Luck ability score

[HamsterKun]

I’m going to be doing another 5e campaign, and one of the players suggested the addition of a Luck ability score. How am I supposed to implement it?

[Particle_Man]

Why would it be needed? The Lucky feat is right there in the players' handbook for things like that.

[Koo Rehtorb]

Roll 3d6 per character to determine their luckiness in life. When a situation arises in which something good/bad might conceivably happen to the character that you want to disclaim responsibility for, have them roll a d20. If the roll is equal to or lower than their luck score then the good thing happens/bad thing avoids happening.

[hymer]

I’m going to be doing another 5e campaign, and one of the players suggested the addition of a Luck ability score. How am I supposed to implement it?
Some ideas: Add the equivalent of a score of 10 to your ability score buy or stat array. Let people dump it or pump it if they like. Here's what it could do for you:

Whenever you feel like it could go either way for something that is outside a character's actual influence, make it a Luck ability check for the relevant PC. Is there a silk rope to be bought in this village? DC 15. Does the guard happen to have your general build so you can use his uniform? DC 10. Is there a good place to hide in the alley? DC 5.

When a PC is hit by a crit or makes a crit, they can attempt to use their Luck. Make a Luck ability check with a DC equal to the damage rolled. If successful, you change the resulting damage by your proficiency bonus in the direction you want. If you fail the roll, you alter it in the opposite direction. If you want a limit on it, make it cost your Reaction.

When making a saving throw you are not proficient in, you may substitute your Luck for whatever ability score was called for. If you want to limit it, you can say you can do this a number of times per whatever rest equal to your Luck score modifier, minimum one. Or make it cost your Reaction.

[Malifice]

I’m going to be doing another 5e campaign, and one of the players suggested the addition of a Luck ability score. How am I supposed to implement it?

Hit Points in 5E are expressly 'Luck' (in addition to resolve, the will to live and health).

There is also the Lucky feat.

Alternatively, tell him to play a Halfling with the Lucky trait, and take the Lucky feat.

[Shinizak]

Actually, I occasionally use luck as a stat. I always state that it's the skill for dealing with things outside you player's direct control.

[Glorthindel]

I would generate it as an additional stat (either straight d20 roll or include another 10 in the array, depending on your stat generation method).

As for using it, make everyone test on it when something is about to happen to a random (or nearly random) party member, with the lowest result being the character who is the target (or highest result if it is a good thing).

Examples of this could be:
- a monster attacking from surprise - use it to determine who they attack
- a pickpocket attempts to steal something from a character - use it to determine the victim
- first round of combat and an enemy goes first, use it to determine who they attack
- random NPC stumbles up to the party and shoves a plot mcguffin into their hands, use it to determine who gets given it
- something occurs while the party is resting, use it to determine whose watch it occurs on
- etc

[LibraryOgre]

I'd start by asking him how he sees it being used. Because as a straight stat, I can see it needing some scaffolding to make it work. And, well, it also depends on the game you're playing.

For 5e, I might go with something like SW Bennies, or other metagame points. Everyone starts with X number of them. You can spend 1 to take advantage on a roll, or cancel disadvantage. However, if you use one, it gets given to the DM, who can give it to someone on another roll to inflict disadvantage or cancel advantage.

[Bjarkmundur]

Luck attribute! That's genius!

I have a couple of very creative players. This would allow them to make up facts regarding their environment, and then just roll if it's true! I've used luck before, but it was just a DC10 always. Changing the DC based on how crazy it is sounds perfect!

"I look through their pockets, and I find a scroll of wish!"
"Yeah no, not gonna happen"
"Can I roll luck for it?"
"DC19, good luck"

It takes crazy suggestions and Jack Sparrow Shenanigans and integrates it as a core mechanic!

I love this idea :)

[Bjarkmundur]

I'd personally implement it at a level where the group would gain ability score increases. The group can invest in their luck, and with each +1 modifier to luck they get a 1d4 to use as luck on other rolls, like attack and damage and skill checks. When it recharges depends on the DM.

This should make it non-applicable during character creation, and have a similar power level as taking a feat would have.

It boosts creativity, allows for crazy Shenanigans, teaches players how much player intent matters. All in all a healthy addition to most games.

