Increasing Statistics As You Go Up Levels

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Earlier editions of AD&D assumed your PC's adult statistics were at the pinnacle of perfection as far as they were concerned. That is, you couldn't further increase your PC's stats without magic. Many players objected since they clearly thought: "Hey, if I do some weight training, I know I can increase my strength, so it's pretty unrealistic not to be able to do the same in AD&D for my character."

Unfortunately, this was an easy, though erroneous conclusion to reach since they may have been oblivious to the probable fact their PC ALREADY had done extensive training, and probably for years as well, just to achieve the stats they did have. Since they didn't 'see' this training or 'roleplay' it during character generation, just as they didn't roleplay the learning and acquisition of all their class's skills, it was easy to miss. Thus, the stats one's PC starts with are not the raw, untrained stats they were born with, but the product of years of previous training that it took to reach 1st level.

Now, even professional weight lifters and body builders, after years and years of training, cannot simply push a few more weights this week and drastically increase their strength next week. Any further increase after they've already been training for years would likely produce almost negligible results in the short term, or take even more years of training to meaningfully increase beyond the point to which they have already have trained.

Thus, GMs probably should allow PCs to increase some stats in older editions, but if and only if those PCs were willing to quit adventuring for a year or two and devote themselves to such rigorous training. Most players are not likely to have their PCs do this while leaving their adventuring comrades behind for extended periods of time. It would effectively put them out of the current game.

Third Edition D&D, or 3e, now allows characters to increase their statistics. I will assume this is partially since they no longer feel characters have already reach their pinnacle of perfection due to prior training and still have room for improvement. OK by me.

What is not Ok by me, however, is that they assume it is as easy to learn one stat as another. Being as easy to increase your INT as it is to increase your STR, for example, is pretty unrealistic. Some stats are more susceptible to rapid training while others are not and could take years longer. But what's worse is that they further assume you can, for example, go from 18 to 19 as easily as you can go from 9 to 10, or even from 3 to 4. The higher the stat is already, the harder it should be to go even further.

The assumptions 3e makes will likely lead to abuses and unrealistic stats in short order. This might be fine for power gamers, but roleplayers tend not to like such abuses. After all, for the vast majority of us players we are already playing characters so far above our means that we can scarcely help but roleplay them unrealistically as it is. This is particularly true of INT, WIS, and CHA, far above the player's own INT, WIS, or CHA, though not as much for STR, DEX, and CON since we rarely have to 'roleplay' being strong or fast or healthy.

We do, however, have to roleplay our PC's INT and WIS and CHA more. So if your PC was a genius on par with Albert Einstein - (18 INT, or an IQ of 180) - for example, it is likely unless you, the player, are a genius as well with an INT of at least 15 plus, or an IQ above 150, that you are already playing such a character, shall we say, stupidly and unrealistically for what they really are. An INT within 3 points of your PC's INT, at least, is close enough, though anything lower than that probably can't even get close to realistically being played. It only gets worse if after 20 levels one has augmented their INT from 18 to 23. Once a PC's INT, WIS, or CHA exceed one's own by 3 or more points, one is doubtlessly playing them pretty unrealistically. I feel most GMs would rather their players play more realistic stats.

This brings me to my point - Finally! Stat augmentations are better used to increase stats that your PC is lacking in more than ones in which they are already incredibly high. It may be easy to ignore your PC's problems of a low stat here or there - particularly if you ignore low stats and play your PC as if they are average or above average in that area despite the low stat - but your character cannot so easily ignore the fact he is always getting colds or getting sick - poor CON - tripping over his own feet or dropping things - poor DEX - never carrying his fair share and always needing to ask for help to move heavy things - poor STR - is constantly made to feel stupid - poor INT - seems socially clueless and is often left out or considered foolish and lacking in common sense - poor WIS - or is simply considered ugly, or ignored and never taken seriously - poor CHA. Oh, to be better.

Realistically, one of your PC's greater desires might be, perhaps even should be, to help increase these areas of personal failings much, much more than squeezing out some extra advantage or bonus in the prime requisite on some table in some book of which he or she isn't even supposed to be aware.

To that end, and to almost force better roleplaying considerations for such things, under this system it will be harder to augment high stats and easier to augment low ones, and slightly harder to augment role playable stats such as INT, WIS, and CHA, than it is to augment physical ones like STR, CON, and DEX. Aside from good roleplaying reasons, this also reflects greater realism and helps persevere the bell curve nature that was originally used to generate the PC's stats.

Another problem here is the nonlinear nature of the experience point, or xp table. For example, it takes a lot longer to gain xp at higher levels. Yet, for some reason, a little xp at low levels is enough to augment your INT from 7 to 8, while later - at higher-levels - it would take much more xp to do the same thing and go from 7 to 8. Exactly how this stat training is tied to levels is a mystery. But I guess we will just have to assume that as your PC increases in levels, they can devote less time to stat training since more of their time is already devoted to maintaining an impressive growing body of skills and feats and even some higher stats, like exercising just to maintain high strength and good constitution, or practicing combat not to get better, but to keep their existing skills well-honed, etc.

