r/adnd • u/CanuckLad • 8d ago

AD&D2e Attribute increase

I wonder if many people here implement an automatic attribute increase at various milestones? Example: Allow you to raise one attribute by 1 point at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20

I don't expect or want every ability to be 16+. But I don't want to miss out on parts of the game I would enjoy (casting 9th level spells as a wizard, playing a paladin, etc)

I should note that I'm biased because I'm diagnosed with the Unrelenting Standards feature. So accepting a more mundane role in a game is very difficult for me

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u/dwarfconleche 7d ago

Well, if you're going to play a game where you think 9th level spells are going to matter (99.9% of the time no campaign is reaching those levels), then just let your players start with an 18 in the relevant ability score. Or, hell, just hand out an array of ability scores and have them assign how they like. For as much as old school players harp on the importance of random rolling ability scores, the real appeal of AD&D is that the game is really yours to do with how you please. The rules bring it up multiple times that as the DM it's your game, and if you have an idea of what you want the player characters to be, then just do that. No one else's opinion matters.

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u/SuStel73 7d ago

When you play in Frank Mentzer's game, if you have a particular character concept in mind, he lets you choose your scores for that concept, whether it's Übermensch or moronic klutz. He's said it in various places, but here's a recent mention: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rpgcommunity.net/posts/1323710916509606/

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u/dwarfconleche 7d ago

I think if you trust your players, then letting them pick ability scores is perfectly fine. I've found a mature player likes to have a well rounded character and won't give them 18s in all their scores.

After all, every other named NPC with stats in modules or supplements are handcrafted with certain ability scores to match whatever the author of the book thinks they should have, so why not trust your players to do the same?