D&D 5E Point Buy vs Rolling for Stats

[Oofta]

That knowledge base was also possessed by the folks writing it, and the playtesters, and they constantly went back and tested against a fan base with that same shared base of knowledge & preconceptions through the playtest.

It's assumed, and it's deeply ingrained, and that's a big part of 5e's success (and the relative lack of edition warring against it).

There's almost certainly people with that knowledge, right at the table, spouting it freely the whole time. (Indeed, try getting us to shut up, it ain't easy!)


No, the first step is for the DM to make a ruling. he may or may not work his way through each past edition he's familiar with to help him pick the best ruling, but it's likely, that any such past knowledge informs his ruling.

In other words they should listen to the old guy mumbling in the corner: "I remember back in the day when we rolled 3d6 for ability scores, and we liked it! None of that namby-pamby fancy stuff! And we had to walk to the game up hill. In the snow. Both ways. Fighting off the orcs with our spiral ring notebooks!"

Although it is kind of funny. In another thread you're pretty vehement about skill challenges not being part of the rules. Cherry pick which rules carry over much?

 

[Tony Vargas]

In other words they should listen to the old guy mumbling in the corner:

Yes.
If I get nothing else out of 5e, I get to feel all validated & superior about being a grognard. ;P

"I remember back in the day when we rolled 3d6 for ability scores, and we liked it! None of that namby-pamby fancy stuff! And we had to walk to the game up hill. In the snow. Both ways. Fighting off the orcs with our spiral ring notebooks!"

My short-term memory may be stereotypically bad, but I do recall you've already used that one.

Although it is kind of funny. In another thread you're pretty vehement about skill challenges not being part of the rules.

SC's were from 4e. To use your evolution analogy, they're extinct.

 

[Oofta]

SC's were from 4e. To use your evolution analogy, they're extinct.

Right. Just like rolling 3d6 for ability scores for NPCs. Glad we agree.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Right. Just like rolling 3d6 for ability scores for NPCs. Glad we agree.

Nope, 3d6 is the common ancestor's vestigial trait living on in all editions. 4e's the branch that went extinct, SC's might arise again through convergent evolution, though. ;P

 

[Satyrn]

Nope, 3d6 is the common ancestor's vestigial trait living on in all editions. 4e's the branch that went extinct, SC's might arise again through convergent evolution, though. ;P

I did not realize that 5e never had 4e as an ancestor. That explains the lack of a warlord, I guess.

 

[Caliban]

Nope, 3d6 is the common ancestor's vestigial trait living on in all editions. 4e's the branch that went extinct, SC's might arise again through convergent evolution, though. ;P

A version of the Skill Challenge exists in 5e. They are just called "group skill checks" or something now. Most commonly used for a group stealth check (if more PC's pass than fail, everyone passes), but I've seen them for group Persuasion checks and group Athletics checks (for climbing a wall or cliff with everyone roped together).

 

[Oofta]

Nope, 3d6 is the common ancestor's vestigial trait living on in all editions. 4e's the branch that went extinct, SC's might arise again through convergent evolution, though. ;P

Nope. You've decided that you don't like skill challenges even though they appeared in a previous game. Just like I've decided that I don't like the bell curve of 3d6.

Our opinions don't really matter though. What matters is that the dev team decided that neither one of those things were worth including in 5E.

They took things that made sense from previous editions. We have superiority dice for the battlemaster and second wind for fighters from 4E as an example. Other things may not make a lot of sense (OwlBears, ability scores that only matter at even numbers), but they are part of the game.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I did not realize that 5e never had 4e as an ancestor. That explains the lack of a warlord, I guess.

Yep, it seems hard to interpret it any other way. 4e wasn't even necessarily recognized as being D&D - a 'red-headed step child' - PF might more legitimately belong in the clade.

Nope. You've decided that you don't like skill challenges even though they appeared in a previous game. Just like I've decided that I don't like the bell curve of 3d6.

"Like" has nothing to do with it.

They took things that made sense from previous editions.

They took things that best evoked the classic game from previous editions.
Which made sense from a marketing-to-grognards (or, at lest, marketing without enraging us) perspective.

Other things may not make a lot of sense (OwlBears), but they are part of the game.

Ding!

We have superiority dice for the battlemaster and second wind for fighters from 4E as an example.

4e didn't have CS dice or battlemasters, and the fighter's second wind shares only a name with the 4e action.

They are just called "group skill checks" or something now.

Group Skill Checks are not new to the game with 5e, nor do they map to SCs nor arise from SCs.

 

[Caliban]

Yeah, they're not new to the game with 5e, nor do they map to SCs.

Or so you assume!

 

[Oofta]

Yep, it seems hard to interpret it any other way. 4e wasn't even necessarily recognized as being D&D - a 'red-headed step child' - PF might more legitimately belong in the clade.

"Like" has nothing to do with it.

They took things that best evoked the classic game from previous editions.
Which made sense from a marketing-to-grognards (or, at lest, marketing without enraging us) perspective.

Ding!

4e didn't have CS dice or battlemasters, and the fighter's second wind shares only a name with the 4e action.

Group Skill Checks are not new to the game with 5e, nor do they map to SCs nor arise from SCs.

I know OwlBears are part of 5E because they're on page 249 of the Monster Manual.

If someone asks why we have such a dumb monster I can lean in and in my best old man voice (really my regular voice nowadays) and say

"Well, sonny let me tell you about a land long ago and far away. The 70s." After waiting for their gasps of anticipation die down I continue, looking around to ensure no one else is watching. "See, back then there was this Gygax fella. He need some miniatures for his game and he came across some cheap plastic minis made in Japan."

A brief 20 minute tangent on how Commie China was not a big trade partner back then follows of course, to the rapt attention of young minds eager for knowledge of ages past.

"So there he was, holding a piece of plastic from a far-away land that looked like some kind of weird bearlike creature with a beak. What was it? An OwlBear of course."

Sitting back and acknowledging their polite exclamations of amazement, I wake up as someone nudges me because I fell asleep. Again. Darn kids.​

Rolling 3d6 to generate ability scores for NPCs? Not in any 5E book.