This system will also place an additional limit on how far stats may be increased above their ORIGINAL value - baring magic. It will also use a point system and award 10 modification points for EACH level, rather than 1 point for every four levels, but the points are not traded 1 for 1. They are instead used to purchase higher stats, and the higher your PC's stat already is, the more modification points it will cost. You can 'save up' points for your PC until you can buy what you desire, though it would be better if the player announced before hand what stat their PC is planning on improving to prevent problems of 'sudden development.' This is nice, but not absolutely necessary.

Examine the table below before proceeding, and then read the notes following the table to see exactly how it works.

The Statistic Augmentation Table

Players and GMs alike should make some permanent record of a PC's original statistics. As a general rule, permanent changes to one's stats can never exceed the original score by more than 6 points. For example, if your PC's WIS was originally 12, it could never be greater than 18 unless magic is employed. Counting magic, the limit is increased by 6 more points higher than one's original score. So if your PC's DEX was originally 12, then using normal and magical means together, it could never surpass 24, and THAT'S IT!

Remember, there is a difference between an innate or inherent stat and one that is afforded to your PC by virtue of having a magic item. For example, wishing your PC's stat up would be a magic augmentation and count against your PC's limit of 6 for magical augmentations. This is now an innate stat, or one that is permanent and part of your PC. But wearing a magic ring that augments your PC's DEX, for example, would not count against either the normal training or magical training. This ring is an ephemeral change and not an innate statistic belonging to your PC. The GM may or may not have limitations on how far such a magic item may temporarily increase your PC's stat. As a general rule, all magic items should have limits built into them - such as this girdle will not increase one's STR beyond 20, or whatever, and not be just +1, no matter how high your PC's STR was to begin with.

These rules are solely concerned with more permanent changes, either through training or through permanent magic like a Wish or permanent potion. It does not cover rules concerning girdles or belts of STR, gauntlets of DEX, Ioun Stones, or even temporary spell effects like Bull's Strength.

In this game since no starting statistic can be greater than 18, therefore no PC's stat will ever be higher than 30. EVER! - even when using magic items. And my personal opinion is no PC's stat should get much beyond 20 anyway. But if you wish to play up there, then that's your and your GM's business.

Now, unlike before where your PC received 1 general point to add anywhere every 4th level, they now receive 10 modification points EACH level. They may 'spend' them right away or keep them in reserve and accumulate more points until they can buy even higher stats. Any remainder or unspent points are kept in reserve.

How it works is like this: Take a look at the number next to your PC's current score. Be sure to use the correct column for STR, DEX, or CON OR the other one for INT, WIS, or CHA. Now, subtract that number from the one immediately above it. This difference is the number of stat modification points you will have to spend to 'buy' the next higher stat.

EXAMPLES: Balock's original WIS score was 15. His player is not averse to increasing this to 16 since that will afford a +1 greater bonus to most wisdom based skills. OK, this is fine. Looking at the table above, his player sees a WIS of 15 rates 230 modification points, and a WIS of 16 rates 270 modification points. The difference is 40 Mod Points. Thus, he needs to spend 40 modification points to increase his WIS from 15 to 16. Since he only gets 10-modification points/level, the soonest he may do this is 4th level. So he does this, and at 4th level his reserve of Mod Points goes from 30 to 40 and he spends them all on WIS. At 5th level, he will get 10 more Mod Points and begins saving up for another purchase.

Balock also feels ignored since he has never been overly handsome or fetching. His CHA score of 9 may have something to do with that. Checking the table, we find 9 is worth 80 Mod Points but a 10 is worth 100, or 20 more. By 6th level, Balock will have enough to increase his CHA from 9 to 10.

Jasper, the wizard, was extremely fortunate insofar as his original INT score was 18! Looking over the table, his player sees he'll need to go from 340 to 420, or spend 80 Mod Points to increase his INT to 20 where there is a game mechanical advantage - +1 more since an INT of 19 has the same bonus as an INT of 18. Thus, he'll have to wait until 8th level. Quite frankly, an 18 INT is already far smarter than Jasper's player is, so he decides not to go this route. Instead, he knows his PC is weak with a STR of 9. This has a negative modifier, for gosh sakes. So he decides to buy another point of STR. A STR of 9 is worth 75 while a STR of 10 is worth 95 - or 20 more Mod Points. Thus, by 2nd level, Jasper's STR may increase from 9 to 10 and he is no longer saddled with that negative modifier.

NOTE: Many knowledge and information skills cannot possibly come from sudden development. For example, Spell Craft, which is based on INT. If one somehow increased their INT while in the field, it would be unrealistic to think their spell craft skill also increased instantly. The GM should still have that player WAIT before modifying their INT based skills. A period of rest while in town and with access to information, sages, libraries, or just time for reflection ought to suffice. However, pure stat rolls would be more immediate. For example, if he needed to figure out a puzzle, his new INT would be used since this is not based on learning but a more innate quality.

As one may employ the house rules concerning cross-class skills and the different costs in skill points because of this rule, being able to augment one's stats more quickly like this may help encourage them to change from challenged to normal, or from normal to gifted, rather than pile more points only on their primary requisite. Check out the article on cross-class skills by following the link below:

The Problem Of Cross Class Skills (A Better Method For Determining Costs Of Class and Cross-Class Skills).

Happy Gaming ;-)

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