Let’s face this is a sacred cow that really deserves to be taken out back slaughtered and then barbecued. Really the 3 to 18 for attributes mean pretty much nothing after character generation. Most of the uses for your attributes use just the modified and not the attribute itself. Skill checks, Saving throws, attacks damage and even ability checks. Sure there’s ability damage from various sources and the occasional increase in ability scores but really that’s about it. So why in the world do we even need it anymore?
Look at the Dragon Age RPG. You’ve got basically the same spread for starting attributes. Roll 3d6 look at chart and get the number. And that number is your attribute, you don’t even bother with the 3 to 18 range any more. Other games easily work with a less granular approach to attributes. Yes, there is some nostalgia and I do have a fondness for the Old School stuff. But really, I think it’s pretty much an unnecessarily complicated way to go about it.
Yeah, I know this was really short post but hey, sometime I get these little thoughts.
2 Responses to “3 to 18: Why do we really need it?”
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Chuck on 
Philo Pharynx on 
I say no. I say we eliminate them as unnecessary and replace them only with the useful information they indicate: namely, the modifiers those ability scores represent.
My argument: http://www.korpg.com/blog/?p=6954
Kevin recently posted..Eliminating the Flaws of 3d6
Amen! Pass the eraser.