Level Up (A5E) Where to put ability bonuses during character creation

[ThatGuySteve]

14 feels pretty mediocre to me. 16 is the base 'primary stat' score, otherwise you miss more often and you get hit more often... it doesn't feel good at all.

16 is the 'base' because that is the minimum score for maximum bonus you can achieve at character generation. In previous editions it was higher because you could get higher.

Is be on board with seeing new characters start with a +2 maximum. It would make proficiency feel more valuable.

 

[Shiroiken]

The playtest gave a bonus to race and class, and I felt dropping that was a big loss. Giving a bonus towards a class's primary ability score from the class ensures that no one who starts with it will suck at it.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I dont understand how splitting +X in three different categories will improve the fact that for now, people tend to choose their race based on their class main stat?

I mean, for now people will play (for example) an high elf wizard because of the +1 int bonus right?
But splitting them over background, culture and race would just mean every wizard will be a Sage (background +1 int) High elf (race +1 int) from a Magocracy (culture, +1 int). Its just moving the problem. Even if you create a rule that requires that you dont gain more than +2 in a stat at creation, its also the same thing: Classes will always be the main reason to pick a particular option at chargen if you add a mechanical + to it.

Backgrounds/Race/Culture will never be more than a ''build you own stat improvement'' step of character creation if you add ASI to them. And that's to bad, because I feel this is the good design space to add things that have more influence in-game, in-setting than on the meta-level of the game and the character sheet and the player's dice.

Give High elf a bonus cantrip, proficiency in arcana and history and one mystic language (celestial/abyssal/sylvan etc)

Give the Sage background its usual bonus proficiency and roleplay feature.

Give the Magocracy culture advantage on Arcana check, X less days to craft/buy/sell magic items and X% cost reduction to hire spellcasting retainers or augment the number of hit point of their Stronghold if its a mage laboratory or tower or wahtever.

 

[Horwath]

no race/class ability boosts.

return to 3E point buy cost, but with the max or 16.

score 8 - 0pts
score 9 - 1pt
score 10 - 2pts
score 11 - 3pts
score 12 - 4pts
score 13 - 5pts
score 14 - 6pts
score 15 - 8pts
score 16 - 10pts

32pts available

have races define with extra flavor features

 

[DND_Reborn]

Oops... 16, 15, 14, 13, 10, 8

I like that there's multiple odd scores so that later ASI can be more interesting.

I'm pretty much right there with you. I think IIRC 16, 14, 13, 12, 10, 9 is the established "norm" for 4d6-L, so I would probably go with that if I had to.

It's just too ingrained at this point.

Sadly, you are probably correct. Like many of us, I grew up on AD&D, so having one or even two scores of 16+ was like, WOW! I know a lot of players would roll up a dozen sets of stats until they got what they wanted, but that was never me or my group really.

 

[rules.mechanic]

I don't think we hear WotC's new take on this until later in the year? Probably worth re-visiting then?

 

[Maxperson]

I voted for race/specie but I would prefer a mix. +2 to race and a +1 from background or culture (if this becomes a thing).

This is what I want as well. +2 from race and +1 from background.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Sure, if you want them increased. I don't and don't think they need to be.
With current point buy a character can have three 14's and three 10's. How good do you want them to be?! 14 IS good IMO, so you can have three good stats even without racial ASIs. If you are rolling scores (the default), you can easily have even better scores!

Having higher scores won't "break" anything, of course, but for myself it makes it much less enjoyable because there is less challenge.

If everyone else has STR 8, STR 10 is strong, isn't it?

See, the problem is you can't have a scale that goes to 20 and then say you can't get there until you're at the effective end of the character's campaign life. And even then, to do it you need to give up getting other cool tricks you might want. I like feats and, among other things, this idea would functionally eliminate them.

 

[Undrave]

I'm pretty much right there with you. I think IIRC 16, 14, 13, 12, 10, 9 is the established "norm" for 4d6-L, so I would probably go with that if I had to.

Maybe even replace the 10 by an 11 so there's an odd number of odd scores. So 16, 15, 14, 13, 11, 8.

Sadly, you are probably correct. Like many of us, I grew up on AD&D, so having one or even two scores of 16+ was like, WOW! I know a lot of players would roll up a dozen sets of stats until they got what they wanted, but that was never me or my group really.

To me, 14 in your main stat feels like an NPC score more than a PC score... I could probably unlearn it after a while but it would take a while I think.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I like feats and, among other things, this idea would functionally eliminate them.

Unless feats and ASI were splitted, right? If you did not need to make that sacrifice, it would be ok?

Thing is, Morrus is talking about having a bunch of choices at each character level, I think it would kinda scratch that ''customization'' itch that is currently scratched only by feats when you forgo an ASI. So in 5e, customization of your character at higher level cost you an ASI, but in A5E there's no need to go that way: you can have both!