D&D 5E Multiple Standard Arrays

ad_hoc · Jan 13, 2015

delericho said:
Not keen on this. It seems to be the worst of both worlds: those players who like randomness don't really get it, while those players who don't like it seem to be stuck with it. I'd recommend simply offering the arrays, and leave it at that.

This is what I'm worried about.

For me, it would be enough. I want to be forced to play a character with random stats. If I just pick then I will gravitate to the same characters each time. I want some randomness so that I'm inspired to try something new.

What I don't want is a character who is exceptionally good or bad. And as a DM I don't want to have a player or two who have characters that are much better than other's.

Another solution is to have some of the stats you could roll slightly better or worse than point buy. So you could still get lucky and get a better character, just not in an extreme way.

delericho · Jan 13, 2015

ad_hoc said:
This is what I'm worried about.

For me, it would be enough. I want to be forced to play a character with random stats. If I just pick then I will gravitate to the same characters each time. I want some randomness so that I'm inspired to try something new.

Fair enough. If that's what you want, go for it. Just be aware that your players/the other players at the table might not agree - I suggest running it by them.

Another solution is to have some of the stats you could roll slightly better or worse than point buy. So you could still get lucky and get a better character, just not in an extreme way.

Ages ago, TSR published a book called "Skills & Powers" for 2nd Ed which did something like this: you rolled on a table and that gave you both a number of points to spend on the point-buy systems in that book, but also a cap on your highest stat. So, in an extreme case, you might get a huge number of points but not be allowed anything over a 14. Perhaps you could adapt something like that?

(I wouldn't recommend using the systems from that book directly, though - stats in 2nd Ed were really quite different, and that book had its own issues as well. So use for inspiration, but nothing more.)

Blackbrrd · Jan 13, 2015

[MENTION=6748898]ad_hoc[/MENTION] I actually like your last example. Pre-generated series with random selection.

guachi · Jan 13, 2015

Paraxis said:
The expanded ability point cost chart would look like this.

3: -14 pts

4: -10 pts

5: -7 pts

6: -4 pts

7: -2 pts

8: 0 pts

9: 1 pt

10: 2 pts

11: 3 pts

12: 4 pts

13: 5 pts

14: 7 pts

15: 9 pts

16: 12 pts

17: 15 pts

18: 19 pts

The cost is based on the modifier value, a 13 has a +1 modifier so it is 1 pt more expensive than a 12, a 14 has a modifier of +2 so it is 2pts more expensive than a 13, and so on. So a 17 with a modifier of +3 is 3 more than a 16.

Huh. The way you state it is just so obvious and yet I don't think I ever would have come up with it.

delericho · Jan 13, 2015

Kobold Stew said:
Resonable, but not (IMO) balanced. A low number in a weak stat is not inversely commensurate with a high number in a high stat. Accepting the expansion at the top end (for 16-18), I'd suggest the following at the low end:

3: -5 pts

4: -4 pts

5: -3 pts

6: -2 pts

7: -1 pts

8: 0 pts

9: 1 pt

10: 2 pts

11: 3 pts

12: 4 pts

13: 5 pts

14: 7 pts

15: 9 pts

16: 12 pts

17: 15 pts

18: 19 pts

If extending the table in both directions is desired, I would agree with this. Because while the costs are indeed based on the modifier, as Paraxis says, they're set by the modifier with a minimum of 1 point between scores.

So, yeah, this.

Li Shenron · Jan 13, 2015

ad_hoc said:
For me, it would be enough. I want to be forced to play a character with random stats. If I just pick then I will gravitate to the same characters each time. I want some randomness so that I'm inspired to try something new.

What I don't want is a character who is exceptionally good or bad. And as a DM I don't want to have a player or two who have characters that are much better than other's.

Maybe some not-so-generous random method, but with special rules to negate having too many penalties?

Like "roll 3d6, but if you get more than 2 scores below 10, keep 2 of them but the others default to 10"?

Mercurius · Jan 13, 2015

18, 18, 18, 3, 3, 3

aramis erak · Jan 13, 2015

ad_hoc said:
This is what I'm worried about.

For me, it would be enough. I want to be forced to play a character with random stats. If I just pick then I will gravitate to the same characters each time. I want some randomness so that I'm inspired to try something new.

What I don't want is a character who is exceptionally good or bad. And as a DM I don't want to have a player or two who have characters that are much better than other's.

A fix for your problem - wanting some random, but still balanced and forcing you out of your comfort zone
Start with the array
15 goes in the 1d6th open stat (all open at the moment): 1=Str, 2=Dex, 3=Con ... etc
14 goes into 1d5th open stat (whichever got the 15 isn't open)
13 goes into the 1d4th open stat
12 goes into the 1d3rd open stat
place the 10 and 8 into the remaining two as desired

You get your random, and you get your balanced.

Paraxis · Jan 13, 2015

I haven't done this but grab a deck of cards, take out three 6's, three 2's, four each of 3' - 4's - 5's for a total of 18 cards deal them into 6 different stacks of 3 cards each for values ranging from 6 - 18, and everyone is built on the same number of overall ability points. Random and fairly balanced.

koga305 · Jan 14, 2015

I've always liked the Pathfinder Beginner Box method for ensuring random stats are reasonable. You can reroll if either your modifiers add up to less than +3 or if you have no single stat lower than a 14. This at least ensures random stats won't produce unusable arrays, although it doesn't cap upper level values.

D&D 5E Multiple Standard Arrays

ad_hoc

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delericho

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Blackbrrd

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guachi

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delericho

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Li Shenron

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Mercurius

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aramis erak

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Paraxis

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koga305

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