D&D 5E With Only 4 Ability Scores, How Would You Handle Spellcasting Abilities (+)

[Daraniya]

What about the other aspects of CON besides hit points? Would those be regulated to Prowess?


Would the attacks/saves be class dependent as well. or uniform?

I always liked the idea of Stamina/health being used for sorcerers, especially if they wanted to boost spells... I like the idea of a 'CON' based spell caster, trading sorceror points for Stamina or Health for spells.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

So, what FOUR ability scores would you create/use, and which would the spellcasters use for spellcasting?

If I was going to use 4 ability scores, I would create nothing myself and just use DC20 rules

 

[Mephista]

I'd ditch WIS entirely and go with INT and CHA. Wisdom is basically the notice-things-attribute (thus perception, insight, Survival, etc), common sense, willpower to resist things, and more all rolled into one uber stat. But skills are now decoupled from attributes, so there's no need to keep the association. Roll Charisma if you want to keep focused on looking for things over a long time, or roll Intelligence for clue hunting. Give you different approaches for looking for things depending on how your character acts instead of always "roll WIS+perception" every bloody time.

Then clerics and druids and rangers can now be INT-based classes. I like the Religion skill class and the Nature skill class to actually be good at their studies. And I want Ranger to be INT mostly because it fits better than CHA.

Alternatively, don't assign attributes to classes, instead assign to spell types. Damage and control/debuffs use INT, heals and buffs use WIS. If a Fighter wants to smash things in melee AND be good at ranged, they can take both STR and DEX. So, if you want to damage and heal, invest in both.

EDIT - oh, and yeah, merge CON and STR. Make every stat as good as DEX is right now.

 

[Tonguez]

I'd be happy to use Might/Prowess for Druid representing sheer endurance and 'primal force'. The rest that you present are good too

The other option is let the player choose -;if they want to play a Mighty Wizard who uses magic enhanced power attacks (Rock Hammer power fist?) then so be it. A Savvy Warrior who carefully observes their opponent to gain Tactical advantage (+1d4) works too

 

[Professor Murder]

See, I would mash Int, Wis and Cha into two new stats, as there is a fair amount of bleed between them, especially in 5th.

 

[Deset Gled]

Grit
Finesse
Perception
Wits

Casting skills by class:
Bard: Finesse and Perception (play and listen)
Cleric: Wits and Grit (faith and persistence)
Druid: Wits and Perception (primal balance and connection to the world)
Sorcerer: Grit and Perception (channel your inner power by knowing how it connects to reality)
Warlock: Grit and Finesse (control the channeled power by performing the rituals)
Wizard: Wits and Finesse (know the science and how to bring it to reality in your hands)

 

[Stormonu]

I'd use Body, Soul, Mind of the likes of BESM if we're going to drop ability scores. Spellcasting could use any of the three. Body might be used by Sorcerers, Shamans or Druids; Soul might be used by Sorcerers, Warlocks and Clerics; Mind might be used by Wizards, Warlocks and Artificers.

If using the four of the original post, my desire has always been to make any activity into a skill. Thus there'd be the likes of a Melee Combat skill, Ranged Combat skill, Arcane Casting Skill, Divine Casting Skill, Primal Casting Skill and maybe a Bargaining Casting skill. Arcane tied to Saavy, Divine tied to Saavy, Primal to Might and Bargaining to Charisma.

 

[Greenwheat]

If I had to pick 4 stats, I would go with Prowess (the fighty/athletic parts of Str and Dex), Finesse (The skill parts of Dex and Int), Will (the willpower parts of Wis and Cha) and Wits (the remainder of Int ans Cha).

I think there are too many kinds of casters in general, so i would make just 2 kinds: Channelers use Will (these are clerics, warlocks, druids, etc) to pull power from outside, and Magi use Wits (these are wizards and bards and other people who "study" magic).

Broadly agree, though I'd go for Might incorporating most of Constitution as well. And probably no bonus to hit points from it. I'd go so far as to cut down to three or four classes, potentially losing the Cleric-type.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Might (Str+Con), Agility (Dexterity minus Initiative), Wits (Int + good judgment aspect of Wis), Presence (Cha + mental defense aspect of Wis).

Artificer, Cleric, Ranger, and Wizard use Wits for spellcasting.

Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, and Warlock use Presence for spellcasting.

Initiative and Perception are decoupled from base stats and become their own separate scores, because tying them to ability scores makes those things too powerful.

 

[Stormonu]

I'll take a moment and turn this on its head. Make the abilities mostly based on the the three pillars.

Fighting
Interaction
Exploration

Want to lift a big rock? Exploration + Lift skill.
Want to arm wrestle a giant? Fighting + Wresle skill.
Want to cast Invisibility? Exploration + (Illusion) Magic skill.
Want to cast Charm Person? Interaction + (Enchantment) Magic skill.
Want to throw Fireball? Fighting + (Evocation) Magic skill.