D&D 5E A Proper Ability Score Generation Preference Poll

[Slit518]

This is random, I've never used it before, but here we go.

4d4

Average is 10, range is 4 - 16

or

4d4 + 1

Average is 11, range is 5 - 17

or

4d4 + 2

Average is 12, range is 6 - 18

or

5d4

Average is 12.5, range is 5-20

 

[Marandahir]

Player's choice, but if they choose role, the rolling has to be in full view of the group.
Also, if the end result is really rotten (like no score above 12), then I allow them to reroll from the beginning.

I've also experimented with allowing a 7th set of 4d6, so not only is it drop the lowest d6, but it's also drop the lowest resulting score before assigning.

 

[Lanefan]

I've also experimented with allowing a 7th set of 4d6, so not only is it drop the lowest d6, but it's also drop the lowest resulting score before assigning.

This is cool.

The only thing I'd change is that you could drop any roll, instead of always the lowest. Were I to roll 7 times and come up with, say, 18-15-14-13-10-10-7 I'd far rather lose one of the 10s than the 7.

 

[cbwjm]

Player's choice, but if they choose role, the rolling has to be in full view of the group.
Also, if the end result is really rotten (like no score above 12), then I allow them to reroll from the beginning.

I've also experimented with allowing a 7th set of 4d6, so not only is it drop the lowest d6, but it's also drop the lowest resulting score before assigning.

In 2e, I used to allow 8 rolls of 4d6k3 allowing the players to drop the lowest 2 rolls. I'd also allow some adjustment if they really wanted to play a class so if they wanted to run a paladin but their highest roll was a 16 then they could put that 16 into charisma and I'd bump it up to 17.

The signature of champions.

 

[Yardiff]

We going to play a modified West Marches style game and the group decided on a non-roll, non-point buy stat generation method. You choose your ability scores as you like but you can only have a pre-racial over all stat bonus of +12 with not stat below 8.

Edit: I think there was also a limitation of even numbers only.

 

[clearstream]

No problem! I hope it didn't come off as if I was implying your poll was somehow improper, but I wanted to see what the results would be like if the poll covered more options. I tried to be as thorough as possible and include all the major methods and combinations thereof. I didn't expect so many would respond with "other" and would like to hear more from those who did about what methods they are using. If I was going to do this poll again, I might have included options for "other rolling", "other point-buy", etc.

It didn't! My poll wasn't constructed properly so its value was pretty much only revealing what some of the elements of a good poll could be

My assumption, as I think I stated in the OP although perhaps not clearly, is that players participate voluntarily in whatever group they belong to, and that if there was a misalignment between a player's preferences and the preferences of the group as a whole, then the player would find a group more suited to meeting those preferences. I realize this is rather idealistic, but I encourage anyone playing in a group that doesn't share the same priorities to the extent that it interferes with one's enjoyment of the game to leave that group and find a group that does. Also, I think it's clear, but again perhaps not as clear as I intended, that this poll is meant to reflect the preferences of the individual, and I encourage anyone whose vote reflects their participation in a group that doesn't share their preference to change their vote to reflect their own true preference.

That would be ideal wouldn't it, if everyone shares their preference. I don't know if many people are so attached to the ability array generation method that they would turn down months or years of pleasurable play at the first session. Leaving a group - for me at least - would need something bigger than that. Maybe the refinement would be to break Points-Buy/Standard Array out into two questions: Points-Buy/Standard Array (own choice), Points-Buy/Standard Array (AL mandated)? That said, your poll works and it's given us some good results. (Yes, I will forever caveat that we can't see the detail in the Points-Buy number, so there's that vexation for you I guess!)

It could be also, that once a player is brought to try points-buy through AL they find that they like it and continue with it in their own campaign. Sometimes being forced to try something different helps you overcome a prejudice. In making my poll, I didn't mean to suggest that anyone's preferences about character generation were inferior. I overlooked Standard Array because I've never used it or seen it used other than in some convention pre-gens. In a similar vein, I wanted to know how widely used customisation was in order to rethink one of my balancing principles for contributions to community homebrew?

However vexatiously I might cavil, it is clear to me that customisation is far more common than I imagined, and it is very valuable to have driven home that it is the default in AL.

 

[ClaytonCross]

I would like to recommend rolling 5d4 -1 6 times and arranging as you like. ... I have never done it. I just find it an interesting idea. lol

 

[Frankie1969]

Array or 27 point buy allows your PCs to start the games as marines (a step above the common rabble), while I believe PCs should start the games as special focres (a step above the normal marine).

You're ignoring that in addition to fitness, soldiers also need 3+ years of EXPERIENCE to join SOF (I oppose 18X). In other words, they aren't 1st level level characters (I'd say at least 5th) and those high stats you desire are actually AFTER ability score increases.

 

[Yardiff]

Whatever you say. Did you get what I meant by the post?

 

[Tallifer]

I would only allow random rolls if the player did them plainly in front of absolutely everyone, both players and dungeon master.