lichmaster
Hero
For the table above, it seems again that the easiest thing to do is to keep the sum of the modifiers fixed at a value. Here that value is a zero, of course*. So you buy a +1 somewhere with a -1 somewhere else."Zero" sum charts below for the 3d6 distribution, with a 10.5 balance point. That 0.5 is pain, it means I either need a 2 point gap between 10 & 11 (and some BIG score costs):
Score Cost Score Cost 3 -41 11 1 4 -29 12 3 5 -21 13 6 6 -15 14 10 7 -10 15 15 8 -6 16 21 9 -3 17 29 10 -1 18 41
Or I need to use 10 as the cost balance point and set a target sum of 3 (rather than zero) to re-balance at 10.5:
Score Cost Score Cost 3 -21 11 1 4 -15 12 2 5 -11 13 4 6 -8 14 6 7 -5 15 9 8 -3 16 12 9 -1 17 16 10 0 18 22
I'm interested to know which feels easier to use?
Paired Scores are much easier since it's symmetrical for a 3d6 distribution: 3=18, 4=17, ...10=11
In the table below the costs are asymmetrical and the bare minimum cost for a +1 is higher than the bare minimum gain for a -1 (12 costs 2 but 9 only gives you 1), and so on. This is subtle but quite reduces the legit combinations, so the system is less flexible than the one above.
*The general rule is: you take the modified associated to the score resulting from the average roll of whatever rolling method you have, and multiply it by 6 (3d6 give an average modifier of +0, best 3 of 4d6 give an average modifier of +1).
I personally would not allow dump stats below a 6, and no player I know would play a character with a dump stat lower than that.