Does d&d allow for strength building?

[killem2]

In real life, you can train, and build muscle, is it not possible to consistently work out to gain more strength?

[Coidzor]

The rules do not account for this, no.

The closest thing are the one-off tomes and the wish spell.

[NOhara24]

In short, no.

If you want to become stronger, you either wait for an ability point via leveling (which, if it goes into STR could be fluffed to say "My character is going to the gym.) or you get a spell, or it's a class bonus. You're always paying something, be it taking levels in a class, or gold, or whatever else, to get your reward.

EDIT: Swordsage'd.

[JellyPooga]

Well there's always the +1 to any Ability Score every 4 levels...gaining strength from "leveling up" isn't going to happen unless you're working out some.

[Thiyr]

I'd say the closest thing is the stat point you get every four levels, personally. You are assumed to be reaping the rewards of exercise/training/study/whatever.

[killem2]

Yeah I knew about the basics, just something I've always wondered :D

[Keegan__D]

I had a DM who set up down time to give feats, extra skill points, ability adjustments, or straight experience. It was met by nigh impossible challenges

[SowZ]

This does mean that the average person can never work out enough to increase their strength since most people never reach level four. You could argue that stats are based partially on what you do in your youth. So a commoner with STR 14 probably worked out a lot as a teenager.

[Hirax]

I'm glad mechanics for this don't exist. Otherwise PCs would always be lifting weights and doing crosswords to increase all their stats.

[SowZ]

Yeah, Hirax, it doesn't really work in this kind of game. Raising stats by working out and such works better in an XP used as leveling currency rather than a level based system.

[Urpriest]

One of the things Str can represent is how much you work out. So if you're a Str 18 character, it might be because you work out a lot. And if your Str is lower, then perhaps your character isn't going to exercise much.

[Ernir]

Yeah, having a high strength probably means you're working out like mad "off camera". Or between adventures. Or whenever. The methods by which characters actually gain their abilities are left really vague in the game.

Also, fun fact. The current world record for a raw deadlift (also known as "lifting off the ground") is 1015 lb, which requires a strength of 22. The guy must have a Barbarian level or something.

[Godskook]

I homebrewed a system to help model this kind of thing. I allow my players to spend xp to increase their overall point-buy value(which is then adjusted by level-up, race etc). Cost is the square of their current point-buy to increase it by one. For balance purposes, I set the cap at level +30.

[Reluctance]

That assumes attributes can only go up, and that they can do so without limit. Neither of those is true. It's totally reasonable to assume that adventurers are already at their peak, and keep exercising to stay that way. Such exercise can include things such as socializing or hitting the stacks, but would the reedy wizard really want to lift weights for Str if it meant taking time away from his studies and the associated Int hit?

[Palanan]

In one campaign I ran, the PCs were spending a lot of time hiking up and down some very steep mountainsides, as well as very steep corridors--literally miles of them--beneath the mountainsides. It was an incredible strain, even for toughened folks, and I let them know just how much they hurt every night.

I tinkered with the idea of some sort of strength bonus, but iron quads alone do not a Strength boost make. After a number of days of their workout, though, I allowed them some improvements in travel time, and tried to add some other light touches to reflect their efforts. It was more flavor than mechanical, but they did see some benefits after all their hurt.

[Tyndmyr]

In real life, you can train, and build muscle, is it not possible to consistently work out to gain more strength?

You gain ability points every 4 levels...so, if you're pushing yourself to be stronger, putting it there is quite reasonable.

All of the stats can be trained to at least some degree.

[jaybird]

Also, fun fact. The current world record for a raw deadlift (also known as "lifting off the ground") is 1015 lb, which requires a strength of 22. The guy must have a Barbarian level or something.

I remember a point that was made somewhere about E6 and its correspondence to reality...level 1 being the equivalent of a high school student while level 6 corresponds to world-class. He's probably also got some Human Paragon for that +2 to any stat mixed in there somewhere.

[Narren]

I remember a point that was made somewhere about E6 and its correspondence to reality...level 1 being the equivalent of a high school student while level 6 corresponds to world-class. He's probably also got some Human Paragon for that +2 to any stat mixed in there somewhere.

He could also have feats relating to dead lifts. A +4 to strength for deadlifts only certainly wouldn't be overpowered.

[Gharkash]

If one assumes that a character gains ability buffs from items, such as Belt of giant strength, and one dislikes this idea and wants to add a more realistic touch, he can roll with inherent bonuses. These give bonuses to some one as they level up, but through trying to get better at something. There are some variations of this online, but they substitute magic items, so the most balanced idea is that every one in the party uses this rule.

[Drako_Beoulve]

war hulks goes to gym and get +2 str every level, but also goes stupid because steroids

[Leon]

Read a big book gain some STR is about all there is aside from the bonus stat point every 4 levels

[MukkTB]

Skillpoints. You train and get more skillpoints.

[darksolitaire]

Getting strenght via ability increases might be the best way to present strenght building after all, depending on the rate you gain XP. It takes months of work to actually build up new muscle. Assuming you begin from scratch, you'll only be activating inactive muscle cells you already have.

[Lonely Tylenol]

I also homebrewed a rule for this: every fourth level, when you get a point in the ability score of your choosing, you can also, if you choose, subtract 2 from any one ability score to increase the ability score of your choosing by 1. As a result, you end up with a net 0, but get to add two ability scores pretty much anywhere--as long as you're willing to sacrifice two from another score to account for it. This is fluffed as "training extra hard at that facet of your life at the expense of others."

(You cannot take a hit to CHA this way. That would just be too easy.)

[Curmudgeon]

In real life, you can train, and build muscle, is it not possible to consistently work out to gain more strength?
In real life you don't suddenly gain new abilities by doing the same things over and over, but in D&D with its level-based experience system you do (class features and feats). You also don't improve your characteristics (+1 every 4 levels) just doing the same things either.

D&D gives no mechanical benefit from roleplaying things like that. The system assumes you've been working your muscles whenever you decide that your increment every 4 levels goes into Strength, just as it assumes you've been thinking hard when you decide that your increment goes into Intelligence.

[killem2]

In real life you don't suddenly gain new abilities by doing the same things over and over, but in D&D with its level-based experience system you do (class features and feats).



I get that, and d&d does an amazing job at getting close to a real life, albeit fantasy world, that it can.

I'm not trying to say this SHOULD be in the game, was just checking if it had ever been addressed. Answer is no. Which is fine. :smallsmile:

[Spiryt]

One of the things Str can represent is how much you work out. So if you're a Str 18 character, it might be because you work out a lot. And if your Str is lower, then perhaps your character isn't going to exercise much.

This.

18 strength fighter is pretty much stimulating his muscles and joint whole time, a lot, and eats healthy and buffing bugbear steaks.

[Talionis]

The game doesn't and shouldn't let you get things for free.

I'm with everyone else that says you can fluff your stat increases to be that you have been working out.

Feats also can reference training. Toughness is close, but I can't think of a perfect feat that would fit.

I don't remember the rules for retraining, but you might also retrain and increase strength realizing that you will pay for your strength increase because your workout schedule will have taken time away from the training that kept the other stats high.

[Havelock]

Yeah, having a high strength probably means you're working out like mad "off camera". Or between adventures. Or whenever. The methods by which characters actually gain their abilities are left really vague in the game.

Also, fun fact. The current world record for a raw deadlift (also known as "lifting off the ground") is 1015 lb, which requires a strength of 22. The guy must have a Barbarian level or something.

16th level commoner.

[Leon]

Manual of Gainful Exercise (Strength)