What Ability Score Generation Method do you use?

[drnuncheon]

I saw this in another discussion: "if you play the game the way it's been designed and balanced - on 25 point characters" and I thought that was quite strange. D&D has always been random stats for me (which is odd because normally I like point-based games)

So now I'm wondering how other folks do it. Tell me.

J

 

[thundershot]

As DM, I let the players roll 24d6 (4d6 x 6) and drop the six lowest numbers, and take the remaining 18 rolls and divide them up however they wish. Yes, it's min/maxing at its best (worst) but it allows customization, which lets me exploit their weaknesses.


Chris

 

[Crothian]

Ya, I was part of that discusion and thought that was a very wierd point. We ussually do 4d6, drop the lowest. THough this last time we did 3d6 and arrange, but we could get a disadvantage that would give us attribute points to add to any score. Personally, I didn't like that. I hate when DMs bribe players to take a disadvantage, plus with the points you can add to anything, most people just uped all their odds to even.

I don't like point buy when the scale is so big (3-18). I think point buy works great when attribute numbers are much smaller.

 

[Zarrock God of Evil]

We use the standard method. We've used the 5d6 drop lowest (which is the one I marked ) once - in our first 3E Campaign. I wanted to test the system to the limit and even this method didn't imbalance the game. PCs were just a bit tougher on 1st level (and they needed that)...
Never used point-buy, never will...

-Zarrock

 

[CWD]

Hey! What about the array method?

I tried to get them to use the default array:

15
14
13
12
10
8

But they whined constantly about being weak. So I let them move to the following:

18
16
14
12
10
8

They STILL wined until I changed it to:

18
16
14
12
11
10

Which I think is pretty munchkin. Well, they are still crying about the 10 and 11!

I don't care what their stats are, since the tougher they make their characters, the more outrageous I make the foes. They just don't get it - they still seem to think they are being cheated out of stats. Sigh.

 

[Berandor]

We use organic characters...
furthermore, at the start of a new campaign, a player may discard a roll to roll once more, twice.

Ah, the joy when a player discards a 16, 14, 13, 12, 12, 7 to roll 15, 13, 12, 10, 9, 8 !!

Berandor

 

[Sayburr]

This was based on something I read on these boards over a year ago:

All abilities start at 8. You will be given points with which to increase your abilities. When deciding on your ability scores you can use any number over 8 only one time. (ie. You can have 5 eights and one 18 but you can’t have a 9 for more than one ability score or any other number for more than one ability score).
· You get 15 points in your ability score pool (this will give you the following ability scores to use for any ability you choose: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13). If you are willing to do a little additional work on your character you will be able to add the following bonuses to your ability score pool:
· +1 for a background story that works within the world’s framework given below.
· +2 if you include the receipt of a silver key in your background (examples, award for brave deed, family heirloom, won through gambling, stolen from someone, gift from old lover, found somewhere).
· +1 more if the story is longer than 500 words. +2 if it is more than 750 words long.
· +1 if the story is e-mailed to me or given to me on disk (so I can add some story elements to it).
· +1 if you have 3 or more NPCs with usable plot hooks in the story NPCs must be named, worked into story; and able to come into future events without unreasonable circumstances. An NPC can be an individual or an organization. NPCs cannot just be listed and named. Must have story involvment.
· +1 if you have 1 or more major and/or 3 or more minor plot hooks built in.
· A major plot hook is something that drives the story and gives the DM options to work with nearly every game session. It must be easy to work in under most normal circumstances. A minor plot hook is anything that can give such story ideas but will not do so consistently on a regular basis.
· +1 for an illustration.
· I don't care who draws it, as long as it's a representation of what they 'really' look like.
· +2 for a miniature.
· +1 more if the miniature is painted.
· I don't care who paints it or how good they are at it.
· +1 for a diagram showing where all equipment is held or stored.
· +2 if you play a good aligned character.
· +2 if you play a human character
· These bonuses are stackable for a total possible 32 points. You can only take each bonus once.

 

[Crothian]

This was based on something I read on these boards over a year ago:

You really like to bribe your players, huh? It's a pity that people need to do this to get Players to put a little effort into their characters.

 

[Tetsubo]

4d6, drop lowest, reroll any 1's. Just a slight modification to the standard method.

 

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

This was based on something I read on these boards over a year ago:

...

This looks like Arcady's stuff. I think.