Why was dex made so powerful?

[Knaight]

Also idiot DMs allowing Acrobatics to replace Athletics for climbing and other things because they've watched too much anime. Athletics should be the most important skill in the game if you're actually adventuring.

Spells eat into this more than a little, and there's other skills that are also really important for adventuring. Perception and Survival come to mind.

[mephnick]

Spells eat into this more than a little, and there's other skills that are also really important for adventuring. Perception and Survival come to mind.

Oh sure. But comparing Dex specifically, most of the Dex skills are actually pretty useless in most situations, which is part of why I wonder where this idea that Dex is God came from. Dex is one of my go to dump stats.

[Cybren]

Oh sure. But comparing Dex specifically, most of the Dex skills are actually pretty useless in most situations, which is part of why I wonder where this idea that Dex is God came from. Dex is one of my go to dump stats.

dex can be used for attack, AC, initiative, more skills, and a more common saving throw.
Strength can be used for attack, AC (by access to heavier armor), one frequently useful skills, and a much less common saving throw.

Under the default encumbrance rules, strength doesn't really matter much, but it does in variant encumbrance, so in some games strength is more important that way, but otherwise, you get more "for free" if your primary attack stat is Dex, but I don't really think it's _that_ relevant.

[Twizzly513]

Don't forget that Str fighters get magical armor eventually. Assuming best possible scenario, +3 plate and +3 shield along with the protection fighting style gives you a total of 27 AC. This is high level but still

[Eric Diaz]

Just a note:

All this talk about longbows requiring strength (I think they do, but have nothing to add to the conversation), nobody thinks that rapiers should use some strength too?

EDIT: also, even though I am not a fan, here is one house rule: you damage dice is limited to 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 of you Str for off-hand, main hand and two handed weapons. Round up. Using a d8 weapon in one hand would require Str 15; d12 weapons with two hands, Str 16.

Probably too fiddly and punishing.

I'd rather give some bonuses; half Str bonus to finesse weapons, half Dex bonus for Str weapons. You'd use the same numbers for grappling and avoiding a grapple. Well, just brainstorming here.

[Tanarii]

Also idiot DMs allowing Acrobatics to replace Athletics for climbing and other things because they've watched too much anime. Athletics should be the most important skill in the game if you're actually adventuring.

Climbing doesn't require any check at all unless you're doing something extreme. Nor jumping. Nor swimming Basically, basic adventuring stuff aspect of Athletics is considered automatic.

You still need it if you're planning to Climb (Sheer) Walls like an old-school Thief though.

[Avonar]

Man, wait until you play the Yawning Portal dungeons where if the combined strength of the whole party isn't high enough, you miss out on goodies.

[Erit]

Just a note:

All this talk about longbows requiring strength (I think they do, but have nothing to add to the conversation), nobody thinks that rapiers should use some strength too?

EDIT: also, even though I am not a fan, here is one house rule: you damage dice is limited to 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 of you Str for off-hand, main hand and two handed weapons. Round up. Using a d8 weapon in one hand would require Str 15; d12 weapons with two hands, Str 16.

Probably too fiddly and punishing.

I'd rather give some bonuses; half Str bonus to finesse weapons, half Dex bonus for Str weapons. You'd use the same numbers for grappling and avoiding a grapple. Well, just brainstorming here.

Grod's Law: You cannot compensate for bad game mechanics by making them annoying to use.

[Eric Diaz]

Grod's Law: You cannot compensate for bad game mechanics by making them annoying to use.

Fair enough!