48-point buy

[Dracorat]

6d6

Actually, that's a front-loaded array, so it would probably be 7D6 drop lowest.

 

[Ourph]

The monsters in the core game are not designed for characters with such high scores. IME this leads to a game where most encounters using standard, unmodified monsters are terribly easy and a few tend to kill lots of PCs (usually through save-or-die attacks). It's entirely possible to run a game with these kinds of stats and make it fun and challenging, but IMO it's a lot more work for the DM to find the sweet spot.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I'm going to cut in here. Stats have nothing to do with being a hero or heroic.

Depends on the definition. The classical definition of heroic unquestionably involves being far greater than ordinary men.

 

[Crothian]

Depends on the definition. The classical definition of heroic unquestionably involves being far greater than ordinary men.

But it was what they did with that ability that truely made them heroic. But if we are going by the Classical Definition they would also need a fatal flaw.

 

[werk]

How ridiculous is a campaign run with these kinds of stats?

I use 48 point buy IMC. No problems really, characters easily qualify for anything the player wants to do. Works well for us.

EDIT: to say that I love adding class levels and advancing monsters. If you play 48-PB against as-printed MM creatures, you may want to raise the EL a little.

 

[Numion]

One DM, after his very succesful core-only, no PrCs campaign started an "if it's published it goes, array 18, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10 and up to ECL +2 for free" - campaign

Too bad he got a kid and a new job and couldn't DM more than one session.

It was fun. Players brought out all kinds of crazy characters. Deep gnome archer (that player talked it up to ECL +3), Drow priest with custom god for double scimitar, Gray Orc (me, should've been a deep orc), arctic dwarf rogue etc..

Sorry, I got carried away. Since it was only one session, it's hard to say how broken it would be in the long run

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I think you'll find that a 48 point buy really effectively makes the game feel as if they are LA +1 characters. That's not a problem - nor even a bad thing! It is merely something to keep in mind. These characters will have an easier time at most things than a regular party.

Again, that's not a bad thing. But your DM will have to work a bit harder to challenge you.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I think you'll find that a 48 point buy really effectively makes the game feel as if they are LA +1 characters. That's not a problem - nor even a bad thing! It is merely something to keep in mind. These characters will have an easier time at most things than a regular party.

Again, that's not a bad thing. But your DM will have to work a bit harder to challenge you.

Actually, 48 is probably closer to LA +2, albeit on the low end. In terms of translating the pregenerated stats into racial modifiers, it comes out to something like +4, +2, +2, +0, +2, +2, and you get to pick where the bonuses go. I don't think there's a LA +1 race that gives such significant stat bonuses, or in the same ballpark and also gives equally valuable special abilities.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Once the PCs get a few levels under their belts, they should be able to handle themselves close to the effectiveness of a party 1/2 or 1 level higher. On a practical level, that means throwing 25%-50% more monsters at them.

It would not really be more than that unless the DM pumps up the wealth level, too.

 

[Andre]

Actually, 48 is probably closer to LA +2, albeit on the low end. In terms of translating the pregenerated stats into racial modifiers, it comes out to something like +4, +2, +2, +0, +2, +2, and you get to pick where the bonuses go. I don't think there's a LA +1 race that gives such significant stat bonuses, or in the same ballpark and also gives equally valuable special abilities.

You're right if someone were creating a race with these bonuses, but in actual play, I've found that high stats (in the 48 point range) means the party can generally take on challenges one level higher than normal. They'll hit a bit more often, get hit a bit less often, take a bit less damage, etc. But a group of 4 1st-level heroes with these stats will still find an ogre to be a challenge.

Personally, I find calculating LA even more difficult than calculating CR - just see what happens in actual play and go from there.