Random Point-Buy?

[Jhyrryl]

In both of the games I run, I'm letting players fully reallocate their characters (actually, I'm enforcing it). There are a variety of reasons I want to do this, and one of them includes correcting the overpowered stats I let them have in the early days before we fully understood just how much of an impact the 3rd-edition stat modifiers would have on game play. To that end, I want to go to a point-buy system.

My best friend and I were discussing point-buy systems, and he's the kind of guy who likes the idea that not all PCs are created equal. Should there really be a possibility that some players have better starting stats than others? Using a point-buy system "balances" characters, but is it worth giving up the satisfaction of having rolled well?

I was thinking along the lines of giving the players 24+2d4 points, providing a range of 26 to 32, with an expected value of 29. Does this seem reasonable?

 

[Emiricol]

I think it sounds like a great compromise.

 

[KnowTheToe]

Not a bad idea. I still would prefer starting with the same point system, but this would work as well. If you are allowing upto a 32 pt buy, how high are your current stats?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I'd advise against it.

Because of the nonlinearity of point buy, you're introducing a lot more variability than you think by throwing in 2d4 random points -- there's a fair difference between 26 and 32 point buy. All points are not created equal, in other words.

If you insist on adding a random element, I'd recommend you keep it small -- 1d4 points at most. Otherwise, just go with the point amount that you want the average to be.

 

[Hjorimir]

We use an organic 28-point buy. The way it works is you roll 3d6 in order of the stats (STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA). You add up what those stats would cost you to buy. Then we allow one swap (i.e. STR for INT) and then you can spend points up to a 28-point buy (provided you didn't roll greater than a 28-point buy in the first place. Lastly, you always get to spend at least 3 points (regardless of the rolls) to help you with any bad bumps.

We like this because each character's stats, while good, don't feel so manufactured and it adds character. Sometimes you do get those fighters with a strong INT or CHA (some of the stats you would regularly see them tank in order to max out STR, CON, DEX).

 

[Mark Chance]

I just fill in the blanks for ability score values with the numbers that look right for my character concept.

 

[Jhyrryl]

The more recent group used a straight 32-point buy. My original campaign experimented with something like 3d8, reroll anything over 18. That was a mistake.

Actually one of the biggest problems I have with point-buy systems is not that people cram all of their points into one really good score, but that they feel the need to not have any average scores. Most of the PCs end up looking like commoners who've just been given +2 or +3 to all stats - boring.

With that in mind I was also trying to devise a way that enforces more diversity among the stats, like have a stat cost more if you've already bought a stat at the same value.

 

[BobROE]

Umm, I think this should work (not tested)
Let them buy up to 12 normally, and then if they want they can sacrifice 4 points and roll a 1d6 instead adding that too the 12.
The average is going to be about 15 (maybe it should be 5 points {spliting the difference between the cost of 15 and 16}) but there's the chance that they could get an 18.

 

[Emiricol]

I've often just taken default array. Sometimes I up the 8 to a 10 though.

 

[Buttercup]

I just fill in the blanks for ability score values with the numbers that look right for my character concept.

I'm beginning to think this is the best way to go. As others have said, point buy tends to result in a bunch of players with identical stats. Rolling can result in unfair disparities. So maybe the best thing is to just let players have whatever scores they want. Of course, I don't have any players who would give themselves six 18s. I grant that it might not work in all groups.