Ability Scores Divided into Physical and Mental Traits

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I just realized that the six ability scores can be divided into three traits. I might have read this somewhere, but I still felt like it was a revelation.
Strength and charisma are your abilities to change the world. Charisma is your strength of character (as applied to other people), it’s your force of personality. Strength is your force of arms.
Dexterity and intelligence are your abilities to avoid the abilities of others. Intelligence is your mental agility, it’s your quickness of wit. Dexterity is your quickness of body.
Constitution and wisdom are your abilities to survive the world. Wisdom is your will to live, it’s your mental toughness. Constitution is your toughness of body.
These three traits could be used to define the character classes in original D&D games.
  • The fighter has strength and charisma. He swings his sword, inspires followers, and eventually leads armies.
  • The thief has dexterity and intelligence. He avoids obstacles, obtains riches, and eventually controls criminal underlings.
  • The cleric has constitution and wisdom. She endures attacks, gains understanding, and eventually prophesizes the future.
  • The mage has dexterity and intelligence. She creates solutions, obtains knowledge, and eventually avoids death.
I’m not sure about the mage, that’s just me trying to make them all fit. Maybe the mage just has Intelligence.

So, could a game dispense with ability scores altogether, and just have the four basic classes? Or have no classes, and just three traits to define what characters are like? Or does this just make it easier to decide which saving throw to use, or which ability check is needed?

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