Why does STR affect Attack Bonus?

[Sado]

I would just like to point out that most of the examples that have been given, from UFC etc., relate to a quick but small person (high dex lower strength) fighting a quick AND strong person (high strength AND dex). In this situation you are skewing the example in favor of the strong and fast person wins, unless the small guy is VERY fast.

I think the comparison is between the quick, small guy vs. the strong, slow guy is actually better seved by the comparison to the body builder or some "fighter" that sacrifices speed for strength...

That is sort of my reasoning too. And again, it just seems like you get the STR bonus twice, once to hit and once to damage.

Mechanically, I'll agree that DEX can become way too powerful. And the current system does work fine in actual play.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Personally I think STR should be used for attack bonus exactly as it is now, with some notable exceptions. Touch attacks should be dex, and I also think Weapon Finesse should be available on more weapons than it currently is. How about dual scimitars ala Drizzt? I think to wave those two pieces of metal around could be more of a dex ability... at least insofar as to allow weapon finesse - dual scimitars. Also, I think some weapons should HAVE to be dex-to-hit, like a whip - it doesn't matter one bit how strong you are when using a whip, what matters is control. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Shin Okada]

I am not a swordsman myself. But I strongly doubt if fencing or kendo could be good examples at all. Sword is just a small category amongst various weapons. It seems unlikely that the method used in swordplay can be equally usable for attacking with (or parrying/blocking) heavy weapons such as mace, club, flail or dragon's claw. Also, today's fencing and kendo are sports. Rules and environments are prepared so that skills and techniques are fully used. Many famous swordsman in history are suggesting that most of the arts are not that much useful in the chaos of real battle field.

I guess the true answer for "reality" is "both strength and dexterity may affect". But game mechanic wise, using strength is reasonable enough and simple. And seems better than using dexterity as default (or using two abilities as a basic rule).

 

[cmanos]

it is not so much your ability to hit your opponent, asi it is your ability to hit your opponent with a blow with enough force to damage him. In a melee combat there are MANY landed hits, but only a few will do significant damage. High strength increases the chances that your hits will be forceful enough to do damage.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I think it is a common misconception, often advanced by fantasy/fiction genres and even RPG games, that strong people tend to be slower than dextrous/agile people. It is playing up the David and Goliath archetype for dramatic effect.

In the real world, the opposite is generally true. Yes, there are exceptions but the generalization is pretty accurate. Step onto the athletic field and the guys with the lean muscle tend to be faster. The advantage of muscle becomes ever more important in sports as you add physical contact.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

To anyone who doesn't like getting the strength bonus "twice" (i.e., once to hit and once to damage), brush up on some physics.

Given that the force transmitted by a weapon to a body is a function of, among other things, the square of how fast that weapon is moving, and the rate of acceleration of that weapon is based on the strength of the wielder, it is necessary that Strength be on both sides of the D&D equation.

 

[IcyCool]

Nah, that one is "Little guy shoots big guy before he's close enough to hit him." That works just fine.

Well you see, we've got David (a high level rogue armed with a sling), and Goliath (a large, level adjusted character with ridiculous strength, who doesn't have alot of armor protection. His DM probably wasn't following the wealth guidelines here, or Goliath's player might have blown all his cash on a bad-ass weapon.). David and Goliath face off, and roll initiative. David, with the Improved initiative feat, gets the initiative and catches Goliath flat-footed. As he is within 30 ft., he gets a sneak attack (we'll assume he's got the Point Blank Shot feat as well) and inflicts a horrifying amount of damage, either killing Goliath outright or forcing a death-from-massive-damage chance, which Goliath subsequently fails. Just imagine what sort of damage David could have done with two-weapon fighting, quickdraw, and several vials of acid or alchemists fire.

 

[MerakSpielman]

There's a reason why Olympic fencers aren't as heavily-built as Olympic weightlifters.

But in general, given two individuals of the same martial ability, height, and build, the one who has worked out and is stronger will have an edge over the one who hasn't. Even in less forceful martial arts like Tai Chi (which I'm studying), where precision, perception, and subtlety are all-important, strength and physical fitness can give enough of an edge to win.

I think part of the problem is, in real life, our physique is more complex than can be defined by a mere 3 physical ability scores.

 

[Jdvn1]

Game Balance.

Yep.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I also think Weapon Finesse should be available on more weapons than it currently is. How about dual scimitars ala Drizzt? I think to wave those two pieces of metal around could be more of a dex ability... at least insofar as to allow weapon finesse - dual scimitars.

Levels in Dervish.

-Hyp.