Ability Points Buy System how many ?

[Thanee]

I still like this system the best. It gives hero level characters (not overpowered, tho) and you do not have completely optimized stat arrays. You might actually end up with an 18 in a stat you deemed not very important. It obviously doesn't work well, if you want to create a character with a very fixed picture in mind (like moderately strong, very uncharismatic, highly intelligent, etc.), this is where point buy is best used. Anyways... here it is... (Some might remember it roughly from Unearthed Arcana)

First, you have to put all six stats into a fixed order (i.e. if you plan on making a Wizard you might want INT, CON, DEX, WIS, CHA, STR).

Then, roll 9d6 for the first stat, 8d6 for the second, 7d6 for the third, 6d6 for the fourth, 5d6 for the fifth and 4d6 for the sixth - always keeping the best three dice.

You can repeat the whole procedure once, but have to live with the second stat array then. Of course you decide your race and class afterwards, but you should have an idea before you start, obviously.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Master of Monkeys]

Our campaign uses 4d6 keep the highest 3 and reroll all 1s and 2s. It works out well and everyone likes it but I feel quilty as a DM. I tend to raise the characters CR by one or two when throwing things at them though.

 

[Conaill]

IIRC, someone worked out that average amount for the 4d6 drop the lowest method in the PHB including rerolls came to about 30 points. I think it was Dr. Rictus.

It gives about 29-30 on average. However, you can *build* a character with the same ability modifiers using only 25 points (all even stats). And of course the flexibility of being able to pick your own stats is worth something too!

 

[Conaill]

By the way, depending on which ECL calculator you use, an additional 10-20 points is worth +1 ECL.

So for all you people who are using 40+ point-buy: that's as if you're playing 2nd level characters but only facing 1st level challenges! Talk about coddling your players...

 

[Arkham]

By the way, depending on which ECL calculator you use, an additional 10-20 points is worth +1 ECL.

So for all you people who are using 40+ point-buy: that's as if you're playing 2nd level characters but only facing 1st level challenges! Talk about coddling your players...

Heheh... Actually that'd be effectively 2nd
level characters facing 3rd and 4th level
challenges...

I am hard on my PCs, and they enjoy it.

 

[nopantsyet]

our last campaign we used the 4d6 reroll lowest and everyone ended up in the med-high range. we're doing a short oa campaign using the std array, then i think we're going to move to a 28 point buy for our next long-term game.

 

[Bonedagger]

I am hard on my PCs, and they enjoy it.

...Well. We all enjoy different kind of games

 

[Jarval]

I either use 32 point buy or 4d6 drop lowest (but reroll if more than one stat is below 9).

 

[Conaill]

Heheh... Actually that'd be effectively 2nd
level characters facing 3rd and 4th level
challenges...

I am hard on my PCs, and they enjoy it.

Uhm... no... if you give your players that many more points to build their character, their 1st level characters will be about as powerful as 2nd level characters. But you presumably still put them up against encounters that are appropriate for a 1st level party. That's what I meant with "as if you're playing 2nd level characters but only facing 1st level challenges".

Of course, you could simply make them face harder-than-normal encounters, either by playing the monsters smarter than they were designed, or simply by jacking up the encounter level. In which case you might think the PC's need to be buffed up a little to survive in your world.

So why not let them start at lvl2 instead? It's all relative, after all...

 

[Arkham]

Uhm... no... if you give your players that many more points to build their character, their 1st level characters will be about as powerful as 2nd level characters. But you presumably still put them up against encounters that are appropriate for a 1st level party. That's what I meant with "as if you're playing 2nd level characters but only facing 1st level challenges".

Except I don't put them up against encounters
appropriate for a 1st level party. That was the
point.

Of course, you could simply make them face harder-than-normal encounters, either by playing the monsters smarter than they were designed, or simply by jacking up the encounter level. In which case you might think the PC's need to be buffed up a little to survive in your world.

I do make them face harder-than-normal encounters,
with higher CRs, much higher ELs, and monster
tactics significantly better. The buffing is
not because they 'need it to survive in the
world', but rather that they should be
significantly better than 'the common man'.

It should be noted that I give 'the common man'
and monsters the Default Array of stats ( 15, 14,
13, 12, 10, 8 ), before racial bonuses. The only
ones with stats like in the MM are really base
commoners, beggers, and young farmers.

So why not let them start at lvl2 instead? It's all relative, after all...

Because lvl1 represents the beginning of their
career. I cannot rationalize the fresh-faced
pimpley kid just out of apprenticeship, or the
green fighter, just finished with basic weapons
training having more than one level.