Ability Scores, But Shitty

The Oblidisideryptch has a great GLOG-hacked system of "roll over your low ability scores" to overcome challenges, as opposed to the GLOG's usual deal of "high ability scores that you have to roll under."

This fixes what might be considered a fundamental problem with the GLOG - human brains just tend toward High Number Good. Well, it kind of fixes it. It makes rolling ability checks - the bread and butter of tabletop dice games - make higher numbers better, which appeases the brain.

However, it isn't perfect. Anyone with a background in D&D has probably done a little bit of minmaxing in their time, and we cannot escape the trappings of High Number Good. I test-rolled some scores in The Oblidisideryptch's system, and it felt jarring to see a 14, be initially excited, and then realize that it was a bad thing. Besides, it just feels weird to see "Strength 12" as an indicator that I'm somewhat on the weaker side.

So, in a completely inelegant solution, I am proposing that we just make the ability scores shitty. Perhaps the brain rule isn't High Number Good so much as High Number More, and so we just have to make the number have a negative connotation.

James Fenner

SO, presenting the NEW AND IMPROVED ABILITY SCORES (AKA YOUR DEFICIENCIES):

FATIGUE, a measure of the body's tendency to give out when pushed to its limits.
IMPAIRMENT, how likely you are to trip over your own two feet.
FRAILTY, how easily you break.
IDIOCY, your struggles with the realms of the intellectual.
IGNORANCE, your aversion to common sense.
and REPULSION, your ability to frighten away both companions and glory.

Roll 3d6 or whatever for each. Ability checks are made by rolling over your Deficiencies.

Looking at this, I like it a lot, but I have no idea how it will play. I tend to enjoy stories that are about the players overcoming personal things - usually, in the past, that's had to manifest purely through roleplay involving that character's backstory. With this, it can be woven into the very fabric of the game.

Watch your Idiocy decrease as you gain a level and have a revelation after all that time spent combing through the books of the Great Braille Library. Groan as your Fatigue soars to new heights (temporarily) after eating a plant you didn't know was poisonous.

Overcome your deficiencies. Or at the very least, survive with them.

this is also you. this celestial envoy plays with a slightly different set of Deficiencies, but it's also of a different species than us so i feel like that's fair.