D&D 5E Are you using 3d6 apply as rolled and if so can you share your experience?

[Connorsrpg]

I already have a lot more concepts I'd like to play than I have time to actually play; I'd rather not have an additional set of constraints on my character creation if at all possible.

I also think the magnitude of general 3d6 rolls worked better with OD&D's low, flat bonus progression that modern D&D's linear, quickly scaling bonuses.

This too is a problem. low stats did not matter to as many parts of the game in early editions. If a player has a concept they really want to play, I let them use point buy, but this never happens in our games. Most like me choose a concept AFTER the dice are rolled.

We use 4d6 in order, but you can make one swap. This means if you have a concept in mind, then you can still play it, it just might not be optimised in all areas.

 

[Umbran]

True, but at the dining room table it’s not a tournament. As a group we can ease restrictions or roll new characters no big deal.

For some, it isn't all that fun when the other guy gets to play Ognar the Great, with an 18 and a couple 16s, and you are playing Slugamore the Forgettable, who has a net +0 modifier and none greater than +1. It is hard to get your share of spotlight when your character stats stink by comparison.

Some people won't mind that. But they came up with point buy specifically because sometimes it really is an issue. So be careful about it.

 

[Umbran]

And yet? Despite his stats? My week & imbecilic Hobbit was only 1 of 3 characters who survived the whole summer. He finished the "campaign" at 5th lv

That's great. It is also an anecdote, not data. Yes, you did it and had a good time. Maybe you should play in this game.

Doesn't say anything about anyone else, or any other campaign. That's the thing. Imbalance among the PCs is not an automatic, easy win for every group.

 

[Monayuris]

I love the inspiration behind getting the stats in order. I also like the balance of point buy.

That's why I think @redrick's idea is wonderful

Redrick Roller

This is pretty cool. I like it. Seems like it splits the difference very nicely. I may use this for new characters. Thanks for linking!

 

[TarionzCousin]

I'm in an OD&D with houserules campaign, my second with this particular group. All PC's & NPC's (henchmen, protegés, hirelings, etc.) roll 3d6 in order. As a result, none of the races/classes I wanted to play ended up being available.

In the first campaign, I was a human thief. I rolled really well upon finding a Tablet of Chaos*, boosted my Charisma high enough to become a bard, and never had to fail to sneak up on any monster ever again!

In the second campaign, currently about a dozen sessions in, I wanted to play a multiclassed elf. After my terrible rolls, I became a human cleric.

It's rough. But OD&D is like that: there's a lot more PC death, permanent dismemberment, and horrible things worse than death™!


*Barrowmaze OSR dungeon crawl.

 

[Monayuris]

The last time we used 3d6 in order was summer of 2008 in a short Basic/Expert game.
Peoples stats were all over the place, though a lot in the 8-12 range.
My own character, Garth the 1/2ling? Well.... Odds say that someone will roll really bad. Guess who that was.
The best that can be said of him stat wise is that "At least he doesn't have a negative to his Con."
Everything else granted me a -1/-2/-3

And yet? Despite his stats? My week & imbecilic Hobbit was only 1 of 3 characters who survived the whole summer. He finished the "campaign" at 5th lv

Lol. In the older editions, higher stats usually meant greater false sense of security. Its the overconfident high stat characters that bite it first.

In B/X, your abilities mean much less to your character's capability. The game was less based on stat based rolls and more on how you play.

And sometimes odd things come up, like the Int 6 fighter finding the helm of comprehend languages and such. Makes for interesting game play, for sure.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I'm kind of expecting no responses! However, as it is my intention to use this method for my next campaign, which will likely run two years, I am interested in listening to any experiences you may have.

I've done this many times over the years. It was much better for AD&D, where scores needed to be fairly low or high to get bonuses or penalties. Take DEX, for instance, IIRC scores from 8 to 14 had no modifiers at all for reaction adjustments or armor class.

In 5E, where much of the game at higher levels depends greatly on having good scores, it will be harder. I would plan to have a lower key game or very challenging otherwise.

I would like to try it myself, but I can see where some players would reject the idea. I would be interested in hearing how it turns out and I hope to hear about your experiences trying it.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I do not think I have played a game that did stats like this since I first started playing in the early 80s, but my experience was that it was such a poor way to generate stats, that everyone I knew abandoned it for other methods, even if it was something as simple and still rolling 3d6 in order, but rolling six sets at a time and choosing the best set. Also, most groups I have played with or DMed for, the players already had character concepts in mind for class and race before rolling the stats, so all the DMs ended up using a more generous stat generation system anyway, so that some players would not have to keep rolling up stats til they got a set that made the minimum requirements that older versions of the rules had.

Which brings up a side question for you. Are you going to force the players to use the first set they roll, no matter the numbers? Or will players get to roll a new set if the first (or second or third, etc) is so bad that it makes an unplayable character?

 

[Monayuris]

I do not think I have played a game that did stats like this since I first started playing in the early 80s, but my experience was that it was such a poor way to generate stats, that everyone I knew abandoned it for other methods, even if it was something as simple and still rolling 3d6 in order, but rolling six sets at a time and choosing the best set. Also, most groups I have played with or DMed for, the players already had character concepts in mind for class and race before rolling the stats, so all the DMs ended up using a more generous stat generation system anyway, so that some players would not have to keep rolling up stats til they got a set that made the minimum requirements that older versions of the rules had.

Which brings up a side question for you. Are you going to force the players to use the first set they roll, no matter the numbers? Or will players get to roll a new set if the first (or second or third, etc) is so bad that it makes an unplayable character?

In my Basic Fantasy game, if the total modifiers from their 3d6 in order roll turns out net negative, they can re-roll their stats.

But in Basic, ability scores are less important. Their impact on a character's effectiveness is very compartmentalized. You don't really need high abilities to be effective.

When one isn't globally and royally screwed by a low roll, one is more likely to just go with it and make it a quirk for their character.

 

[Guest 6801328]

One way it might be presented to the players is that the dice will decide to some degree the "difficulty mode" at which they are playing this game - Easy Mode to Nightmare Mode, and whatever's in between that. Lower ability scores may further reinforce the need for increased player skill to compensate such as by coming up with plans and actions that mitigate uncertainty to the outcome and/or the meaningful consequence for failure. Provided succeeding more than failing is the goal, one doesn't want to trust an ability check when the character is rocking a 6 in the respective ability score. Not without working to get that DC as low as possible and using resources to boost the roll as much as possible, anyway.

I was referring less to the overall campaign challenge level, and more to the problem/perception when one player has a 12 for a highest score, and somebody else is sporting a couple of 16's. A lot of people would find the game less fun when there is a huge disparity within the party, and while maybe those people "should" lean into the roleplaying aspects...well, you know what they say about leading a horse to water.