Ability Points Buy System how many ?

[novyet]

25/default array, sometimes 28 points now.

 

[Conaill]

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.

I don't quite understand your distinction between "the common man" and "base commoners". Are you saying that pretty much everyone (and everything) in your entire world has higher-than-average stats? Yes, in that case you would obviously have to jack up the stats for your heroes as well.

Bof. Why not just play with standard NPCs and standard PCs then? Again: it's all relative anyway!

 

[Limper]

Players 32.... wish it were more, tired of being mulched.. or nigh useless.

NPC of note 28 (rarely 32)

NPC 25

Fodder 18


Note at 32 points for players the stock creatures in the book will slaughter a party if they are run intellegently.

 

[bwgwl]

i haven't quite decided what i want to do for my next campaign, but here's the (rather byzantine) idea i have so far:

40 point-buy. no more than one 18 (before racial adjustments). no more than one stat below 10 (before racial adjustments), and of course, you can't buy a stat below 8.

reasoning: these guys are supposed to be Heroes! i don't want to run an "average-guy-who-happens-to-have-gotten-caught-up-in-adventure" campaign (although there's nothing wrong with that model). instead, i want heroes who are clearly superior to normal people. like characters in an action movie.

 

[Crothian]

40 point-buy. no more than one 18 (before racial adjustments). no more than one stat below 10 (before racial adjustments), and of course, you can't buy a stat below 8.

I'm starting to lean more towads this type of character construction. I also run more low magic games, so the higher abilities help the PCs make up for lack of magic at all levels.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I do a 42 point buy, but all characteristics must be at least 10, which generally leaves 32 points. It works out pretty well and most players don't max out on one or two stats but they do have a higher average which gives them some more bonuses here and there. Almost all the players in my group like having a decent Intelligence for the extra skill points so that stat gets some decent use nowawayds. In addition, because of the way spells work for certain classes, Charisma gets some workups too.

 

[KnowTheToe]

32 point buy. It allows one great stat or a few good stats and no stats have to suck.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Some neat ideas... when using 32 pts I have seen one too many CHA 6 Dwarves trying to max out on physical abilities.

How does the game change when you have low level pts such as 22 point buy ? How does it change when you have 40+ ?

Major differences would be choice of magical items, hitpoints higher or lower... less monks and Paladins in lower point buys... what else ?

 

[Kichwas]

How does the game change when you have low level pts such as 22 point buy ? How does it change when you have 40+ ?

When the point buy is low enough (which 22 isn't) a CR n encounter will feel like a CR n+1 encounter but will only give the XP of a CR n.

When the point buy is high enough (32+) a CR n enounter will feel like a CR n-((points-28)/4) encounter but give the XP of CR n.

That formula's a rough guess. But it seems about right from a casual look at the impact of increased stats.

 

[Mordax_sighs]

Around here, we only use point buy. The number of points given depends on the tone of the game:

If things are gritty, we go 25 or 28. This is especially good in a big group - everyone is forced to specialize, or be pretty average. But you can still have a 16, or even an 18, if you want one. (MY last 25 point characters were very cool.)

If things are heroic, I give 32 or (occasionally) 36 points. This captures the old "epic" feel pretty well.

When I DM, most significant monsters will have a 25 point buy, sometimes more. (Basically, the players have never met a dragon that didn't have better than average stats - I leave that for the cannon fodder.)