With Shadow STR drain, the PC can regain STR after short or long rest. Anyone know what is RAW for regaining INT after an Intellect Devourer reduces a PC to 0 INT?
That's a very good question. I checked the description of Greater Restoration, and it explicitly lists as one of its uses, the removal of "Any reduction to one of the target's ability scores." If there's any other way to regain the lost Intelligence, I too would like to know what it is.
(Btw, I also looked up gibbering mouthers and couldn't find any reference to them doing ability score damage.)
The big, main factor is the random distribution of 3D6 (4D6 drop lowest is a heroic 3-18 curve) creates a great curve for random attributes: and random rolling in the traditional style is the assumed way to play.
There are other ways you could get a similar distribution of ability modifiers, though. Fudge dice, for example. Of course, a lot of players would balk at buying a separate set of dice solely for use in character creation. Still, if that were the *only* time the ability scores were used, there would be no need to record them on your character sheet; you could just look up the ability modifiers on the chart and record them instead.
If you want to discuss the merits of random rolling vs. point-buy or which you think is more common or the "assumed" method, please take it elsewhere; it's a distraction from the purpose of this thread. (This isn't directed just at you, Parmandur.)
Alternate HPs can mean at least a couple different things. Firstly, it can mean taking ability score damage instead of HP damage. Secondly, it can also refer to alternate methods of calculating HP totals.
That question was directed at Wiseblood, and it's already been answered. There are several things "alternate HPs" *could* mean; I wanted to know what *he* (or she) meant by it.
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.
Actually, someone else pointed out that the DMG explicitly mentions that as an optional rule (with that specific example, even!).
One thing no one else has mentioned is that ability scores are used for multi-classing viability.
I *did* mention that, in the original post.
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. ... The roll equal or under approach also allows a lot of other cool things.
It also comes with a couple of drawbacks. First, opposed checks aren't as straightforward in a roll-under system than a roll-higher system. Second -- and more importantly, IMO -- any roll-under system (including percentile systems) sets an artificial ceiling on stats. If Conan the Barbarian has a Strength of 18, how strong is an elephant? If it has a Strength of 20 or more, it can never, ever fail a Strength roll unless you apply a hefty penalty. And maybe that's as it should be, but it makes it feel like the game doesn't scale well to capabilities beyond the human range. Chalk it up to personal preference if you like, but I don't wish to discuss the topic any further. It's irrelevant to the question I asked.
Again, I didn't start this thread to debate the merits of keeping ability scores vs. doing away with them. I'm not asking about ways of getting rid of the ability scores. I'm not asking about people's house rules. I wanted one thing and one thing only: a list of cases in the
official rulebooks where the raw ability scores are referenced outside of character creation or the ASIs gained when leveling up. Since no new examples of this have been mentioned since Friday, I think it's fair to conclude that we now have a complete list -- which I'll try to get around to compiling in the next day or so.
So, I'll ask again: is there anywhere on this site where I could post the list so that other people will be able to easily find and refer to it in the future?
Wyvern