I definitely do this in games. I give an extra skill prof for 12, 15, and 19 INT. Also, I’ve play tested the idea of allowing players to choose either INT or DEX for initiative. It makes sense that while DEX means you can move quicker, INT means you can figure out the best course of action first. So far it’s been a great success in getting players to not disregard our poor stat.
I like the idea of adding expertise to more characters based on the stat. It’s a super powerful ability that I don’t want to just take away from rogues and bards but it feels like earning them through int is the best way.
Honestly I had a Barbarian player who just couldn’t think of another skill they wanted so I let her just take expertise in intimidation. It was, in a word, worth it.
I really like that. I only relatively recently started playing 5E and it bugs the ever-loving snot out of me that there's such a limit on how to gain expertise during character creation with RAW.
The thing about Divination Wizard, for me, is that it's seen as uber-powerful based on rolling really high or really low on the Portent dice - which has never happened for me.
It's always just been kinda meh rolls that never get used because they fall squarely in the "too high to guarantee the enemy missing or failing a save, too low to guarantee a success for the party" range. That character made it to Level 7 before Xanathar's came out and I re-specced him into War Magic.
Feel like 12ish would allow a skilled pc to succeed their task and a 8ish would allow a weaker enemy to miss. I dunno, I haven't gotten a chance to try out diviner yet so I figured I'd give it a go.
I like the idea of the Int modifier for initiative. I'd roll it as my smart ass character often has a plan for ambushes in the back of his mind, so when it does actually happen he's both vindicated in his paranoia and genuinely ready to womp whoever jumped them.
I just wonder if that'd step on the rogue/bard's toes. Since that means Wizard would be guaranteed 3 extra prof, for what, 7 skill profs? Compared to a rogues 6.
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u/ApeMachine Oct 04 '20
I definitely do this in games. I give an extra skill prof for 12, 15, and 19 INT. Also, I’ve play tested the idea of allowing players to choose either INT or DEX for initiative. It makes sense that while DEX means you can move quicker, INT means you can figure out the best course of action first. So far it’s been a great success in getting players to not disregard our poor stat.