D&D 5E A Proper Ability Score Generation Preference Poll

Hriston

Dungeon Master of Middle-earth

• Nov 12, 2017

• #1

The question is: How does your current group generate ability scores for PCs, and/or how do you prefer to generate ability scores for your PCs, assuming you play in a group that shares your general preferences?

edit: I'm only allowing one vote per person, so please choose the option that best applies to you.

edit 2: To clarify the intent of the poll, the standard array is one of the possible outcomes of point-buy, so if you use both, that would be a vote for point-buy.

Also, we're only talking about methods for generating the actual numerical values, so variations on how the numbers are assigned (e.g. roll in order vs. roll and assign) would still fall into the same category as long as the method is the same.

 

Last edited: Nov 13, 2017

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Darkcloud

First Post

• Nov 12, 2017

• #2

My group doesn't sweat the issue. We do any of the 3 options in the PHB (Point buy / Array / 4d6-L ). Each campaign each player picks. The preference seems to be to roll, though.

 

Giltonio_Santos

Hero

• Nov 12, 2017

• #3

Point-buy is our basic choice. If players are adamant about random ability scores, though, my method is a single random pool that all of them must share. I don't intend to run a D&D game where each character has its own pool of random ability scores for the rest of my life.

 

Rhenny

Adventurer

• Nov 12, 2017

• #4

I like the idea of rolling from Strength to Charisma in order to see what you get, but sometimes that generates too much diversity of power in a group. The only fair way that maintains balance in party, which I feel is really important over the long term, is through point buy or standard array. Personally, I like point buy because it gives some additional choices.

Another problem with rolling for scores is that if a player rolls low and doesn't like the results, the DM has two options. One, make the player play that PC, which might be a drag for the player and the party. Two, let the player re-roll, which kind of defeats the purpose of rolling in the first place.

I'd like it if there were a way to have variant races that allowed a PC to forgo +2 bonus to an attribute in order to pick up a feat (like the Human variant in a way), but that's because I like using feats rather than just boring ability scores. In most of the games I've played and DMd in, most of the players choose ASI when they can.

 

S

Sunseeker

Guest

• Nov 12, 2017

• #5

I voted other only because my system is a variant of "4d6 drop lowest", add in: reroll 1's or add that 1 to your score. Not a huge variant.
I also provide a slightly buffed array. 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8.
I don't allow point buy.

Might be easier to reverse the poll, what systems do you not allow?

 

Hriston

Dungeon Master of Middle-earth

• Nov 12, 2017

• #6

shidaku said:

Might be easier to reverse the poll, what systems do you not allow?

Click to expand...

That's okay. It helps to keep the thread going if folks have to post to explain why they voted other.

 

CAFRedblade

Explorer

• Nov 12, 2017

• #7

Depends on the style of game I want to run.
For Adv. League, I ask the players to stick to the Standard Array to try and have a level playing field for both players and DM's.
In home games, I ususally like a slightly more powered game with 4d6 drop the lowest, re-roll 1's once, in order. But you can subtract 2 points in one ability to add 1 to another. Max of 18 in any attribute, even with racial modifiers.

 

M

Mike Tyson

Villager

• Nov 12, 2017

• #8

I chose other. My DM approved my use of something I read on this forum or maybe another, can't remember. It is a 6x6 grid, done in excel. You pick any row, column or diagonal, but you have to take the scores in order.

I originally set the cell rule in excel to random number btwn 3,18. But that resulted in too many 4's and 5's. So I made the rule random 2-12 plus 6. That resulted in more workable numbers. Still hard if you go into the grid with a class pre-selected in your brain. But if you're flexible in what class, then you could get some good rows, columns or diagonals from which to choose.

 

Iry

Hero

• Nov 12, 2017

• #9

I feel overwhelmingly guilty when we roll and I get massively better stats than someone else.

So 27 Point Buy or Standard Array.

 

W

Wulffolk

Explorer

• Nov 12, 2017

• #10

2d6 +4 for most characters
3d6 replace one die with a 4 for heroic character's

Both generate scored of 6-16, with the heroic version allowing for a slightly higher average.