D&D (2024) What should be ability score cap for standard PCs?

[Mon]

My opinion is it doesn't matter what WotC puts in their book. Every DM can decide for themselves what their max will be if they want something different.

No reason for anyone to get into arguments about what they think is the "right" answer. WotC will do what WotC will do, and everyone else can just make other personal decisions.

We use 18 too.

It neatly contributes to “fixing” the perception of Dex as the Uber stat too, at least wrt AC: light armour max AC 16, medium 17, heavy 18. Pretty sweet.

Of course that’s not the only reason, just a side effect… and if Uber Dex isn’t a thing for your table then it doesn’t matter.

Cheers,

Mon.

 

[Mon]

We use 18 too.

It neatly contributes to “fixing” the perception of Dex as the Uber stat too, at least wrt AC: light armour max AC 16, medium 17, heavy 18. Pretty sweet.

Of course that’s not the only reason, just a side effect… and if Uber Dex isn’t a thing for your table then it doesn’t matter.

Cheers,

Mon.

Oops replied to the wrong post. Meant to reply to the OP.

Cheers,
Mon

 

[dave2008]

We currently don't use ASI at all, just feats and it works great. I don't need that as a default, but the games works better if you are not chasing +2 ASI all the time IMO.

We also cap scores at 18 with racial bonus improving the cap, but not your score.

 

[Horwath]

We currently don't use ASI at all, just feats and it works great. I don't need that as a default, but the games works better if you are not chasing +2 ASI all the time IMO.

We also cap scores at 18 with racial bonus improving the cap, but not your score.

Also, when 18 is the max, we see that people do not force a starting 17 ASAP so they can hit 20 with half feat and +2.
with added bonus 1st level feat as house rule, which is half-feat most of the time, we see lot's of starting 15s, that get to 16 with bonus feat and two half feats to 8th level, fills the 18 max.

and that 15->13 before racials, saves 4 pts in point buy so that 8 might become 12.
Array usually becomes:
14,
13, +2 ASI, +1 from bonus half feat,
13, +1
12,
12,
10,

for final of: 16,14,14,12,12,10

half-elves even turn that 14 into 13 and 10 into 12.

 

[dave2008]

I see many people asking for both ASI and feat and I ask: why not just get rid of ASIs? You don't need them in 5e and, IMO, make the game math worse (as in easier for the PCs). Just have feats and no ASI.

I'm really curious about something. Would it really be broken if you got both? How about this:

• ASI's are no longer a Feat.
• Feats no longer have the +1 ASI's built into them at all. They are only balanced against each other and without ASI's, they just broaden your functionality.
• You get both the two +1 ASI's and a Feat at the universal ASI levels. No choosing.
• Fighter bonus feats still happen, but they won't be ASI's.

I approve of this message.

I have been doing exactly this for years.

I would just add +1 ASI to all feats, if feat already has +1 ASI, those two have to go to different ability,
that way if you start with 17 in your primary, you still need 3 feats to get to 20.
Or just 1 feat if you reduce ability cap to 18.

 

[Horwath]

I see many people asking for both ASI and feat and I ask: why not just get rid of ASIs? You don't need them in 5e and, IMO, make the game math worse (as in easier for the PCs). Just have feats and no ASI.

Agree,

make all feats full feats, or give options to take 2 half feats at the same time without added ASIs
drop ASI from race/lineage, add some arbitrary small number of ASIs to boost starting array a little and have all same default array:

18,16,14,14,12,10


variant,
point buy:

4: -3pts (optional)
6: -1pt (optional)
8: 0pts
10: 1pt
12: 2pts
14: 3pts
16: 5pts
18: 8pts
20: 12pts (reeeaaaly optional, if someone want to cry about not having a 20. Make them pay for it!)

point pool:
22 pts