5eS - Characters - Ability Modifiers - Variant: Ability Scores

Variant: Ability Score GenerationRule
23.11.2021

If you do not use 5eS ability modifiers and skills, you can use the standard 5e method. This is a guide page that also offers some interesting ways of generating scores.

The fundament of a new character are their ability scores. They describe the character's innate abilities, namely phyiscal and mental aptitudes. There are six ability scores:

Strength is being able to crush a tomato.
Dexterity is the aptitude to dodge a tomato.
Constitution is being able to eat a bad tomato.
Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad.
Charisma is the ability to sell a tomato-based fruit salad.

The distinction between Intelligence and Wisdom is perhaps the most strenuous. You can think of Intelligence as clear-mindedness and intuitive mental aptitude, while Wisdom is experience.

Generating Ability Scores

There are various ways to create ability scores. With each, you generate six different numbers: these will be you base abilites. Note them on a piece of scrap paper.

Throw Four, Keep Three

Take four six-sided dice (d6). Throw them, and keep the better three rolls: add them together to create one score. Do so six times until you have all scores.

If you are unhappy with the result, you can rethrow all six scores once. You must keep the new array.

Caterpillar

This method is a merge between static point-buy and variable dice rolling. It's more complicated, but also fair with a little bit of random.

To start, roll three dice, and quickly arrange them in a "caterpillar" (without actively choosing the way you turn them). Then, build your six scores:

Score 1: add up the front face (i.e. 1+6+4)=11
Score 2: add up the top face (i.e. 2+ 4+1)=7
Score 3: add up the rear face (i.e. 6+1+3)=10
Score 4: for the left-most die (head of the caterpillar) add up all exposed faces; including the left-most face (i.e. 1+2+6+4)=13
Score 5: for the right-most cube (bottom of the caterpillar) as above, but this time subtract the right-most face (i.e. 4+1+3-2)=6
Score 6: for the central cube add up all exposed faces (i.e. 6+4+1)=11

This method creates a slightly more gritty assortment of scores, with an assortment 10-11. See this blog for more information.

Other Methods

Of course, the DM can use their own methods of generating scores; all standard 5e ones not mention here are fine.

Attributing Ability Scores

One you have your six scores, you should distribute them among the six abilities. You can do this by rule of thumb: the higher the number, the better your character will be in that ability. Note that your race will modify your scores, and that your class bases most of its power on one or two scores; make sure you build your abilities for the right class.