D&D 5E Zero to Hero: Ability Score Increases every level?

[CubicsRube]

@CubicsRube ,

After a discussion the other day, here is what our table decided on for our games from this point forward:

Standard array is 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9.
Point-buy is 21 points, 14 max (costs 6, not 7)
Rolling: you roll d6 three times, and use the middle result, add 8. Repeat 5 times for your six scores.

Then you have a +2 ASI and +1 ASI to place where you want, but a score cannot exceed 15 (so you can't add the +2 ASI to the 14).

You gain a +1 ASI every other level, starting at level 2 (then 4, 6, 8, etc.).

This caps total bonus to +4 at level 1 (not as low as the +3 in your design), but allows the PC to grow as you suggest via ability scores.

Finally, you still get the regular ASI/feats at levels 4, 8, etc. and can use them normally: so either a quick bump to an ability score +2 or a feat.

For my preferences I prefer one of two ways.

1) Use the old school method of higher starting stats but then rarely if ever increasing these, or
2) have a low array with increases and growth built into the system.

For me, 5e sits between these two poles. Your method is a little higher than where I think I'd go for my personal tastes, but much more in line with the second concept above.

 

[DND_Reborn]

For me, 5e sits between these two poles. Your method is a little higher than where I think I'd go for my personal tastes, but much more in line with the second concept above.

Oh, I know it is higher than your original "commoner" concept, but rests in between the standard array in 5E (total 72-75ish points) and the commoner array (60 points) at 69 total points. But that is also why we are only going ASI +1's every other level instead of every level.

1) Use the old school method of higher starting stats but then rarely if ever increasing these, or

The issue with old school method (IMO) is back in AD&D, scores didn't even have much meaning until you were 15+. Since most people used the same 4d6-L method as now, the scores are really the same--not higher. And, as I mentioned, you get less for them since you need higher scores to get bonuses.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I don't get your point on unbalanced as everyone is affected equally, but let's look at your monk statement.

A monk at level 1 can attack 2 x 1d4+1 vs a pair of daggers being 1d4+1 and 1d4 for the second - how is this different to a normal array?

Secondly, that +1 becomes a +2 at level 2, so the gap increases further. By level 4 a +3. The entire point of this method is to see a mediocre beginning grow rapidly into differentiating from a commoner array.

With 10 in all stats, it is 1d4x2 and 1d4x2.
Your AC is also sometging to take into account. A monk relies on 2 stats for their AC, wis and dex. With 10 in both stats a monk AC is 10. Even if you may start with +1 and use a quarter staff, you might be a little bit better in the offense, but your AC is seriously lacking. And since you have 2 very important stats besides CON, other characters will be far ahead a long time.

So if you really want something remotely balanced, you need to take intonaccount, that some classes are MAD and some are SAD. Probably you should allow for 2 stats starting at 12 at least, and you might want to have a rule that you may not put more than +2 into a single stat every other level (either by limiting an increase to +1/level or forcing to alternate between stats.

 

[CubicsRube]

With 10 in all stats, it is 1d4x2 and 1d4x2.
Your AC is also sometging to take into account. A monk relies on 2 stats for their AC, wis and dex. With 10 in both stats a monk AC is 10. Even if you may start with +1 and use a quarter staff, you might be a little bit better in the offense, but your AC is seriously lacking. And since you have 2 very important stats besides CON, other characters will be far ahead a long time.

So if you really want something remotely balanced, you need to take intonaccount, that some classes are MAD and some are SAD. Probably you should allow for 2 stats starting at 12 at least, and you might want to have a rule that you may not put more than +2 into a single stat every other level (either by limiting an increase to +1/level or forcing to alternate between stats.

So you clearly haven't read the OP properly where i already talked about starting with a 12 or later posts where I talked about other arrays, as well as the idea of putting +1s into 2 different ability scores. I think you need to go over them again.

In any case it doesn't seem like this idea would be for you.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

So you clearly haven't read the OP properly where i already talked about starting with a 12 or later posts where I talked about other arrays, as well as the idea of putting +1s into 2 different ability scores. I think you need to go over them again.

In any case it doesn't seem like this idea would be for you.

That is a big jump to a conclusion. And I obviously responded to the opening post, although I forgot that you already limited the increase to +1 to two different stats, but so did you when you responded to my first one.