It also works as the "overall" stats for player seeking versatility and utility. Often times a stat boost to your main stat is the vanilla choice, but this gives a healthy alternative. It should feel like a player is given the 3rd option of "+1 to all stats". I've been in that situation. "I guess I can go for a weapon feat, an Armor feat, or +2 Charisma. But my goal is versatility, and these things make me more specialised, rather than versatile... Is ther a feat to gain jack of all trades?"

I know most DMs already have a pseudo luck feature in their game, but making a player invest in it makes him more likely to use it. To a hammer, everything is a nail.

[HamsterKun]

After thinking about it a bit, I came up with some things that Luck affects:

1. Critical Hits and Misses
Upon making an attack roll, you have an Automatic Critical Range (ACR) and Automatic Miss Range (AMR) based on your Luck modifier:

LUK 1 (-5): AMR 1-6, ACR 20
LUK 2-3 (-4): AMR 1-5, ACR 20
LUK 4-5 (-3): AMR 1-4, ACR 20
LUK 6-7 (-2): AMR 1-3, ACR 20
LUK 8-9 (-1): AMR 1-2, ACR 20
LUK 10-11 (+0): AMR 1, ACR 20
LUK 12-13 (+1): AMR 1, ACR 19-20
LUK 14-15 (+2): AMR 1, ACR 18-20
LUK 16-17 (+3): AMR 1, ACR 17-20
LUK 18-19 (+4): AMR 1, ACR 16-20
LUK 20-21 (+5): AMR 1, ACR 15-20
And so on, so forth...

Death and Dying
In the default system, when a character has fallen to 0 Hit Points, they must make a death saving throw to stabilize and become unconscious with 1 Hit Point. With the addition of the luck ability score, this saving throw is becomes a Luck Saving Throw. The DM may, at their discretion, allow a character to apply their Constitution Modifier to the saving throw.

Also, a character is not slain when dying unless they take damage equal to their Hit Point maximum plus their Luck modifier. For example: a character has 15 HP and a Luck modifier of +1, they will not be dead unless they take 16 points of damage (HP max + Luck modifier).

Luck Checks
Applies to any ability check that doesn't fall under the other 6 ability scores, and/or involves things that are beyond the character's direct control.

[MilkmanDanimal]

After thinking about it a bit, I came up with some things that Luck affects:

1. Critical Hits and Misses
Upon making an attack roll, you have an Automatic Critical Range (ACR) and Automatic Miss Range (AMR) based on your Luck modifier:

LUK 1 (-5): AMR 1-6, ACR 20
LUK 2-3 (-4): AMR 1-5, ACR 20
LUK 4-5 (-3): AMR 1-4, ACR 20
LUK 6-7 (-2): AMR 1-3, ACR 20
LUK 8-9 (-1): AMR 1-2, ACR 20
LUK 10-11 (+0): AMR 1, ACR 20
LUK 12-13 (+1): AMR 1, ACR 19-20
LUK 14-15 (+2): AMR 1, ACR 18-20
LUK 16-17 (+3): AMR 1, ACR 17-20
LUK 18-19 (+4): AMR 1, ACR 16-20
LUK 20-21 (+5): AMR 1, ACR 15-20
And so on, so forth...

Death and Dying
In the default system, when a character has fallen to 0 Hit Points, they must make a death saving throw to stabilize and become unconscious with 1 Hit Point. With the addition of the luck ability score, this saving throw is becomes a Luck Saving Throw. The DM may, at their discretion, allow a character to apply their Constitution Modifier to the saving throw.

Also, a character is not slain when dying unless they take damage equal to their Hit Point maximum plus their Luck modifier. For example: a character has 15 HP and a Luck modifier of +1, they will not be dead unless they take 16 points of damage (HP max + Luck modifier).

Luck Checks
Applies to any ability check that doesn't fall under the other 6 ability scores, and/or involves things that are beyond the character's direct control.

This seems extremely, extremely overpowered. Probably need a lot more "extremely" there. So, if you have an above-average Luck, you've basically rendered Champion moot, and, realistically speaking, Luck immediately becomes the singly most-important stat by far. I mean, if I'm a Rogue, why do I care about DEX if I can get a higher Luck score and crit a huge percentage of the time?

[BurgerBeast]

This seems extremely, extremely overpowered. Probably need a lot more "extremely" there. So, if you have an above-average Luck, you've basically rendered Champion moot, and, realistically speaking, Luck immediately becomes the singly most-important stat by far. I mean, if I'm a Rogue, why do I care about DEX if I can get a higher Luck score and crit a huge percentage of the time?

