D&D 5E What is +1 Strength worth?

[Bill Zebub]

I know that and you know I do. And you know that +3 or 4 or 5 vs being fine with +2 or 3 costs more than +1 to an off stat.

It has been a while since I started this thread, but now I’m remembering that it was because I wanted to analyze the impact of the +1 on attacks, by itself, and not go down the rabbit hole of “what if” games, comparing the value of that to occasionally persuading guards.

And all that does not matter, because the exact numbers are unimportant.
Hiw often have I seen people in MMorPGs or Diablo grinding for days and weeks to get an extra 0.1% increase in damage...
Or completely misjudging the power of a build because all they do is looking at pure damage numbers, when in reality there are many factors that play a much more imoortant role.

Sure. But here we are talking about a straight 20-25% gain, from one decision.

I find the whole “you won’t even notice it” argument pretty ridiculous. I could carefully track all my attack and damage rolls to prove it to myself, but I don’t need to. I trust the math. 20-25%.

I don’t notice the planets moving against the background of stars, either, and yet I know they do.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Not sure if this was mentioned, but +1 STR also means being better at athletics checks for knocking the opponent prone, shoving off of cliffs, and etc.

In my highly simplified model, all the stats have secondary benefits like this, that are really hard to model, so I assume/pretend they are roughly equal and cancel out.

AND your primary stat has a unique that massively outweighs those other ones.

The argument I find completely bizarre is when the same posters combine “+1 is tiny” with “maybe in Cha or Wis it will help you save the day.” Well, is it tiny or isn’t it? What’s more likely to help, a tiny edge every now and then, or a tiny edge on every single attack and damage roll?

 

[Bill Zebub]

I know that and you know I do. And you know that +3 or 4 or 5 vs being fine with +2 or 3 costs more than +1 to an off stat.
And all that does not matter, because the exact numbers are unimportant.
Hiw often have I seen people in MMorPGs or Diablo grinding for days and weeks to get an extra 0.1% increase in damage...
Or completely misjudging the power of a build because all they do is looking at pure damage numbers, when in reality there are many factors that play a much more imoortant role.

Actually, another response here: sure, there’s some chance posts like this will be interpreted by new players as “I MUST start with a 16.” But…yeah in general I don’t believe that the masses can’t handle truth and need to be protected from it.

 

[FrogReaver]

a single +1 on a single character means very little.

A party of 4 characters each with a +1 will cause extra hits quite a bit more often than a single character with the same and a small +1 damage bonus on 4 pcs will add up damage quite quickly.

Focusing on a single pc instead of the party is the biggest flaw in theory.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

a single +1 on a single character means very little.

A party of 4 characters each with a +1 will cause extra hits quite a bit more often than a single character with the same and a small +1 damage bonus on 4 pcs will add up damage quite quickly.

Focusing on a single pc instead of the party is the biggest flaw in theory.

I do agree here. But then, the players seem to be on the same page....

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Actually, another response here: sure, there’s some chance posts like this will be interpreted by new players as “I MUST start with a 16.” But…yeah in general I don’t believe that the masses can’t handle truth and need to be protected from it.

The problem is, as alway, how you frame the truth.
You are cherry picking a single (albeit important) part of the game.

You conveniently either forget to mention the cost or that 16 over a 14, or you pretent that the the cost for +1 extra strength is only +1 to a less important attribute.
I admit, that with tasha´s optional rules or MotM races, the opportunity cost was lowered.

From the PHB perspective: Mountain dwarf is probably the best race for 16 Str in the beginning, and with darkvision and some extra features on top.
I now make the assertion, that My Rock gnome fighter will still be competitive. (It is hard to find a race that does not have a dexterity bonus... so I go with rock gnome...)
You lose: +1 con, +2 Str. You gain +2 int and advantage vs mind affecting spells, which is not a +1 bonus but equals a +4 or 5 bonus.

If a single player makes that choice, there is no harm done to the group... if everyone make such a choice, as frog reaver says, the group of 5 people is only as strong as a group of 4 people in combat. This is significant, but at that point, the whole group signed to that playstyle and maybe they will seek for solutions other than combat.