D&D 5E How does your group determine ability scores?

[Musing Mage]

yeah when you can give them ANYTHING it seems like you can give them a TPK... what does this prove?

I can give a monster straight 3s, 100d12HD a prof of +19 and prof in all the saves, legendary ressience and have 7 attacks that deal 10d6+24 each...

Apologies, I wasn't clear - I don't give them ANYTHING I want - I craft the NPC villain only with options that are 100% player facing. This is a character the player could have made.

 

[Maxperson]

what you just wrote is a 6pt in stat 3pt in modifier difference...

Okay. In game play, though, bounded accuracy reduces the meaning of stat numbers significantly. You no longer need to have high stats to compensate for the ever increasing armor classes and save bonuses of enemies.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Apologies, I wasn't clear - I don't give them ANYTHING I want - I craft the NPC villain only with options that are 100% player facing. This is a character the player could have made.

i don't believe you

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Okay. In game play, though, bounded accuracy reduces the meaning of stat numbers significantly.

bounded accuracy means there are fewer numbers so every +1 matters more

You no longer need to have high stats to compensate for the ever increasing armor classes and save bonuses of enemies.

then why care if a DM chooses to just say defualt array? if stats don't matter why can't you make any stats work?

 

[DND_Reborn]

But can't you randomize in different ways? Have a DM create a number of arrays, say 20 or so, using point buy. You could also expand the number range a bit, use 3.5's method which goes up to 18. Then have people roll randomly for the array they get, possibly randomly roll for sequence or for class. Heck, randomly roll for race if you want.

Something like this?

These are 20 of the 65 (?) possible point-buy arrays. The rules are no 8's, lowest must be 9 or 10, and at least one 15.

To the OP:

When we did this I allowed the player to roll 2d20 instead of just one. You could then pick either array. If you rolled the same on both d20, you could pick from the arrays freely.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Apologies, I wasn't clear - I don't give them ANYTHING I want - I craft the NPC villain only with options that are 100% player facing. This is a character the player could have made.

FWIW, I believe you. If I actually bother making an "NPC" villain, and not just a "creature template" villain, I also craft them as if they were a PC build--even if higher level/ more powerful of course.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

roll 24d6 as a group. Remove the lowest 6, then arrange the remaining 18 results amongst the Stats, 3 dice of the player's choice to each ability.

 

[Maxperson]

bounded accuracy means there are fewer numbers so every +1 matters more

No. It means that you don't need to worry about having a 14, because you will still do well. Having a 20 is overkill and a waste. You're going to get more impact and fun from many feats.

then why care if a DM chooses to just say defualt array? if stats don't matter why can't you make any stats work?

Because I absolutely loathe cookie cutter characters. Every PC in existence isn't going to be born with 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 or add up to exactly 27 points of point buy stats. It also offends my sense of realism on that subject and is a deal breaker for me.

 

[Musing Mage]

i don't believe you

Oh noes! A random internet troll doesn't believe me! My whole day is ruined! I must now go rethink the entirety of my existence.

 

[Maxperson]

There's a difference between random rolls that will over time average out*

*Unless you're Will Wheaton, of course.

I missed this earlier. I don't understand that reference.