New Idea: only two stats.

[Acero]

I'm trying to run this idea by my fellow forumers to figure out if this is a good idea or not.

Have every character only have two stats, Body and Mind.

Body would be used to determine evrything involving Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, while Mind would affect Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

IMO, i think this could simplify things greatly. We don't need a different stat to determine Reflex save, Hit Points, and + what to attack roles. Just one

Would this work? And if it does, should point distribution work better w/ point buy or roll?

[Urpriest]

I feel like with this amount of simplification you might as well play a lighter-rules system than 3.5. The 6 ability scores are a major source of complexity, and complexity is why people play 3.5 these days.

[Mando Knight]

What about Soul?

[Lord Bingo]

I think this would be over simplifying things. One of the lures of a complex system like 3.5 is that it allows you to play very different characters. How would you create a brilliant but socially inept wizard or a strong and clumsy fighter is you are reduced to only the two stats?
Even if you move away from 3.5 entirely I don't see a two-stat system working out. In any event IMO the stats is not really the greatest source of complexity in 3.5. It is the tons of obscure situational rules and the feats/abilities/skills that modify what you can do. I think the complexity is one of the charms of 3.5 but if I was to simplify it I would start by looking at ways to streamline feats abilities and skills to make for a faster game.

If you were to go ahead with your two-stat project I would suggest combining it with an expanded trait system so that a player would choose a number of traits/flaws/whatever during character which could then account for social grace, dexterity of mind, physical fitness, etc. so that you would still be able to get some varied characters in your game. You might also want to consider getting rid of classes and simply have players choose abilities for their characters.
Finally -I'd say point buy

[Kaje]

A friend of mine made a very rules-light system like this. Only two main stats: Fitness and Sweetness.

[El Dorado]

There's an old joke in our games that we should only have two skills: Know It and Do It. I think I'll suggest the two stats to go with them.

[Kaje]

There's an old joke in our games that we should only have two skills: Know It and Do It. I think I'll suggest the two stats to go with them.

Hahaha. That is fuuny to me and also there is uv blue involved/

[Tengu_temp]

Why stop at two? TWERPS has only one stat, Strength, which measures how good are you at everything.

[Dr Bwaa]

If you're serious about this I would say you ought to take this thread to homebrew.

[AslanCross]

There are probably rules-light systems that have fewer stats to begin with. If you did this for D&D 3.5, I think you'd end up changing an element of the rules that are assumed to be the basis of many, many mechanics in the game. That's why the "Abilities" chapter is the very first chapter in the 3.5 PHB.

[chiasaur11]

Why stop at two? TWERPS has only one stat, Strength, which measures how good are you at everything.

Heck, why not have 0 stats, and assume you're good enough at everything?

Saves time for pizza.

[Godskook]

That's..........just bad for 3.5. It shatters a lot of game balance that works on the assumption that players have more stats. Divine grace tops the list, since it puts a 'standard' dump stat to all saves, but if you're lumping all mental stats into one called 'mind', you'd get mind to your will saves twice, now, and to your reflex/fort saves once, just off the top. Choose the UA LE paladin, grab blackguard and hexblade, and now you have Mind to all saves at least thrice, while gaining skill points off it too. Since that's only 6 levels, there's plenty of room to get Mind to other things too, utterly destroying game balance against anyone who doesn't do something like this.

[Xallace]

The April-Fools 4E Character Sheet that WotC put out included only "Awesomeness" and "Comeliness" as stats. I'd say that's solid enough a framework.

[AslanCross]

The April-Fools 4E Character Sheet that WotC put out included only "Awesomeness" and "Comeliness" as stats. I'd say that's solid enough a framework.

That one simplifies the alignment system too! Just Autobots and Decepticons!
It complicates the senses, though, adding "Fashion" and "Feydar."

[Gortog, SRU]

It seems as though part of the point of it is to be a different, simplified game, not D&D. It seems easy enough: Body is anything physical- strength, speed, balance, reach, everything, and the Mind is common sense, likeability, diplomacy, intelligence, problem-solving skills, etc.

[Darrin]

Have every character only have two stats, Body and Mind.

GURPS already does this, to a certain extent. Almost everything in the game boils down to something derived from IQ or DX.

You've also got 66% of BESM/Tri-Stat covered.

[gbprime]

May I recommend QAGS ?

http://www.hexgames.com/qags/compone...second-edition

[Dr.Epic]

Too much over generalizing. There are many areas of physical skill and many areas of mental capacities. If you want to simplify things, I suggest these four:

Knowledge: facts, mathematics, and everything learned in books and facts
Wit: wisdom, charm, and common sense, how clever you are
Strength: physical strength and endurance
Grace: speed, agility, and a sense of balance

Just an idea. I've also been thinking about having stats for physical appearance.

[akma]

What I don`t like about the idea is that someone tough and strong is not necceserly agile, and a genuis can be uncarismatic, and the rules don`t show that.
I wouldn`t be strongly against uniting wisdom and inteligence (in the hebrew translation the words used for both are synonoms anywhere else).

[grimbold]

3.5 would be too easy if you did this. The issue is probability. It is less likely (actually pretty much impossible) for you to get a score of 16+ in all of your stats, here it is actually a pretty good chance. IF you want a simpler system the i recommend GURPS, or FUDGE.

[Zeta Kai]

I wonder if a complex, rules-heavy game could be run in which there were no prime stats? You could still have HP, MP, skills, saves, & what-not, but each would be purchased (point-buy style) with character points. You could also use CP to buy your initial traits, feats, equipment, etc. Hmmm...

[grimbold]

it is possible but it requires a lot of houseruling. My friend and i play a basic rpg when we are bored which is solo adventures with all the decisions being made by a match of rock paper scissors. good for when your bored as it takes almost no tools but some rulings are akward when you have no stats.

[Killer Angel]

Have every character only have two stats, Body and Mind.

Would this work? And if it does, should point distribution work better w/ point buy or roll?

This won't work in D&D. Although, the result could be funny...

"My PC is a Caster. Not so sure, probably I'll focus on Mind"
"Meh, I'm going to play a barbarian, and I'm still puzzled..."