I’m still conflicted on attribute bonuses and effects.

On the one hand, I want a reasonable simulation wherein higher attributes gain bonuses and the PC can mechanically do something extra or something extra well. This makes having attributes useful and differentiating character abilities, which makes the tools players have available via characters different in one more regard.

On the other hand, I want players to not get bonuses on a whole slew of abilities/actions in play. I can think of systems where I’d find that just peachy; the flavors I’m going for with the current projects are not where that would be fine.

The question then remains “How do attribute modifiers appear in the rules?”

I’m now looking at all the ways attributes affect mechanics. Saving throws, damage bonuses, defensive bonuses, accuracy bonuses, reaction modifiers, yadayadayada. I think that allowing the attribute bonuses to affect some of the possible mechanics–player choice?–and not all of the mechanics and abilities tied to the attributes may be the way to go.

So, a PC with a high strength isn’t going to get a bonus for opening doors AND bending bars AND inflicting weapon damage AND carrying copious amounts of treasure AND a bonus to a saving throw AND…you get the point. That notable strength bonus might only apply to part of the list.

Another thought is to use the bonus in discrete units; eg., a +3 bonus can appear as a +1 on one thing and a +2 on another. I find this line of thought really interesting, as I could expand the range of bonus ratings available and still have no single bonus outlandishly powerful. A player could roll a character with a +5 Strength, for instance, and that would appear as bonuses to three different abilities associated with strength. I find that quite an attractive option, though I’ve not played with it in my head long enough to be fully confident in its desirability.

I’m trying to keep my balance on the line of designing in enough customization of a PC to be helpful in differentiating characters via more than just loadout and characterization (for those folks who enjoy that sort of thing) and keeping power bloat under control from the outset of play. There’s a small range of bonus ratings that clearly fit what I want to see, so finding a nice way to expand that range without moving into superheroics is tricky.