D&D General Ability score generation: The Snake

[Andvari]

Ok, that makes more sense. Thanks.

But your array is incorrect then because you have the 9 in the 28th position, and shouldn't that be an 8?

There are only 24 numbers. I have corrected the matrix accordingly.

 

[DND_Reborn]

So how do you decide who gets which array???

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

3d6x6 in order is the only true way to roll for attributes.

 

[Andvari]

So how do you decide who gets which array???

I suggest randomly in my post, but you could also assign them to players clockwise around the table, have the players decide among themselves or by some other method your group might prefer.

 

[Shiroiken]

So how do you decide who gets which array???

I'd leave it to the players to decide, but the time honored d20 can break any ties.

 

[Aurel Guthrie]

It seems pretty balanced, but when putting so much work into rolling for stats it's hard to justify not simply using point-buy. To me the point of rolling for stats is.. rolling your stats. Here you're rolling a stat that goes on a pool of stats to be distributed fairly, it's cool on paper but I can't see it being fun in practice because the stats you're getting are not your stats, the ones you rolled originally. If that makes sense.

In other words, to me the point of rolling for stats is the instant hit of dopamine you get out of rolling and writing the result on your sheet, which is missing here.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

My suggestion above would have a table like this:
View attachment 262536

The problem is, this ensures that the first array always gets the best result of a given block of 4, and the fourth array always gets the worst result in that block. The ox-plow-like alternation is an effort to ensure fairness.

If you really wanted to ensure fairness you'd look for a way to distribute these things via the Thue-Morse sequence. That would give you a table like this:

---	Roll #N	Roll #N	Roll #N	Roll #N	Roll #N	Roll #N
Array A	1	8	11	14	17	24
Array B	2	5	12	15	18	21
Array C	3	6	9	16	19	22
Array D	4	7	10	13	20	23

It's imperfect, because we don't have a clean power of 4 number of elements. But it's the best that can be done with four arrays. You'd need to do a total of six arrays if you wanted it to work out neatly (because then we'd use the first nontrivial instance.) That would look like this (skipping the labels above to make it fit in a smaller space):

1	12	17	22	27	32
2	7	18	23	28	33
3	8	13	24	29	34
4	9	14	19	30	35
5	10	15	20	25	36
6	11	16	21	26	31

The bottom row kinda gets shafted here 'cause it takes so long for it to be the "first" choice, but it's not the worst thing ever. The top row will likely end up with only one amazing stat (plausibly 16-18) but several middle-of-the-road stats, while I would expect the second or third array to deliver the best overall performance.

Edit: On reflection, probably not worth it. You'd need many more 'rounds' of sharing to make it actually shift toward fairness, and with stats being a highly uneven spread, the 5th and 6th arrays are almost guaranteed to be shafted, while the first three arrays are almost guaranteed to be excellent. Alas. I find the Thue-Morse sequence fascinating but it really only works for binary splits, anything bigger starts to get unwieldy.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

It seems pretty balanced, but when putting so much work into rolling for stats it's hard to justify not simply using point-buy. To me the point of rolling for stats is.. rolling your stats. Here you're rolling a stat that goes on a pool of stats to be distributed fairly, it's cool on paper but I can't see it being fun in practice because the stats you're getting are not your stats, the ones you rolled originally. If that makes sense.

In other words, to me the point of rolling for stats is the instant hit of dopamine you get out of rolling and writing the result on your sheet, which is missing here.

Perhaps that explains my antipathy for rolled stats. I don't experience a dopamine rush like that. Instead I mostly feel dread and then either frustration (because my stats are way better than anyone else's and I feel like I'm going to deny them participation) or bitter disappointment (because literally the only stats I'm allowed to roll are AMAZING or absolute garbage, with nothing in-between.)

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

I feel existential angst at point-buy/standard-array, because the stats might as well be predetermined by class then.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I feel existential angst at point-buy/standard-array, because the stats might as well be predetermined by class then.

I mean, feelings are feelings, so there's not a whole lot to discuss. But I find that very strange. With point-buy, you can choose whether to play to your strengths or diversify--and I have often chosen the latter rather than the former. For example, I like Paladins with a broad set of decent scores in 4e D&D, so I tend to dump Dex and take only 16s in my main stats, as opposed to 18s as is "standard," so I can have solid 14s in my secondary stats and at least some kind of positive modifier in Intelligence--averting the standard "Paladunce" expectation.

You can't do that with fixed stats by class. Point-buy offers freedom. Be what you want to be.