D&D 5E Point Buy or Standard Array

[ad_hoc]

I have come to the conclusion that 4d6 drop lowest just desn't work in 5e. Especially if feats and/or multiclassing are used. You just hit the ceiling too quickly.

On the flipside, are dump stats too minor?

When using point buy is a 15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8 or similar array best? With a human or half-elf you can get 3 16s for MAD characters and with other races you can get 2 16s for standard characters.

Would it be best to only allow the standard array? It is the standard ability score generation method along with rolling.

The downside I see is that it makes characters too similar.

But I wonder if it really does. There are only a few ways to do point buy with racial bonuses that are good.

What do you think? Is there more to point buy than I am seeing or are there only a couple right answers that push to high and low stats?

*edit*

Here is a comparison of characters made with point buy vs standard array:


Variant Human: 16, 16, 16, 8, 8, 8 (w/+1 feat) / 17, 14, 14, 12, 10, 8 (+1 feat)
or 16, 16, 14, 10, 8, 8 (w/other feat) / 16, 14, 14, 12, 10, 8 (w/other feat)
Half-Elf: 16, 16, 16, 10, 8, 8 / 16, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8
Mountain Dwarf: 17, 17, 14, 10, 8, 8 / 17, 16, 13, 12, 10, 8
Other: 16, 16, 14, 12, 8, 8 / 16, 16, 13, 12, 10, 8 or 16, 15, 14, 12, 10, 8 (MAD character)

The characters are all weaker with standard array but they do have interesting decisions with their dump stats. Be a bit smarter, a bit stronger, a bit more charismatic? Rather than just having 8s in those stats with the odd 10 or 12.

 

[billd91]

I think the racial bonus distributions in 5e makes point buy more problematic than previous editions (and I didn't like it then). I prefer rolling, but I'd take the standard array as a second-best alternative. If I had to do a point buy method, I'd just charge 1 point per point of stat and give out 72 points to spend.

 

[Tormyr]

We did point buy in our campaign and did not have any issues. Everyone contributes about the same amount.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Point buy, definitely. More customization than standard array, but still limited to the same starting stat maximums.

 

[Paraxis]

Point buy, but I only allow 1 ability score to be an 8. I don't like heroes having 3 sub standard scores.

EDIt: just to clarify I don't allow more than 1 score to be below 10.

 

[ad_hoc]

Point buy, definitely. More customization than standard array, but still limited to the same starting stat maximums.

I suppose I was hoping for a discussion on why that is the case (if it is).

The way it looks like to me is that there is only a couple best configurations and they involve a lot of dump stats.

If that is the case then the character's stats will look similar anyway.

These are the configurations I see:

Variant Human: 15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8 -> 16, 16, 16, 8, 8, 8 (w/+1 feat)
or 15, 15, 14, 10, 8, 8 -> 16, 16, 14, 10, 8, 8 (w/other feat)
Half-Elf: 15, 15, 14, 10, 8, 8 -> 16, 16, 16, 10, 8, 8
Mountain Dwarf: 15, 15, 14, 10, 8, 8 -> 17, 17, 14, 10, 8, 8 (to hit 18, 18 w/first ASI)
Other: 15, 14, 14, 12, 8, 8 -> 16, 16, 14, 12, 8, 8

Are there any others?

The way I look at it, the races and classes would encourage a different layout of stats with standard array than with point buy because with point buy there is a best configuration depending on your race.

Encouraging dump stats like that seems to stifle diverse character concepts rather than encourage them.

 

[AverageCitizen]

I think the racial bonus distributions in 5e makes point buy more problematic than previous editions...

I think they did that on purpose.

 

[PnPgamer]

Our group does point buy. It makes us players easier to create our characters on our own, no need for dm supervision.

Although id like to try rolling at least once, so that i could concentrate fully on feats instead of pumping my stats.

 

[ad_hoc]

Our group does point buy. It makes us players easier to create our characters on our own, no need for dm supervision.

Why would you need DM supervision with the standard array?

 

[Kobold Stew]

I regularly find when using point buy that I end up with the standard array anyways.