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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ShinRyuuBR" data-source="post: 3918316" data-attributes="member: 24427">Interesting point. I could totally see hp and Fort based on Strength. Then, base hp could be an universal progression, as long as the game somehow forced the standard hierarchy of hp: wizard, sorcerer < bard, rogue < cleric, druid, monk, ranger < fighter, paladin < barbarian. One way to enforce that would be to define different starting ability arrays for each class and capping them (only for the purpose of point-buying at 1st level). For example, the wizard could start with Str 6, Dex 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 6, capped at 12/16/18/16/12. There are many other possible approaches.The fact is, while conceptually Strength and Constitution are very different, in practice, when you account for classes and their hp and Fort progressions, the link is clear and strong: classes that focus on Strength always have high base hp and high base Fort, while classes with little to gain from Strength always have low base hp and low base Fort.If you look at the mental abilities, they are distinguishable by flavor but mostly by skill use. What would be the point to have an INT-based wizard and a WIS-based cleric if there weren't Knowledge and Sense Motive checks? You could have a single ability for mental faculties, as in GURPS. But Int and Wis (Cha too, of course) have each a respectable array of specific game elements that enforce their differences. Not so with Con vs. Str. Not only are hp and Fort tied to Str-classes, but there is also only a single Con-based skill, and in my opinion, it shouldn't be. While it makes sense to use Con to avoid losing focus when phisically harmed, most of the skills applications are not about harm but about distractions: motion, weather, physical restraints and extra care to cast defensively. Concentration should be Wis-based, and thus we strike the finishing blow to Constitution.</blockquote>

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