D&D General How Did You Generate Your Most Recent Character's Stats?

Think back to your last D&D character. Which method did you use to generate ability scores?

  • I rolled them, using the rules as-written or a variant thereof.

    Votes: 33 42.9%
  • I used Point-buy, as-written or some variant of it.

    Votes: 24 31.2%
  • I used a fixed array, either the one in the book or a custom version of it.

    Votes: 19 24.7%
  • I used a pre-generated character.

    Votes: 1 1.3%

Same here, that’s what works best for our group.

All players (including DM) rolls 4d6 drop lowest (x6). These become the stat arrays available for this campaign, including PC-built villains.

Typically, we end up with one series that is truly garbage, one/two/three that are boringly average (depending on number of players), one that’s above average but evenly distributed, and one with one or two high scores and one or two low ones.

All the thrill or rolling, all the equity of standard arrays.
 

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The thing with rolling stats is that it's fun as F.

I don't agree with the results. But I think it is by far the best process, in terms of just having a good time while making your character.
I give my players the option to use Point Buy, the Standard 4d6 method, or my Dice Point method with 4 points (maybe 5).

I also point out that the lowest score you can get with Point Buy is an 8, but, the highest score you can get is a 15. 😈 Limited risk deserves limited reward.
 

Do you re-roll the ones before the "drop the lowest" or after? just testing this in FantasyGrounds dice chat scripts and it can drop the lowest but will not reroll the ones but it can do the reroll before dropping the lowest.
I do after. So if someone rolled a 1,1,2,3. They'd drop one 1, and then re-roll the other till they got something other than a 1. Main point is just to prevent below 6 ability score than shoot for all good scores.
 

Oh, and the actual best method to generate stats: Stat Draft.

 

Oh, and the actual best method to generate stats: Stat Draft.

What post number is the Stat Draft laid out?
 

During low-level play I could be generating a new character every other session. :)

I think we established long ago we play very different games. :) That's never been the case for me, even back as far as OD&D.

The reason I see it as superior is that it better reflects the real-world luck of the draw when it comes to genetics, nature (as opposed to nurture), and inherent abilities (as in some people are just naturally better at almost everything than are others).

IME the process and inherent risks - and associated luck or lack thereof - of adventuring tend to act as a very effective field-leveller.

The people that are the best at what they do - and that's always a goal for characters in the games I play - are not random people off the street. They have aptitude for their chosen field. That, and I don't really care. I was born with a random assortment of attributes, I want to play a fantasy game. The levelling only really comes into play if you but them through a funnel of death and that is not the kind of game I enjoy. We all have our own preferences.
 


I give my players the option to use Point Buy, the Standard 4d6 method, or my Dice Point method with 4 points (maybe 5).

I also point out that the lowest score you can get with Point Buy is an 8, but, the highest score you can get is a 15. 😈 Limited risk deserves limited reward.

Do people actually play the characters that roll poorly though? Or do you have a minimum of some sort? Because one of the issues I've seen in the past is that if a player is the DM's buddy (or worse yet love interest) the rules for rolling are more, shall we say, lenient.

If it is truly roll once and you get what you get and no your character is not suicidally brave then I'd still pick point buy.
 


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