More power-ups! Effect on the game?

[Morph Bark]

In standard 3.5, you get a +1 increase to any of your ability scores every 4 levels. What if you made this every level, starting at level 2?

Let's say for purposes of this that the only classes used in a game that utilizes this rule are the same Tier.

[TiaC]

SAD classes become even more powerful, spell DCs become higher and combat becomes generally more lethal. To make this work you would need some way of diversifying where they end up. Perhaps a restriction that a score couldn't be raised if it was raised either of the last two levels?

[Cespenar]

Maybe one could get, like 1 "point" each level, the points being the ones in the point buy system. So, with 1 point, you could raise your 8 to 9 right now, or wait 3 levels and you could raise your 17 to a 18.

[JaronK]

That would help out the MAD classes more, which is probably a better idea overall. Just make sure the point buy only applies to base levels of stats, otherwise you'll get Tainted Sorcerers dropping their Wisdom score to 1 via taint and then boosting it cheap.

JaronK

[Darius Kane]

Maybe one could get, like 1 "point" each level, the points being the ones in the point buy system. So, with 1 point, you could raise your 8 to 9 right now, or wait 3 levels and you could raise your 17 to a 18.
That's how I and my DM are doing it.

New system for attribute increase on later levels:
a) Abilities beyond 18 cost 4 points each
b) Give all characters 2 points of pointbuy to use on 2nd level and 1 point on all later levels
c) Unused points are lost, but you can "stack" points in an attribute (for example: having 18 Int at 2nd level you can put 2 points into it, then 1 point at 3rd and then 1 point at 4th, geting the attribute increase to 19 Int)

[Kelb_Panthera]

Continuing the existing point-buy would mean that the cost of increasing an ability by one costs a number of points equal to the modifier that the new ability score will grant; i.e. 18 to 19 would cost 4, 19 to 20 would cost 5, 21 to 22 would cost 6, etc.

[Morph Bark]

That's how I and my DM are doing it.

That actually sounds like a pretty good way. Beyond 18s, it's the same as normal anyway, so in my opinion better than making it straight-up the same as normal point buy.

[Phelix-Mu]

Make sure to weigh the effect on monsters as well as characters. It seems to me that this may lead to some problems with high HD monsters, particularly some of the stuff that is summoned a lot, like greater elementals and such. It may help the player characters some, but it may well help monsters (who can afford to be cripplingly specialized) much more.

Certainly will make some dragon fights more interesting.

[TuggyNE]

Make sure to weigh the effect on monsters as well as characters. It seems to me that this may lead to some problems with high HD monsters, particularly some of the stuff that is summoned a lot, like greater elementals and such. It may help the player characters some, but it may well help monsters (who can afford to be cripplingly specialized) much more.

Certainly will make some dragon fights more interesting.

Monsters do not gain ability score increases for their baseline RHD; only additional HD allow them. (Their ability score adjustments already account for the increases they'd normally get.)

I'm not sure about dragons, exactly, but they're already kind of supposed to be under-CRed. :smalltongue: