Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Athanasi May 19, 2015 14:25:05	What would you guys think of allowing people to add their Intelligence modifier to AC instead of (not in addition to) their Dexterity mod? This was a core rule in 4e that I rather liked, as it helped lower Dex's "good at everything" shtick. This would obviously be of serious advantage to wizards, but it would help give most other casters some increased build variety. (And I don't see it being particularly overpowered even on wizards)
#2 Thaenok May 19, 2015 14:39:07	Kind of like you "fight intelligently". Yeah I get it and don't have a problem with it personally. If it was in the rules I would have no objections.
#3 WizardV May 19, 2015 15:03:58	If your table doesn't mind tanky wizards I'd say go for it. The only other class that will potentially benefit is the EK and fighters already have plenty of AC options. For everyone else you're talking about sacrificing initiative and dex skills for int skills. Not a problem.
#4 mellored May 19, 2015 15:14:20	i would say no for wizards.  At least not without a feat.   But fine for anyone else.
#5 OnionDruid May 19, 2015 20:00:24	Tie it to armor/weapon proficiencies. You may replace Dex with Int and fight intelligently if you know how to use your weapons and armor correctly. That way you don't get tanky wizards anymore than you already have (wizards easily can get very tanky).
#6 KaptainKrunch May 19, 2015 20:22:43	Hmm...     Would it be a huge advantage for Wizards? I'm not so sure. They'll still want Dex for Initiative, though the change would probably shift the priority slightly in favor of Constitution.   I do agree that Dex is almost too good as a stat... but it would seem that 5e has 3 main stats and 3 "Dump" stats, which in a way is kind of its own kind of balanced. Giving AC to INT makes Charisma and Strength seem that much worse.
#7 OnionDruid May 19, 2015 20:49:47	You could give Initiative and AC to Strength too, Dex and Str are so tied together that it wouldn't be a stretch. Also they already let the Cambian (spelling?) add Cha to AC... So yeah...
#8 Macv12 May 20, 2015 0:53:43	I'd rather see INT go to initiative than AC. Smarter, analyze better, react quicker and more effectively. INT to AC feels more like Downey's Sherlock Holmes (a somewhat-fit guy with an advanced and well-honed technique), which seems solidly like the province of feats. (Feat: add chosen modifier to AC and/or attack rolls instead of DEX/STR.)   This is kind of a problem with having class-based casting stats. INT does nothing for a sorcerer, except History checks. Whee. CON is really the best-designed stat I feel, because no one just dumps it lightly. It's always good. But if I don't want to be a socialite rogue, I can dump CHA. No skin off my nose. Yet, if you make CHA improve saving throws or something so my rogue wants it, suddenly warlocks and paladins break the scale.   Wonder if you could abstract casting in the same way physical combat is abstracted, so all the mental stats contribute. Like...INT improves attack-roll-based spells, WIS improves save-based spells, and CHA keeps your breath minty fresh. Or lets you maintain more concentration effects. Or increases spell slots. IDK. It would give you more room to adjust the effects of stats, without bumping your ass into some caster and breaking it all over the floor. This was something I liked about a Final Fantasy RPG I saw recently; it basically had a "do damage" stat (regardless of physical or magical), a "resist force" stat, a "dodge anything" stat, and "stamina/Mp" stat. I could see those as derived stats based on more granular abilities that relate to skill proficiencies, similar to 4e's handling of defenses. But now I'm wandering out toward "redesign the game" territory.
#9 SterlingRat May 20, 2015 5:06:49	There was the WoD system - they use 1 stat for agility, one for strength and one for toughness. Then they had one set of those stats for physical, one for mental and one for social/spiritual. 9 stats total... I likes that system quite a bit. The old DC universe used something similar... I think they were called the Action/Effect/Resist stats but I played that in the early 90's and did a lot of drugs in the late 90's, so my memory of that system has quite a few holes in it. I think you rolled action vs action, then if you hit it was effect vs resist. Wait... sorry, not redesigning the game. Just talking about using Int for AC and Init.   Personally, I think Int for init is more appropriate than Dex for init. Int for AC should be limited to an "Unarmored Defense" type feature for casters... like maybe just change Mage Armor's calculation from "13+Dex" to "10+Dex+Spellcasting Stat"
(Reply to #9) Macv12	SterlingRat wrote:
#11 FunkySpunk May 20, 2015 21:20:34	SterlingRat wrote:
#12 Rya.Reisender May 20, 2015 23:59:16	As I don't like houseruling and I think Dex isn't really overpowered in 5e, my answer would be "No". If a player gets Int even though he isn't a wizard, I make sure he gains some benefit from it through ability checks.
#13 MechaPilot May 21, 2015 18:21:27	Athanasi wrote:
#14 DSZ May 22, 2015 5:21:09	I would not let it fly this way. If someone wanted/argued to gain benefits from their intelligence I may let them make an intelligence/knowledge check. Depending on that result I might hand out a bonus to att and/or defence. But I would rather not have it. Maybe for everybody in the group. Don't know. It was one of the big dislikes I had with reference to 4th Ed. Everybody got their main stat for attacking, so cha for the charismatic,...etc.
#15 MechaPilot May 22, 2015 11:10:50	Macv12 wrote:
(Reply to #15) OnionDruid	MechaPilot wrote:
#17 MechaPilot May 22, 2015 14:44:50	OnionDruid wrote:
#18 Xeviat-DM May 22, 2015 15:38:48	I was surprised when Mage Armor was 13+Dex AC instead of 10+Int+Dex AC.
(Reply to #18) AaronOfBarbaria	Xeviat-DM wrote:
#20 Xeviat-DM May 22, 2015 18:17:22	In ye-olde days (3E), it was +4 armor to AC. If you had a Dex 20, that would be equal to Full plate with a Dex of 12. I forget what it was in 4E.
(Reply to #20) AaronOfBarbaria	Xeviat-DM wrote:
(Reply to #15) Macv12	MechaPilot wrote:
#23 MechaPilot May 23, 2015 15:05:28	Macv12 wrote:
#24 Kentus May 23, 2015 16:17:01	I'm currently planning a swashbuckler and seafarer campaign, and I was thinking about the same at times, since there won't be as much heavy armor. In the end, instead of replacing dex, I came up with the "Fencing Style" which gives you an Unarmored Defense of 10+Dex+Int.   Maybe you might consider to include a special fighting style which instead replaces Int with Dex and gives another minor benefit (like adding Int instead Dex on initiative, too).