D&D 5E A Proper Ability Score Generation Preference Poll

[Yardiff]

You can totally shave off the 8 with point buy. Yes, it will cost you on the upper end of your ability scores.

Remember, 10 is "average" and 8 is just slightly below average. A character with 8 intelligence would still be able to read, write and communicate, at least in a modern society where literacy is taught to everyone. I think most of us would be hard pressed to say there is no area in which we are below average.

But hey, if characters with limitations in their abilities isn't your thing, and you have a group that feels similarly, there's nothing wrong with bumping up the power level on the point buy.

I'm not running the numbers rigorously, but there's a 17.5% chance of rolling 9 or less on a 4d6 drop 1. So, with 6 ability scores, that makes the odds of getting at least one low score fairly high.

I'm an old school grognard person and we rolled using Gary Gaygax suggestions then and now.

1e DMG pg 11 "As AD&D is an ongoing game of fantasy adventuring, it is important to allow participants to generate a viable character of the race and profession which he or she desires. While it is possible to generate some fairly playable characters by rolling 3d6, there is often an extended period of attempts at finding a suitable one due to quirks of the dice. Furthermore, these rather marginal characters tend to have short life expectancy - which tends to discourage new players, as does having to make do with some character of a race and/or class which he or she really can't or won't identify with. Character generation, then, is a serious matter, and it is recommended that the following systems be used."

1e PHB pg 9 "Furthermore, it is usually essential to the character's survival to be exceptional (with a rating of 15 or above) in no fewer than two ability characteristics."


What it really comes down to is what you think is good enough for a 'heroic adventurer', standard array and 27-point buy doesn't work for me. 35+ point buy with an 18 cap and also a max starting stat of 18 would work. 5e is very flexible so higher starting stats can be readily adjusted for.

 

[Arilyn]

I'm an old school grognard person and we rolled using Gary Gaygax suggestions then and now.

1e DMG pg 11 "As AD&D is an ongoing game of fantasy adventuring, it is important to allow participants to generate a viable character of the race and profession which he or she desires. While it is possible to generate some fairly playable characters by rolling 3d6, there is often an extended period of attempts at finding a suitable one due to quirks of the dice. Furthermore, these rather marginal characters tend to have short life expectancy - which tends to discourage new players, as does having to make do with some character of a race and/or class which he or she really can't or won't identify with. Character generation, then, is a serious matter, and it is recommended that the following systems be used."

1e PHB pg 9 "Furthermore, it is usually essential to the character's survival to be exceptional (with a rating of 15 or above) in no fewer than two ability characteristics."


What it really comes down to is what you think is good enough for a 'heroic adventurer', standard array and 27-point buy doesn't work for me. 35+ point buy with an 18 cap and also a max starting stat of 18 would work. 5e is very flexible so higher starting stats can be readily adjusted for.

This quote from Gygax has almost been completely forgotten. He didn't really like roll 3d6 in order, cause he knew it tended to generate less than adventure worthy characters.

 

[Hussar]

Just my opinion.
I keep reading about all these GMs who have players roll for stat then make them use subpar stats, that's just a bad GM who doesn't understand the spirit of D&D.

IOW, the only reason to die roll is to make high powered characters.

 

[Inchoroi]

As on the other thread, my groups roll for stats, 4d6 drop lowest, but they roll two arrays and get to choose between the first or second. It makes for decent stats, but they're not crippled with a bad array (if both arrays are below a +4 total modifier, they get to reroll both).

 

[smbakeresq]

As I recall, other than his (very reasonable) uneasiness around magic, Conan doesn't possess any real flaws in the stories. The default assumption in D&D is something a little more rounded, especially since characters are meant to be part of a group. If you want to play a character whose only limitation is that he's not awesome at everything, I feel like that's a conversation with your group to decide what kind of game they want.

Conan is a sort of Fighter/Thief/Barbarian gestalt character.

Having average intelligence and wisdom isn't awesome, its average. That's the point. having a player with 15,15,15, 10,10,10 isn't in anyway meaningfully different in gameplay than a 15,15, 15, 8, 8, 8 except your player feels better. If your player has a low score that can be a PC hook, that's different and good if the PC plays it that way.

PC's are HEROES. Let them be.

 

[Yardiff]

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think it requires 6 18s to be a heroic adventurer...5 18 and a 17 works.

 

[Yardiff]

IOW, the only reason to die roll is to make high powered characters.

That really depends on what you consider 'high powered' to means. To me high powered is above 'human' max in a stat, in 5e that's over 20. 16-18 I consider strong but not over powered. 14-15 is above 'normal'. 12-13 is 'high normal'. 10-11 is average. 8-9 is 'low normal'. so on.



Edit: made a couple adjustments.

 

[Yaarel]

Five 18s is perfectly acceptable at Level 20.

 

[Caliban]

That really depends on what you consider 'high powered' to means. To me high powered is above human max in a stat, in 5e that's over 20. 16-18 I consider strong but not over powered. 14-15 is barely above 'normal'. 12-13 is normal. 10-11 is average. and so on.

...so you think "normal" is better than "average"?

I think you have a serious case of stat inflation.

 

[Satyrn]

That really depends on what you consider 'high powered' to means. To me high powered is above human max in a stat, in 5e that's over 20. 16-18 I consider strong but not over powered. 14-15 is barely above 'normal'. 12-13 is normal. 10-11 is average. and so on.

When my table switch to "Standard Array Only" I was surprised to see my perceptions significantly change. 16 is excellent 14-15 is "more than enough," 12-13 is "Good enough," 8-11 is "yeah, whatever, it's just like 10% less than good enough."

I don't know what an 18 is like because I'd rather grab a feat instead of pumping up the digits.