25 or 32...what's the REAL "standard" point buy?

[Vindicator]

Hey all. I'm gonna start up a PBEM soon and I'm wondering if anyone can comment on a recommended point buy. The DMG tells us that 25 is "standard", and that 32 is for higher powered games. But here on enworld, my impression is that 32 is pretty much the standard...whatever "standard" means.

25 or 32? What should I use in my game? And is 25 really too low, or are people on enworld simply playing higher-powered games?

BTW, in my PBEM, characters will begin at 1st level. And I don't envision the world being "lower" or "higher" powered than default D&D.

 

[MarauderX]

32 for every one I have been in, for the one I run, and nearly every one I have heard about.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

When we use point buy (we usually use 4d6 drop lowest dice 6 times method), we use 32, because thats about how well we usually roll.

 

[JoeBlank]

I think that 25 actually reflects the average roll using 4d6 drop lowest. However, many groups allow rerolls of "non-viable" characters, which brings the average stats up some.

 

[s/LaSH]

Only pointbuy campaign I've been in has been 26-point.

So there's a pattern-breaker.

 

[cats_claw]

32 points here, We'd consider high powered a 34 or 35 point buy.

 

[Cerubus Dark]

In the RPGA event my friend runs he is using a 25 point buy for his games.

I will be using a 25 point buy as well.

 

[RangerWickett]

I realized something a year or two ago. 32 pt buy is really +1 or +1.5 level adjust. It's the difference between the average stat being a 12 and the average stat being a 14. Attack bonuses are a point or two higher, save DCs are higher, hp is higher. One time I did 36 point buy because I thought it would make for fun PCs and happy players. Then somehow I was surprised when the party easily killed things a few CRs too high for them.

So, to make the players in my group happy (and really, aren't you really really happy when you play a character with an 18?), we do 20 pt. buy for 5 stats, with one free 18. Or 21d6, drop the 3 lowest dice, arrange 3 dice to each stat.

If you want a lot of higher stats, I handily just happened to have written Four-Color to Fantasy, which lets you take levels in what is effectively a superhero class, to boost your stats. *grin*

 

[Piratecat]

I use 32 points, as my game is relatively high level. In a new 1st lvl game I'd use 28 or 30 points.

 

[ph0rk]

Living Greyhawk is 28 PB, and I haven't felt underpowered.

If I run the summer game I've been planning, I'll probably do 32 PB, but that is more to ease the transition from the uber high stats we've been using than anything else.

I'd probably prefer 28 PB; trying to have more than one really high stat should hurt