Advice on ability score decrease mechanic

[FluffyMao]

Hi, I'm a new DM, started with a group this past summer, and we just finished Lost Mines of Phandelver and the whole party is at lv 4. A few players came in with their own backstories and something specific they wanted to accomplish, so I've been working on my own campaign to accommodate them. The story has evolved immensely, but now I've run into a bit of a craggy bump.

My story involves the magic of the world (setting is Faerun) going haywire and wild every few thousand years. The wild magic, when it comes into contact with any kind of life, attempts to rewrite what that life is and mutate it. I've been wanting to demonstrate this to my players, but haven't really figured out how to yet.

What I'm thinking of doing is having them encounter some particularly destructive wild magic and have them take stat hits if it touches them. A -1 to one randomly determined ability score. And since the wild magic rewrite/redesigns, not just destroys, the PC hit would get a +1 to one other ability score, so it's not too terrifying.

This is a mechanic I would keep throughout the rest of the campaign, so I need to figure out EVERYTHING about it before I introduce it to the party. So, my questions:

1) Is -1/+1 being too nice? Should I just make it a flat -1 to one stat?

2) This effect is due to wild magic (no one knows much about it), so would it make sense to make this curable? Or should it be a permanent "sorry, you'll never see that stat again". If not, should I employ spells like Greater Restoration to cure it, or make them do a quest? I was thinking of working it into the story. They go through the campaign, they can figure out how to cure themselves, if not, no one can tell them. But I'm not sure, being a newbie. I don't want it to be too easy to fix, but the DMG says a long rest heals ALL damage. I don't want that to apply to this stat hit.

3) Mechanically, what I've come up so far is this: PC gets touched by wild magic. I roll 1d6 to determine what stat gets hit. PC tries the corresponding saving throw. If they make it, they can choose one stat that WON'T increase. Then I roll 1d6, rerolling on first stat and chosen stat, to determine what stat gets +1.
The story idea is that the PC can feel the energy in their body shifting (limbs feeling more rigid for -1 Dex) as the wild magic attempts to rewrite what makes them THEM. BUT if they MAKE the saving throw, they pull themselves together and, using their sense of self, managed to block off an area they DON'T want that energy going to (say they visualize their throat closing up to NOT increase Cha). Does the story make sense with the mechanic? Or should I just go back to the drawing board?

Thoughts? Is this too ambitious? Is a stat hit too mean?

Apologies for the wall of text.

[N810]

Concerning " 3) "

Maybe if they win the roll:
they can mark a skill immune to the -1.

if they loose the roll:
they can mark a skill immune to the +1.


or you could add critical hit and fail to the mix.

on a natural 20: they get to choose the +1/-1

on a natural 1: it's completely random.



Also add a quest where they can restore their original stats.

[Coffee_Dragon]

I think it depends on your group. For a lot of people, the mechanical appeal of a game like D&D lies in the interspersed rewards that continuously improve your character. If I were playing a mid-level character with 18 in my main stat and suddenly found myself down to 17 and performing worse, however subjectively, I would definitely be bummed to have to reach an ASI just to get back to where I was and feel my character was "fixed". Another group might not care about that but would embrace the change and work with the flavour.

If I were to do something like this in D&D, I would make it a) temporary or b) reversible by in-game efforts.

[Foxhound438]

*reads the title*

don't. that's my honest advice on the matter.

[Maxilian]

I dislike this mechanic, more as a player than a DM, may i recommend going with more of a Wild Magic Table effect? (You know the Sorcerer thing, there are some Wild Magic Table extended -If you use this the normal Wild Magic Table may be way too reduced for you-)

[JackPhoenix]

If you want to make mutation interesting, use this (http://pastebin.com/cN6AANJG) or homebrew something similar. Messing with stats is boring and annoying if character's main stat gets nerfed to get a bonus to something useless.

[Kane0]

I'd make it one or two kinds of save consistently, like a cha and con save perhaps. Each success lets you designate one stat you dont want reduced/increased.

Are your players already informed and on board with this? If you have the type of player that likes to know and control their malechanics/build its probably best they are told ahead of time.

But for magical mutations i'd advise something more exciting than stat changes. Write up a little table of changes like the wild mage, perhaps adding in the ability to cast particular spells or gain certain abilities in addition to physical effects.

[MeeposFire]

As a player and a DM I would hate this on tabletop. Changing stats means changing a number of things on your sheet that rely on them and that is annoying as heck (ok you lost 1 point of con so you just lost 7 HP and you are now dying). The good news is that it is much easier to deal with than in say 3e but that is not much of a ringing endorsement. On a computer this is easier (though still not very exciting).

Personally instead of mechanical benefits (or should I say such standard mechanical benefits) why not have a random list, or let the players choose, of effects that change your character cosmetically. For instance perhaps touching the wild zone turns your hair blue or causes your skin to go scaly? If you want slightly more oomph combine that with some minor traits perhaps with both positive and negative traits such as granting advantage or disadvantage in fun situations.

I think this would be more memorable than a slight increase or decrease to your stats which will be fairly forgettable. Being remembered as the guy who was missing half a face due to a wild magic effect is probably much more dynamic.