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

[Swarmkeeper]

It might feel that way to one or more of the other players at the table, who might feel as though they're carrying some extra dead weight.

It's not just the players with the weaker characters who are having less fun, is what I'm saying.

Oh, for sure. If the players of the heftier statted PCs aren’t happy about it, then we collectively have a problem at the table.

But, if they are all signed up for, and agree to, a game where some PCs may have glaring stat disparities, is that inherently worse gameplay?

 

[prabe]

Oh, for sure. If the players of the heftier statted PCs aren’t happy about it, then we collectively have a problem at the table.

But, if they are all signed up for, and agree to, a game where some PCs may have glaring stat disparities, is that inherently worse gameplay?

If the people with the better stats are frustrated, and the people with the worse stats are frustrated, how can it not be worse gameplay? Or at least, how can it not be a worse experience for the players? (And isn't "better/worse experience" more important than "better/worse gameplay?")

 

[Swarmkeeper]

If the people with the better stats are frustrated, and the people with the worse stats are frustrated, how can it not be worse gameplay? Or at least, how can it not be a worse experience for the players? (And isn't "better/worse experience" more important than "better/worse gameplay?")

1. If they are frustrated it’s worse game experience.
2. If they signed up for something and then get frustrated when that something happens, well, it’s still worse game experience - and one can only wonder where communication broke down.
3. If they signed up for it, and enjoy it… then clearly not a worse experience.

 

[prabe]

1. If they are frustrated it’s worse game experience.
2. If they signed up for something and then get frustrated when that something happens, well, it’s still worse game experience - and one can only wonder where communication broke down.
3. If they signed up for it, and enjoy it… then clearly not a worse experience.

For your 2) I'm willing to suggest it might be people finding out that what they signed up for frustrates them. I've found myself not much enjoying some games I've signed up for, and it wasn't really a communications breakdown.

 

[AlViking]

If a player (or players) enjoy(s) playing an underdog type, or a character that otherwise has some glaring mechanical disparities relative to other characters in the party, is that inherently worse gameplay?

If you don't happen to be one of those people who like playing a character with stats far lower than everyone else and would rather have everyone start out on more or less even footing, yes it's worse.

 

[CleverNickName]

If you don't happen to be one of those people who like playing a character with stats far lower than everyone else and would rather have everyone start out on more or less even footing, yes it's worse.

The only way I can see this becoming a real problem is if you find yourself in a situation where you would rather everyone start out on equal footing as you said, but everyone else likes the mismatched characters they rolled.

And at that point, I don't think it's really a problem with stat generation anymore.

 

[prabe]

The only way I can see this becoming a real problem is if you find yourself in a situation where you would rather everyone start out on equal footing as you said, but everyone else likes the mismatched characters they rolled.

And at that point, I don't think it's really a problem with stat generation anymore.

None of this is really about stat generation, though. It's all about expectations and experiences and preferences.

 

[AlViking]

It might feel that way to one or more of the other players at the table, who might feel as though they're carrying some extra dead weight.

It's not just the players with the weaker characters who are having less fun, is what I'm saying.

True. If there's one guy always hiding in the back, doing everything they can to never take damage while also rarely being an effective part of the team? At best it can be disappointing.

 

[AlViking]

The only way I can see this becoming a real problem is if you find yourself in a situation where you would rather everyone start out on equal footing as you said, but everyone else likes the mismatched characters they rolled.

And at that point, I don't think it's really a problem with stat generation anymore.

I can see it being a real problem if the people are not having as much fun playing the game. Seems to me the real problem is the attitude of people that don't accept other people have different points of view on the subject when there are simple solutions that harms no one.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

True. If there's one guy always hiding in the back, doing everything they can to never take damage while also rarely being an effective part of the team? At best it can be disappointing.

Who said anything about “one guy always hiding in the back”? IME, that “one guy” is not the guy with the lowest stats or fewest hp. That’s an entirely different problem of failing to recognize this is a collaborative game where the PCs work together to achieve shared goals. At least that’s true at our table.