D&D 5E Point Buy vs Rolling for Stats

[Oofta]

Most of my PCs multi-class because I don't see the game construct of 'class' as a real thing that exists in the game world. In the world, the creatures cannot be aware of 5E game mechanics! They are no more aware of their 5E 'character class' than they are of their hit point total.

I also like fluffing my PCs as 'half-and-half'. For example, I might say that my (mechanically) human PC has some elven blood: one parent was human and the other half-elven. It allows me to describe them with unusual hair/eyes/ears and so on, and informs my choices regarding my placement of certain ability scores (or explains why those rolls were what they were). But I don't need to create a new PC race: 'quarter-elf'! I just use the mechanics for humans and have my concept inform my choices (or explain my rolls), because the stats must match the concept, whether the concept came first (point-buy) or the stats came first (rolling).

If I wanted to create a dwarf with one hill dwarf parent and one mountain dwarf parent I would pick one for game mechanics but blend the two fluff-wise.

How about this: You like rolling. I don't. End of story.

 

[Arial Black]

Then don't use point buy. Problem solved.

And if you already don't use point buy...then that means you are simply complaining about how other people play the game and should be ashamed of yourself.

The only games I get to play are AL.

Point-buy is better than no game. I understand why organised play requires equality in a way that home games do not.

And I have never complained about other people liking point-buy. I just point out the benefits and drawbacks of each, and point out if another poster has made a false claim about a benefit of a method.

I can explain why I like rolling and I'm okay with others explaining why they like point-buy; it's a lively debate.

But what it never was is me 'complaining about how other people play'. You should be ashamed of yourself for making that accusation.

 

[Arial Black]

Because it's the equivalent of having a football team where one is Tom Brady* and the other is Pee-Wee Herman. I see no benefit to different PCs having dramatically different capabilities from level 1 on.

When I play I want to play a hero. Because it's ... say it with me ... a game.

*Should I confess that I had to look up the name of a pro football player? No? Okay ... pay no attention to what I just typed.

Point-buy would have EVERY quarterback with the stats of Tom Brady! Or more likely a less extremely gifted QB, like Joe Flacco, the best you could buy with only 27 points.

Meanwhile, any realistic league would include QBs with levels of ability all along the spectrum, from Tom Brady at one end to Kevin Hogan (Who? Backup QB for Cleveland) at the other.

To get a realistic league, point-buy won't do it; rolling will.

The NFL is 'fair', even though some players are better than others, and even though it's....say it with me....a game.

 

[Caliban]

The only games I get to play are AL.

Point-buy is better than no game. I understand why organised play requires equality in a way that home games do not.

And I have never complained about other people liking point-buy.

Are you kidding? That's pretty much all you do. As soon as anyone says they like point buy you go on for pages and pages about how rolled stats are better. You try to drown them out with walls of text.

I just point out the benefits and drawbacks of each, and point out if another poster has made a false claim about a benefit of a method.

You mean you just spout propaganda for rolled stats and complain about point buy.

I can explain why I like rolling and I'm okay with others explaining why they like point-buy; it's a lively debate.

You explained why you like rolling over a hundred pages ago. It's not really a debate anymore, it's just an exercise in propaganda.

But what it never was is me 'complaining about how other people play'. You should be ashamed of yourself for making that accusation.

Nope. I said "if you already don't use point buy...". You now claim that is all you use. Hmm....

 

[Arial Black]

How about this: You like rolling. I don't. End of story.

Oh, we agreed on that hundreds of pages back!

 

[Arial Black]

Are you kidding? That's pretty much all you do. As soon as anyone says they like point buy you go on for pages and pages about how rolled stats are better. You try to drown them out with walls of text.

You mean you just spout propaganda for rolled stats and complain about point buy.

You explained why you like rolling over a hundred pages ago. It's not really a debate anymore, it's just an exercise in propaganda.

So...when point-buy advocates advocate point-buy they are just honestly giving their opinion, but when I advocate rolling it is just 'spouting propaganda'?

 

[Caliban]

So...when point-buy advocates advocate point-buy they are just honestly giving their opinion, but when I advocate rolling it is just 'spouting propaganda'?

After 100 pages of it? Yes.

Most of the length of the thread can be directly attributed to you.

 

[Oofta]

Point-buy would have EVERY quarterback with the stats of Tom Brady! Or more likely a less extremely gifted QB, like Joe Flacco, the best you could buy with only 27 points.

Meanwhile, any realistic league would include QBs with levels of ability all along the spectrum, from Tom Brady at one end to Kevin Hogan (Who? Backup QB for Cleveland) at the other.

To get a realistic league, point-buy won't do it; rolling will.

The NFL is 'fair', even though some players are better than others, and even though it's....say it with me....a game.

There is no guarantee of even being close with rolling. There is a guarantee that everyone playing professional football is in the top 1% of all football players for their particular role.

 

[Yardiff]

Meh. Just like every ogre has a 19 strength?

For me the numbers don't define the character. I define the character based on how he responds and acts. The numbers? The D20 rolls to hit or save? Always hitting or missing 5% of the time my character swings a sword? Those are just rules I have to use to enable a vision. Having a set number for ability scores is no more unrealistic than having to pick a class.

The average Ogre has a 19 str.

 

[Maxperson]

The average rolls from a player using 4d6 drop the lowest, will be roughly equal to the standard array. So the two official methods for generating characters more often then not gives you the standard array. The game is balanced on this assumption. This means that anything below the standard array is underpowered for what the content is fine tuned for, and anything above the standard array is overpowered for what the content is fine tuned for.

You don't know if the game is based around the array, 12, or some other number. You are making assumptions and nothing more.

Rolling stats more often then not will not break the game, it will give you the standard array equivalent, in which case just use the standard array. The other options is that it will create an under-powered or over-powered character, and neither are desirable for most players. If you wanted to play a specifically under-powered or over-powered character, then why roll for it, just talk to your DM and adjust stats to make the character that makes sense for your RP idea.

Rolling stats quite literally cannot break the game. It can only break DMs. The game is mutable and if the DM is half-assed or better, he will adapt and no PCs with rolled stats will be able to break anything at all.

If you play a character that is above the standard array, or worse yet, if you have a party of players that are above the standard array, you are not getting the true experience the D&D5e designers intended when they balanced the monsters that you will be fighting. Everything will be less dangerous. There will be more work for the DM to adjust encounters upwards as the books suggestions will be off by however much your characters stats are off from the standard array.

Additionally most tables that I have played at that insisted on rolling for stats, usually had silly rules like "rerolls 1s once" or "reroll the entire set if there are not two or more 15s", which throws the average rolls off above the standard array.

The best choice is to use the standard array and experience encounters at their full strength, and make life easier on your DM. Rolling stats takes 30 seconds, and playing your character will require you to roll dice so often that not doing those first six rolls really should not be an issue for you for a better and more finely tuned experience.

You can take your one true way and put it someplace special.