D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Point Buy
- Thread starter Majere
- Start date
Teemu
Hero
Here's a handy point buy calculator: http://home.san.rr.com/thegraggs/dnd/Misc/pbcalc.htm
Infiniti2000
First Post
It's not harsh at all. If it's too low, just use a 44 point buy (thus Werk's number).Nac_Mac_Feegle said:
Li Shenron
Legend
Nac_Mac_Feegle said:
32 point-buy with base 8 is NOT harsh.
melkorspawn
First Post
Li Shenron said:32 point-buy with base 8 is NOT harsh.
I've never played with a point buy higher than 28 with a base of 8... and oftentimes it's 26. 32 base of 8 would be heaven.
werk
First Post
Nac_Mac_Feegle said:
Switching to point buy was one of the best things I ever did for game balance IMC. It starts everyone on level ground before they even pick class rather than 'luck of the dice'. A couple unlucky rolls would haunt a character for the whole campaign...plus I had some suspiciously high stats, repeatedly, on one player...maybe not all luck.
If 32 pt buy is harsh, it is harsh for all players and therefore, fair.
Tiberius
Explorer
For future reference, I've noticed that the number of points required to raise a stat is equal to the stat's current modifier, with a minimum of one point. So raising a stat from 13 to 14 (+1 modifier at 13) would cost one point, but 14 to 15 would cost 2 (as 14 yields a +2 modifier). I find this easier than memorizing a chart of values.
Nonlethal Force
First Post
werk said:
Exactly. And to make it even more fun ... when my players go up against an opponent that is built by using class levels (not just out of the MM as it were) - the opponent they go up against also uses the same ability point buy as the players received. (I use 32 point buy as well).
Oh, and if we are talking fair ... one of my biggest pet-peeves is that the enemies often don't receive maximum hit-die by many DMs, but they turn around and give the players maximum hit-die for the first character level. Fair is fair, after all.
And if we are talking about really streamlining the character generation process, I also use a system for generating Hit Points as 75% of class hit die (round up at odd class levels and down at even class levels). That makes the Hit point rolling all be fair as well. I use this same method for the villians ... the old good for the goose/good for the gander rationale.
One thing I haven't seen on here is suggestions for a rnaged paladin. I've seen a paladin with 10 STR and and an Uber WIS use zen archery (CD I believe) pretty efficiently. This is an even better tactic for clerics, by the way.
Nonlethal Force
First Post
Tiberius said:
As long as you remember it doesn't work for values less than 12 ... then you are golden. After all, that would mean going from 10 to 11 to 12 would all be free since 10 and 11 have a mod of +0, right?
I realize this is not what you meant ... just kidding, really.
Edit: Hee hee. And going from 8 to 9 to 10 would actually increase your points available because the mod is -1!
Okay, I admit I took your very useful guideline and abused it. Sorry. jsut having fun, really.
