I was reading this article/post, and wondered about changing the standard 5e attributes to something that makes more sense.
Some hours later, I dug my way out of that rabbit hole with the realization that it couldn't be done without drastic changes to the system. While an interesting thought experiment, I'm not prepared to make my own TTRPG system at present. Queue my next thought:
What happens if we divorce skills and attributes?
Example: PC "Sir Brickles" wants to persuade an NPC, "Rocksalot", to open a door. I call for a skill check, and ask Sir Brickles' player to describe how he wants to do this. He says he wants to scare Rocksalot with his 'big guns' and impressive stature. I then have Sir Brickles' player roll, adding his intimidation skill and his Strength modifier. Rocksalot counter rolls, using his skill and his Strength modifier (if Rocksalot is a beefy bouncer), or Wisdom modifier (if Rocksalot is a cool customer). Alliteration incidental.
Obviously, certain skills would likely be used most frequently with certain attributes, while others might go back and forth (like Athletics with Dex or Str). Assuming the players are not new to D&D 5e, and are aware of the change and on board with it, then:
- Would this significantly slow gameplay?
- Is there a possibility for abuse?
- Are there any specific reasons why skills are tied to attributes beyond simplifying rolls?
- Addressing player-DM disagreements on how this is implemented are outside the scope of this question.