You could just change ACR to AHR (auto-hit range). Still OP, but less so.

If one wanted to use this system, which is a pretty cool idea, actually... I might use a more bounded range of modifiers. Something like:

1 -3
2-3 -2
4-6 -1
7-14 +0
15-17 +1
18-19 +2
20 +3

Also, if Luck becomes disproportionately attractive to rogues, specifically, then that may fit the desired theme.

[Gallowglass]

Way back in 2nd Edition, we used to do a "pure luck roll" for something that we had no other mechanic for.

The roll was roll 3d6, as if making a stat. Then try to roll underneath that on a d20. Bear in mind this was how ability score rolls were made back then. Try to roll under your ability score. Low was good, High was bad. Dogs and Cats laying together.

That way luck was fickle. You re-rolled your "luck stat" every time you used it. Sometimes you were lucky, sometimes you weren't.

I think someone made some magic items around it. So you could have a potion that would give you +2 to your luck stat when you rolled it.

There were a lot more "no mechanic for that" things in 2nd E than there are in current editions.

[Bjarkmundur]

I’m going to be doing another 5e campaign, and one of the players suggested the addition of a Luck ability score. How am I supposed to implement it?

I just noticed now that no clear guidelines, design goals or your players intent were included.

[Quoz]

There was a common house rule we used in cyberpunk 2020, which inherently had a luck stat but it was underwhelming.

Your luck could range from 1 to 10. At the start of each session you would roll that many times on the 'luck deck' table, which would give an ability to use once during the game. Most were basic, + 1 to a roll or +3 to an attribute roll. But some were much more interesting plot points, like a very large bonus to interfere with another PCs action or to have a connection with an NPC, possibly turning a combat encounter into a social one.

Here's a link if anyone would be interested in porting it.
http://www.ambient.ca/cpunk/luck.html

[BurgerBeast]

I just noticed now that no clear guidelines, design goals or your players intent were included.

My understanding is that this is exactly the point. The OP is trying to figure this out.

[Vogie]

I'd just use the existing DMG optional rules for Honor or Sanity to create a luck score, probably based on charisma, as it's the opposite of "being smart".
Halflings have a luck feature, as well as XGtE racial feat, and there's a generic luck feat.
If you want a player or NPC to roll "lucky" - never getting a 1, and rolling on a bell curve, you can substitute 2d10 instead of a d20
Alternatively the Divine Soul Sorcerer's 1st level ability, which allows you to bend luck by adding 2d4 to any roll
The 4e Warlock had an utility power called Fey Bargin that would give a bonus to a current attack, with the condition that you automatically fail the next saving throw you encounter.
It's worth noting that the Godling of Luck in Godsfall (a 5e realplay podcast) uses a d24 die instead of a d20

[manyslayer]

There was a common house rule we used in cyberpunk 2020, which inherently had a luck stat but it was underwhelming.

Your luck could range from 1 to 10. At the start of each session you would roll that many times on the 'luck deck' table, which would give an ability to use once during the game. Most were basic, + 1 to a roll or +3 to an attribute roll. But some were much more interesting plot points, like a very large bonus to interfere with another PCs action or to have a connection with an NPC, possibly turning a combat encounter into a social one.

Here's a link if anyone would be interested in porting it.
http://www.ambient.ca/cpunk/luck.html

Yeah, our group used the luck deck for our CP campaigns. Much better than the standard for the Luck stat in CP (a number of +1 mods equal to your stat; you could use multiples and they recharged next session).

One of the things I liked about it was that it added some role-playing with the subplots cards and some teamwork with things like the Leadership, Rally, and Support cards. Certain cards may not work as well in all groups (Double Cross and Too Much).


For an easier method that works with stat bonuses in 5e, give each player a number of daily re-rolls equal to their Luck stat modifier. If they have a negative, you can force a number of re-rolls equal to the negative (so someone with an 8 in Luck you could force them to re-roll once per day). If you want to limit it to D20s or certain types of rolls, that's your choice.

[Yunru]

So, if you have an above-average Luck, you've basically rendered Champion moot

Not really, the Champion still crits more often than you.

Personally, I'd probably have it start at 10. For point buy, caps at 12 and costs 2 points per increase, also increasing the point buy limit by 3 to compensate for the extra stat. For rolling, 9+1d5.
You gain a number of luck points equal to your stat, that refresh after each rest.
The lucky feat increases this by 1 instead of what it would normally do.