SAD and MAD?

[Phased Weasel]

What do these acronyms stand for? Something about multiclassing / needing too many ability scores?

[Fax Celestis]

Single/Multiple Attribute Dependency.

[Storm Bringer]

in short, a class that is inordinatly reliant on having good scores in one or several stats to be effective

[Theli]

Its exasperated by the prevalence of pointbuy systems, where its often easier to bump up a single stat to high levels than it is to do the same for multiple ones.

Whereas in dice-rolled methods you can get lucky and get high values in several stats and play classes which can benefit from them.

Edit: Incidentally, I prefer arrays. You get one stat that's up there, but not nearly as much as through point buy or a lucky roll, and other stats that degrade gracefully from that, most still giving bonuses.

[Snadgeros]

CLICKY!

Odd....why does that thread have MAD in it but not SAD?

[kamikasei]

Odd....why does that thread have MAD in it but not SAD?

People criticize builds for having MAD. People don't usually discuss SAD on its own, more usually talking about "ability synergy" and the like (you don't take Beguiler/Wizard/Ultimate Magus because it's SAD but because it has great Int synergy).

[Person_Man]

Some classes have SAD. They only depend on a single attribute. For example, a Wizard only needs high Int to power his spells. Every other stat can be poor or mediocre with little to no impact on the Wizard's abilities, especially at higher levels when he can be invisible, flying, summoning, etc.

Other classes have MAD. They depend on multiple attributes. For example, a Monk needs high Str (because he has few options in combat beyond physically trying to hit people), Dex (because he can't wear armor and will be on the front line of combat trying to hit people), Con (because he's going to get hit a lot), and Wis (because they power hit Monk abilities). And if he were to dump Int and/or Cha, he becomes very vulnerable to ability damage (Poison, certain undead, Maiming Strike, etc) and he has to roleplay an ignoramus and/or dullard.

Classes with SAD are inherently more powerful then classes with MAD. This problem can be fixed by providing every PC with high stats - though this can create other balance problems.

[Artanis]

As far as I've seen, SAD is mostly used as another way to say "not MAD". i.e. "One thing that sucks about the Monk is its MAD, whereas the Wizard is SAD with relying just on Intellect" or some such.

[Phased Weasel]

Thanks, I understand the concept, I just hadn't been able to puzzle out exactly what the acronyms were.

[Collin152]

Particularly given a wizard should hardley be the sad one, though you can't blame the monk for being mad.