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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 5903593" data-attributes="member: 6677017">I both agree and disagree. This sort of variability has a major effect on both the tone of the game, and the choices that are made both in-character and out of character.     For the agree part, I really like the idea of random considerations that do not directly affect character creation or development.     I like to play in a world that feels like it’s real and doesn’t revolve around the PCs (by default), and therefore I use random treasure, random encounters, variable prices (and haggling!) maybe even random world events. Of course, I overrule such things in the interest of fun and story, if needed. This sets a backdrop of a living world, into which the PCs arrive, and which I as a DM get to be surprised by right along with the players. Do I always roll?  Of course not. Some treasures are customized and encounters set, even outside of specific adventures (and most factors are controlled within a designated adventure). But there is a certain excitement to getting to see what happens. The dice are the spice.     For the disagree part, I intensely hate the idea of random hit points and ability scores. Hate it. To the degree that I’ll strongly consider not playing in a campaign if I have to use random hit points. If I have to use random ability scores, I will wait to come up with a character concept until after I’ve rolled my scores.     For me, I like to come up with a character concept ahead of time that I think will be enjoyable to play in a particular campaign. Random stats means that it might not work.     For example, let’s say I have a concept of a dwarf fighter that is tough as nails (not the most role-playing directed concept, but we’ll go with it for the analogy). Let’s say I even manage to roll an elusive 18 for Con, and end up with a 20 to start!  However...what if I roll poorly on my hit points?  Sure, it’s unlikely, but if the campaign only goes to 10th level, I can end up with a Con of 22 and 72 hp, while the bard with a Con of 14 ends up with 80. While this is an extremely unlikely example, when you’re dealing with 10 levels, the chances of severe probability variability aren’t as ridiculous as one might thing. Essentially, the dice have just taken my character concept away from me. If I had rolled a suite of 13s and 14s for my ability scores, think how much lowers that hp total would have been. And then the worse part: even if I had waited to come up with a character concept until I saw that natural 18 rolled, I could still get these results.     So I dislike the randomness primarily for the limitations it places on me in crafting my own character.     In other considerations, if hp and ability scores are randomized, why not randomize other permanent aspects of character creation? Feats, skills? Heck, why not race, class, and alignment. Let’s just use software that spits out a character at the beginning, and then when we level up, we wait to see what we’re going to get.     From a simulationist perspective, random hp add also add a fineness of granularity out of harmony with the rest of the stats. Con determines your physical make-up. Class determines the type of training you’ve gotten, and level determines how much of it you’ve had. Feats can add in extra focus on toughness. So...what else should be considered there? Is there any reason, from a consistency of D&D granularity consideration, that we need to vary hp between characters that are otherwise identical in those previous components? If we had a system where stats went from 1-100, then maybe. But on the scale D&D uses, it’s out of harmony. Same for monster hit points.     Now...all that having been said, I actually support random ability scores and hit points as the default rules for 5E. It’s traditional D&D, and that should take precedence over my personal preferences in terms of published materials. Although, you can bet I’m using the modules for non-random hp and ability scores.</blockquote>

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