Level Up (A5E) Do Player Characters Have Average Population Stat Distributions?

[The Crimson Binome]

I'm picturing using this in 3e or before and the party running into the worlds greatest mage... who can't cast actually cast 8th or 9th level spells because the DM rolled poorly in making the arch-mages stat array.

Statistically speaking, a little less than 1-in-200 characters have Intelligence 18. Fantasy France might have a population of 200,000 citizens, but that doesn't mean there are a thousand (or even a hundred) seats available in their magic school. The average trained wizard probably starts with an Intelligence of 17 or 18, because high Intelligence is one of the things that leads someone to studying magic in the first place.

Do you make the player play whatever they roll up? Say all 11's or lower, for example, or a negative total ability mod across the six?

Of course not. If the character they make is not of an appropriate power level, then they're set aside as an NPC, and the player can try again until they create someone who fits with the group. The population, as a whole, conforms to the statistical distribution of the stat generation method. As players, we're free to focus on a sub-set of the population which is conducive to interesting gameplay.

 

[Guest 6801328]

@Saelorn and @Lanefan: do you both play in the same group?

 

[Lanefan]

I mean, I can understand the appeal of playing an RPG in which you start off as just like everybody else. That might be fun sometimes.

But it's also fun to play knowing that your character happens to be a couple standard deviations above average.

I'm more than cool with this, believe it or not. I don't mind the average PC being a cut above the average commoner as long as a commoner could in theory achieve the same results.

Or even that your character has advantages that aren't just statistically unlikely among commoners, but that are just unachievable to them.

I'm not cool with this. Statistically unlikely still means possible. Unachievable means impossible, which dis-integrates the PCs from the setting.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I'm more than cool with this, believe it or not. I don't mind the average PC being a cut above the average commoner as long as a commoner could in theory achieve the same results.

I'm not cool with this. Statistically unlikely still means possible. Unachievable means impossible, which dis-integrates the PCs from the setting.

Depends on the setting. And the players.

There are players for whom the setting dis-integrates if martial powers are not at-will.

 

[Morrus]

Sounds like you're looking at a setting where a) the PCs are the only adventurers in existence and b) you're planning on zero PC lethality and-or turnover during the campaign. In this extremely unusual case, the PCs can be as ridiculous as you like.

I mean, again, your assumed premise is flawed. So the rest of your long post flows from a flawed premise, so I haven't read that far.

So, the premise --

Sounds like you're looking at a setting where a) the PCs are the only adventurers in existence

No, I'm looking at a story where the PCs are the only protagonists. They're Luke Skywalker and Han Solo and Mulan.

you're planning on zero PC lethality and-or turnover during the campaign

I am not planning on that.

In this extremely unusual case, the PCs can be as ridiculous as you like.

That's just insulting. What's going on, dude?

 

[Lanefan]

Do you make the player play whatever they roll up? Say all 11's or lower, for example, or a negative total ability mod across the six?

I've never seen all 11s or lower. My game doesn't use ability mods in the same way 5e does; but I have seen (and played) characters whose total would have added to 0 or maybe worse. (the best character I've ever played started with a total of +2)

Are there any NPCs in your world with a profound disability or who start their career with no training and in bondage? Do your players characters have a chance of starting that way?

Unless the PC is a rescued prisoner, in which case it sort-of does start in bondage, they usually start as free-willed individuals.

I usually bring them in at either raw 1st level or at a floor which increases slowly as the party gains levels - which means they've had at least some training.

As for profound disability, there is a chance via bad luck of having your PC come in deaf, or (as just happened recently) mute, or similar. A stat of 4 or less in anything other than Cha would perhaps indicate a disability of some sort also.

 

[Lanefan]

@Saelorn and @Lanefan: do you both play in the same group?

Not guilty, y'r honour.

 

[Charlaquin]

I liked that PF gave a variety of different point buy totals depending on what the campaign was aiming at.

3e did that too. It was smart.

 

[Lanefan]

I mean, again, your assumed premise is flawed. So the rest of your long post flows from a flawed premise, so I haven't read that far.

So, the premise --

No, I'm looking at a story where the PCs are the only protagonists. They're Luke Skywalker and Han Solo and Mulan.

Can't speak to Mulan - never seen it. But Luke and Han operate within a galaxy of other individuals who also adventure and have powers and are the protagonists in their own stories. That it's the Luke-Han story being told doesn't invalidate all the others, nor does it mean Luke and Han can operate in ways all those other protagonists cannot: they have to fit within their setting just like everyone else.

That's just insulting. What's going on, dude?

Not intended as insulting, just trying to point out that if the PCs really are the only adventurers in the entire setting there's nothing stopping a DM or a rule-set from making them be absolutely anything without regard to the rest of the setting. It's exactly the same as if the PCs are aliens within the setting - they don't need to conform to it.

 

[Maxperson]

But it wouldn’t have been less cool if it wasn’t bad at being a bard.

It wasn't bad at being a bard. No race in 5e is bad at being a bard. None.