success, or the GM can simply say, if you want to walk the tightrope and your dex is 16, you auto do it, everyone else roll. Then you can stack modifiers on it, adv/disad or +2 or whatever. It's very flexible, but the player from the outset has a rough idea of their chances because they know their own stats without asking.

 

[CubicsRube]

Monster ability scores can sometimes make for a decent DC for a PCs' task when interacting with them.

Dont tell anyone, but that's how i use them most of the time!

 

[CubicsRube]

Yet it is the atandard, assumed form of character generation. I strongly prefer the random method, and it is hardly a 'problem' to be 'fixed.' Indeed, if anything, eliminating the bonus and redesigning the system around the randomly generated 3-18 spectrum would be preferable. But the way it swork in 5E is a good compromise.

I'd argue its actually not, despite what it says in the phb. This is purely on the basis that Adevnturers league only allows point buy.

 

[Parmandur]

I'd argue its actually not, despite what it says in the phb. This is purely on the basis that Adevnturers league only allows point buy.

I've never seen anybody use point buy in a 5E game: anecodtes are of limited use. I recall that random PC generation was the majority preference per WotC, but I don't remember where I saw that. But it is stated as standard in the PHB, which at least suggests that's what the polls said.

 

[CubicsRube]

I didn't mention anything about an anecdote. I stated what the official rule for wotc's organized play is.

In any case, back to the op. I think you could easily drop score and just use modifiers if you find that a barrier. Ive thought about doing it myself. The main tweak you'd have to carry out i think would be around half feats. Either accepting that they will hardly ever be taken or doing something else like rolling them up with another half feat or some other idea.

 

[Yaarel]

If I remember correctly, one feat feels about equal to four skills.

Thus, a half feat is worth two skill proficiencies or one expertise proficiency. So half feats can be combined with each other, with skills, or other minor class or race features.

Especially consider swapping out race features for a half feat.

 

[neogod22]

I didn't mention anything about an anecdote. I stated what the official rule for wotc's organized play is.

In any case, back to the op. I think you could easily drop score and just use modifiers if you find that a barrier. Ive thought about doing it myself. The main tweak you'd have to carry out i think would be around half feats. Either accepting that they will hardly ever be taken or doing something else like rolling them up with another half feat or some other idea.

FACTS. Me mostly playing and running AL. I can cosign on this. In AL they only allow the standard array, or the point buy system. There is no rolling stats. I like it, because it's the most fair system, and you never have to question anyone's stats.

 

[Parmandur]

I didn't mention anything about an anecdote. I stated what the official rule for wotc's organized play is.

In any case, back to the op. I think you could easily drop score and just use modifiers if you find that a barrier. Ive thought about doing it myself. The main tweak you'd have to carry out i think would be around half feats. Either accepting that they will hardly ever be taken or doing something else like rolling them up with another half feat or some other idea.

The AL is mainly a large anecdote: that it uses a variant rules doesn't mean it isn't a variant rules. Most people don't take feats, but the AL uses that variant.