D&D 5E Array v 4d6: Punishment? Or overlooked data

[Ratskinner]

I used to be big fan of rolling for stats, buts basically its lost all its appeal to me for D&D. I agree that having the same array can seem boring, but I've just seen way too much variability in PC capability (honestly rolled or not.) D&D (especially AD&D, IMO) puts too much emphasis on those stats.

My solution is that I have worked up several arrays of stats with equal "unlikeliness", I'll give my players choice or let them roll for one. I dunno if that will help, but its what I've got to offer at the moment.

 

[GameDoc]

As for the non-DM players, I have definitely seen that outstanding stats in one PC can hurt the fun of other players. Not always, but it does happen. Sometimes perfectly reasonable players get frustrated when they notice over and over again that they are second or third fiddle at their own specialty, getting overshadowed by another PC whose forte actually lies elsewhere.

I have experienced this first hand as my rogue was frequently out-shown at stealth and lock picking by another player's bard. Couldn't fault the player, he picked it up as a secondary focus for the party's benefit. But his stats made him better at it than me and it came down to a meta-game issue of "Do we let the rogue do his shtick for narrative sake, knowing that our characters probably know full well the bard is better at it and more likely to lead us to success?"

 

[GameDoc]

One idea I've played with is that if the player wants to roll for stats and isn't happy with the resulting character, they can re-roll. This new roll is for the younger sibling of the first character. They can keep going as long as they want, but there are in-game consequences for being the 15th child in a family. They get stats they are happy with, but face other challenges in-game that they have to overcome.

If they get lucky on the first role, they can take the Noble background and get some advantages, being the heir in their house. If they are the 5th child and take Noble, then maybe they don't get the extra starting money and are ignored by their parents and older siblings. If they are 15th, then maybe they came from a rural background (peasant farmer?), maybe even an orphanage, and need to work that out over the course of the campaign.

Extra bonus, I keep track of the earlier rolls and those older siblings become NPCs. Yes, you have awesome stats now, but your older sister who isn't quite so awesome is jealous and is out to get you.

That's brilliant!

 

[GameDoc]

I really don't get what people's obsession is with rolled stats. I have never once seen it result in anything other than problems at the table.

Because... OLD SCHOOL.

 

[Thank Dog]

Because... OLD SCHOOL.

Mmm... sacred cow... mmm...

 

[Evenglare]

I roll in games but I'm pretty harsh and it came out of necessity of pathfinder. For me you pick your race, this simulates your birth. Next you roll 3d6 DOWN THE LINE, you get 2 different arrays. You pick one of them and apply in order. These 2 pools represent different paths you have taken in your life, basically you pick what could have been. Third you choose your class. If you want a class that synergizes or you want to overcome the stigma of your class you are free to choose whatever you want.

It cuts down the power gaming nonsense 99%. If a player doesn't want to play in this type of game he doesn't have to and that's perfectly cool. These are rules laid down in advance and everyone knows what they are getting into. So far no complaints. YMMV of course. Different tables different tastes and all that.

Edit: Also when you roll your character with the 3d6 they are with my casino dice in front of me.

 

[GameDoc]

When my home group embarked on 5e, we each rolled a set of random stats with the option to default to the standard array if we didn't like our results. So you got to take a chance on exceptional scores and then had an opt out if the results were abysmal.

Out of all the characters created, only one player opted for the array. Three were clearly superior to the array a couple came down to having an exceptionally high score saddled with a really bad one and deciding if the extremes were worth it compared to the moderate range of the array. In the latter cases, the players opted for their rolled stats.

I don't see why it has to be an either/or thing. The PHB seems to present rolled stats as the default and the standard array as an option for the player and limiting point-buy to the DM's discretion. So rolled vs. array is something I think the DM should let the player choose unless there is a uniform consensus at the table or there is a compelling reason to go one way over the other. It doesn't seem like an issue worth alienating one another over.

 

[thalmin]

I am really a fan of the point-buy. Players can custom build their characters, but relative power level will be close between all in the party. Much easier for me to provide challenging but not overly deadly encounters for everybody in the group. After first level we roll HP, but a player may choose to reroll a hit die, but using the next smaller die (d12>d10>d8>d6>d4>d2), no going back to previous roll. For my upcoming campaign, a player may choose default HP instead of rolling.

 

[tom.zunder]

I love random and roleplaying with it. As a GM I am happy to allow arrays, point buy, whatever floats your boat. Ditto hit points, I roll the dice but don't mock those that do.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I roll in games but I'm pretty harsh and it came out of necessity of pathfinder. For me you pick your race, this simulates your birth. Next you roll 3d6 DOWN THE LINE, you get 2 different arrays. You pick one of them and apply in order. These 2 pools represent different paths you have taken in your life, basically you pick what could have been. Third you choose your class. If you want a class that synergizes or you want to overcome the stigma of your class you are free to choose whatever you want.

It cuts down the power gaming nonsense 99%. If a player doesn't want to play in this type of game he doesn't have to and that's perfectly cool. These are rules laid down in advance and everyone knows what they are getting into. So far no complaints. YMMV of course. Different tables different tastes and all that.

Edit: Also when you roll your character with the 3d6 they are with my casino dice in front of me.

wow, just wow that is pretty strict. Out of curiosity what do you do if both sets of roll are unplayable?

(to be fair I mean you do not have a 15+ in any class main stat)