Ultra-Bastard D&D: Ability Scores

Oscar Chichoni

Ultra-Bastard uses the classic six attributes except Wisdom is substituted by Alertness.

The line between the Intelligence and Wisdom stats has always felt contrived to me. Alertness feels concretely separate and useful.

I intend for every stat to be relevant (albeit not equally) for every character. Low intelligence should be a source of difficulty for fighters and low strength should pose problems for wizards.

My rules still need refinement so what I've laid out below might change.

Determine your ability scores: 

• Heroic: Roll 4d6, drop the low and arrange as you like. Aren't you special.
• Underdog: Roll 3d6 in order. Everything will be hard, but you are entitled to feel smugly superior if you prosper.
• Everyone: Your lowest ability score will be reduced to at best an 8 and your highest increased to at worst a 16.

Calculate modifiers:10-12 gets no bonus, 13 - 15 is +1, 16 - 17 is +2 and 18 is +3. For low scores there's an equivalent penalty (6 - 8 is -1, 4 - 5 is -2, 3 is -3).

Strength (STR): 

• Add your strength modifier to both attack and damage roles with most melee weapons
• When using Encumbrance rules, your strength will determine how much you can carry.
• Your strength score is used in determining your hit-point cap (the most hit points you can ever have is strength score + constitution score.)

Dexterity (DEX):

• Add your dexterity modifier to attack roles with certain light weapons (mostly daggers)
• Add your dexterity modifiers to attack roles with most ranged weapons
• Add your dexterity modifier to your armor class when wearing light armor

Constitution (CON):

• Add your constitution modifier to your total hit-points at first level and every time you level-up.
• Add your constitution modifier when you spend hit-dice to restore hit points. 
• Your constitution score is used in determining your hit-point cap (the most hit points you can ever have is strength score + constitution score.)

Intelligence (INT):

• You start with a number of Inspiration points equal to your intelligence modifier.
• Inspiration let's you re-roll failures and convert successes to critical success.
• Mages add their Intelligence modifier when rolling to memorize spells and a mage's Intelligence modifier affects how many spells they can memorize at a time.

Alertness (ALERT): 

• Add your alertness modifier to your initiative. 
• Alertness affects perception moves (like Read a Sitch and Read Person)
• Roll vs. alertness to determine if you notice ambushes, traps, hidden things etc

Charisma (CHAR): 

• Add your charisma modifier to most social moves 
• Affects how favorably some NPCs react to you. 
• Determines how many hirelings you can lead.
• Affects hireling morale and obedience. 

Lenka Simeckova