7th Ability Score

[Sir Swindle89]

So I got an idea while I was reading Shadow run. Why should D&D not have a Magic Stat. Meaning one would have.

Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intellignece, Wisdom, Charisma, and Magic

Rather than the standard 6. To put it in a more contractual style The homebrew/houserule would go like this.

-All Characters have an extra ability called Magic (Mgc) that starts at a score of 10 and has a modifier as usual.
-All Spell Casting, Manifesting, Martial Manuvering, Truenaming, Shadow stuffying, Meldshaping classes use magic to determin what level of effect they can create and how many bonus things they recieve and how hard those effects are to resist. Rather than useing Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
-Ability scores are generated by a standard point buy. (however many point the campaing uses normally)

This is expressly an attempt to lower the powerlevel of spellcasters. Thoughts? Too harsh? Too Ineffective?

[Bluydee]

Then spellcasters would just boost magic, and not int/cha/wis. It wouldn't really hurt them, and why do Martial Adepts need magic to do maneuvers?

[Lord of Shadows]

.
Maybe you could tie the bonus to the Mgc stat to the Int/Wis/Cha? I dunno... there is a kernel of an idea there.
.

[Jormengand]

All it would mean is that casters wouldn't actually get any of the normal benefits for their INT/WIS/CHA because they'd have high MAG instead of high INT/WIS/CHA. So it would basically mean that spellcasters would have to waste points, and martial classes would get a free dump stat. So, I guess it would help...

Unless you're a truenamer, in which case you kinda needed all the help you could get, and just got nerfed in the face. Unless you kept Truespeak being an INT-based skill and just changed the save DCs from CHA to MAG, because truenamers never cared about their save DCs anyway.

[Carl]

IMO this does nothing because it still lets them focus on just two stat's, their caster stat and their con score. Only all casters use magic.

Honestly as things are we've allready got one too many stats IMO.

[Sir Swindle89]

Interesting. About the reception I expected.

Losing Will save bonus, Skill points, and being decent at Cha Skills certainly doesn't help.

At low level it means your certain death is even more assured. So really it nerfs the wrong end of the spectrum.

So as usual too little too late.

[Epsilon Rose]

Honestly, with the way 3.x stats work, I'd go in the oposite dirrection. Condense all of the stats down into just 4: Offense, Defense, Social/Intelligence, and Magic. Offense handles to hit, damage, init, and some skills. Defense handles saves, AC, hp, and a few skills. S/I handles skill points, most of the skills, and might need a buff of some sort. Magic handles bonus spells/points, max levels, maybe DCs (that could also be offense), and maybe UMD.

Also, when assigning points for PB or designing arrays, arrange things so they can get 1 good ability, 2 average abilities, and 1 low ability. That way everyone is on similar footing.

[gr8artist]

Alternatively, since the problem with casters is their SAD strength, rather than changing their chosen attribute to a different one, try changing every aspect of their spells independently.

Spells per day based on Cha. Spell DC based on Wis. Concentration checks based on Int.
Minimum ability score necessary to cast spells as normal for your class (Cha for sorcerers, Int for wizards, etc.)
Class features and such as written.

[Epsilon Rose]

Alternatively, since the problem with casters is their SAD strength, rather than changing their chosen attribute to a different one, try changing every aspect of their spells independently.

Spells per day based on Cha. Spell DC based on Wis. Concentration checks based on Int.
Minimum ability score necessary to cast spells as normal for your class (Cha for sorcerers, Int for wizards, etc.)
Class features and such as written.

That might be a bit too mad, particularly if they wanted to go blaster. As it is, they'll need all three mental stats + Dex to hit with rays + con for HP. 5 out of 6 stats actually beats monk for madness.

[toapat]

Honestly, with the way 3.x stats work, I'd go in the oposite dirrection. Condense all of the stats down into just 4: Offense, Defense, Social/Intelligence, and Magic. Offense handles to hit, damage, init, and some skills. Defense handles saves, AC, hp, and a few skills. S/I handles skill points, most of the skills, and might need a buff of some sort. Magic handles bonus spells/points, max levels, maybe DCs (that could also be offense), and maybe UMD.

Also, when assigning points for PB or designing arrays, arrange things so they can get 1 good ability, 2 average abilities, and 1 low ability. That way everyone is on similar footing.

i prefer having Dex/Con/int/Wis with the Str skills going to con, and the Cha skills having no tied attribute. There are classes who make alot of sense in terms of being Charisma but overall you are talking about something that people learn through practice rather than just naturally being a god at. As it is, a Succubus bounces out of a planar binding and has hypnotized everyone around her.

I also like the idea of secondary attributes that reflect the non-combat aspects of a character. Strength, Grace, and Attractiveness