Rolling for Ability Scores or Point Buy

[Advilaar]

I want to DM for a party of bad asses, not the town average guy. I want to play as a mighty hero if I play. Not Harold the flunkie with all 10s and 1 12.

Problem with rolling is you have a very good chance of rolling something with issues. Or you could get lucky and have something totally ultra.

The point buy solves this. If you want low power, give less points. Strong power, give more points.

 

[FireLance]

Point buy ensures that characters have a minimum level of viability.

Rolling helps prevent cookie-cutter characters.

You can have both!

First, assign ability scores by point buy or standard array.

Then, roll 3d6 in order (or 4d6 drop lowest in order if you want to increase the chance of high stats). If the rolled number is higher than the assigned number, use that number instead.

For example, a character is assigned ability scores of Str 15, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10. The player rolls 12, 10, 7, 11, 9, 16. The character's final ability scores are Str 15, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 16.

No, there is no downside risk.
No, it doesn't solve the problem of disparate ability scores, although it does reduce the potential variance.

However, it does ensure that characters are always viable while allowing some scope for randomness.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

I'm all for giving players the option to roll, stat array or point buy as they choose. So long as the maths is equal it comes down to preference.

I like 4d6dl as the baseline, but would like an easier/harder option slider with array/point buy equivalents.

Personally I like arrays.

 

[Yora]

Rolling for the win, because that's how our fore-bearers did it. And it was wise and we saw the truth in how they did it.

Because they were stupid and didn't know any better.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I really would prefer to do straight rolling, as it makes for more random characters, who feel more organic and usually gives the characters something the player does not expect, and thus encourages them to try something a bit new.

But I never do this, except for one shots, the downsides are too much.

So my group is point buy all the way.

 

[Teataine]

I'm in the minority that would rather have rolling, if possible.

My players would all rather have point buy.

 

[Gargoyle]

My wife loves to roll and when I play, I have to agree because it's fun to me, even when I roll low. As a DM, I'm a fan of point buy because ability scores are one of the primary "power settings" in a character, and I don't like to see a player roll low. I can see her point though

My thinking lately is that no matter what the rules say, my house rule will be that players who want to can roll, players who don't want to can point buy, and if a player rolls more than a couple of abilities that have a penalty or no ability with a bonus, they can reroll.

 

[nightwalker450]

First, assign ability scores by point buy or standard array.

Then, roll 3d6 in order (or 4d6 drop lowest in order if you want to increase the chance of high stats). If the rolled number is higher than the assigned number, use that number instead.

For example, a character is assigned ability scores of Str 15, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10. The player rolls 12, 10, 7, 11, 9, 16. The character's final ability scores are Str 15, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 16.

No, there is no downside risk.
No, it doesn't solve the problem of disparate ability scores, although it does reduce the potential variance.

However, it does ensure that characters are always viable while allowing some scope for randomness.

I like this.. Might have to give it a try using 3d6. It seems more like creating the character, then finding out that they have a hidden talent... I might even do array first, create the rest of the character and last thing is roll.

 

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

Low-lethality campaign -> Point-Buy
High-lethality campaign -> Rolling

I can't XP you, but this is my thought exactly.

 

[Prickly]

Point buy

But theres no reason not to include both in the book.

Also would like to see some common arrays already made, like 4e had.