If you're playing characters with all their abilities over 10 and a lot of them over 17, have you even lived?
Currently playing in a group tackling Lost Mines of Phandelver with a Rogue/Druid, who has strength 4 and constitution 7. She's up to level 2, and so far the low strength hasn't been an issue. Most of the damage rolls and checks she uses are in dexterity or wisdom, and oddly enough, in combat she tends to do the most damage of all of them. She has 19 dexterity due to elven racial bonus, and that counts for a lot. The low constitution I think will be her downfall - losing two hit points for every level is going to make her super fragile.
I'm thinking of making a very strong but clumsy cleric next called Hovis Befumwen. I don't know why I do this to my characters. They suffer enough as it is. Anyone else playing a character with an achilles heel, a glass jaw, butterfingers, or just an empty head? Do you compensate for their flaws by giving them special talents or improved abilities in other areas? How does it affect roleplaying?
Your character won't lose hit points per level -- that was clarified in an errata some time ago. The rules for gaining HP past level one currently read "Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total (minimum of 1) to your hit point maximum." So if you take the average she'll gain 3 HP per level, and if you're rolling hit dice if you roll a 1-3 you'll only gain 1 HP per level, but you'll never lose HP.
Your character won't lose hit points per level -- that was clarified in an errata some time ago. The rules for gaining HP past level one currently read "Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total (minimum of 1) to your hit point maximum." So if you take the average she'll gain 3 HP per level, and if you're rolling hit dice if you roll a 1-3 you'll only gain 1 HP per level, but you'll never lose HP.
That's still a loss of 2hp per level comparitive to, say constitution 10. So she might roll a 4, and only increase 2, which is still a massive liability.
For rogue/druid I think you can pretty easily allow str to be a dump stat.
For the con, that's certainly not ideal. BUT if you play a ranged rogue for the rogue side of things using a crossbow backed up with druid spells etc at range, and manage to keep a wide berth between you and the enemies, the low con may not be the end of the world.
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If you're playing characters with all their abilities over 10 and a lot of them over 17, have you even lived?
Currently playing in a group tackling Lost Mines of Phandelver with a Rogue/Druid, who has strength 4 and constitution 7. She's up to level 2, and so far the low strength hasn't been an issue. Most of the damage rolls and checks she uses are in dexterity or wisdom, and oddly enough, in combat she tends to do the most damage of all of them. She has 19 dexterity due to elven racial bonus, and that counts for a lot. The low constitution I think will be her downfall - losing two hit points for every level is going to make her super fragile.
I'm thinking of making a very strong but clumsy cleric next called Hovis Befumwen. I don't know why I do this to my characters. They suffer enough as it is. Anyone else playing a character with an achilles heel, a glass jaw, butterfingers, or just an empty head? Do you compensate for their flaws by giving them special talents or improved abilities in other areas? How does it affect roleplaying?
Your character won't lose hit points per level -- that was clarified in an errata some time ago. The rules for gaining HP past level one currently read "Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total (minimum of 1) to your hit point maximum." So if you take the average she'll gain 3 HP per level, and if you're rolling hit dice if you roll a 1-3 you'll only gain 1 HP per level, but you'll never lose HP.
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That's still a loss of 2hp per level comparitive to, say constitution 10. So she might roll a 4, and only increase 2, which is still a massive liability.
The number is really likely to be closer to -4 hp per level, since it's pretty common for PCs to have at least a 14+ for Con, regardless of class.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Ouch!
For rogue/druid I think you can pretty easily allow str to be a dump stat.
For the con, that's certainly not ideal. BUT if you play a ranged rogue for the rogue side of things using a crossbow backed up with druid spells etc at range, and manage to keep a wide berth between you and the enemies, the low con may not be the end of the world.