If I were going to make ability score a random die effect I would go more like MWP did with Serenity a while back.
Ditch the base d20.
Have ability "score" be a die size.
Have proficiency also be a die.
Set difficulties to fit the new paradigm of expected values.
Reset point buy scales and points to figure of max of a die.
So if you want to stick with the basic d4 d6 d8 d20 d12 for conversions from d20 these could map to
D4 for scores below 8
D6 for 8-10
D8 for 11-14
D10 for 15-18
D12 for 18-21
Scores above or below those get a minus or plus 1 for each 3 or part thereof.
But just buying the die type instead of buying a score that then becomes a die added to a d20 makes more sense to me... tho it is further removed.
It's also, a tad more intuitive... literally buying the die you will roll - no modifier to figure out.
And advantage, disadvantage and expertise adjustment all figure in fine and dandy, roll one or the other die twice and take lower or higher, depending on what the adjustment was.
Edit to add... Of course if one wants to reflect scores with dice not modifiers, one could just go d6 or d10 dice pools and thresholds which work well too.
Ditch the base d20.
Have ability "score" be a die size.
Have proficiency also be a die.
Set difficulties to fit the new paradigm of expected values.
Reset point buy scales and points to figure of max of a die.
So if you want to stick with the basic d4 d6 d8 d20 d12 for conversions from d20 these could map to
D4 for scores below 8
D6 for 8-10
D8 for 11-14
D10 for 15-18
D12 for 18-21
Scores above or below those get a minus or plus 1 for each 3 or part thereof.
But just buying the die type instead of buying a score that then becomes a die added to a d20 makes more sense to me... tho it is further removed.
It's also, a tad more intuitive... literally buying the die you will roll - no modifier to figure out.
And advantage, disadvantage and expertise adjustment all figure in fine and dandy, roll one or the other die twice and take lower or higher, depending on what the adjustment was.
Edit to add... Of course if one wants to reflect scores with dice not modifiers, one could just go d6 or d10 dice pools and thresholds which work well too.
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