Ability Score Generation

[Sonofapreacherman]

And here I thought I was the only one who used the organic method. But I stick to the method described in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Roll 4d6 (discard the lowest die), place in order, reroll any 1 ability score (take the higher roll), and switch any two ability scores.

Like the method describes, characters often end up with a single oddball ability, one that has prompted even the worst power gamers to role-play a little.

 

[Fyrestryke]

Heroic - 1d10+8 * 6

 

[Kershek]

We use a 40 point buy.

 

[rumble]

Other:

Assign six (3d6 - lowest + 6) as desired

Roll 3d6, drop the lowest, and add 6. Repeat this process six times, and assign to stats as desired. I prefer non-gimp heroes. You get one "mulligan" and that's only if all your stats end up 10 or less.

IMO, for point buy to be more fair than any other method, you must assume that every player knows the rules equally well. Since this is rarely, if ever, the case, point buy is skewed in favor of those who can better use the rules to their advantage.

So, in summation, I think rolling dice is just as "fair" as point buy.

Oh, yeah: FLANDERS SUCKS!

 

[Capellan]

Depends on the game.

Generally, I use "Total stat mod +X, with Y stats allowed to be odd numbers."

For example, my usual rule is: Total stat mod +8, with 2 stats allowed to be odd numbers.

But for the latest game I've started, I went 5d6, drop the lowest 2, because the randomness and extra 'ability grunt' fit the campaign theme better.

Other DMs I play with have used dice, or a rule similar to mine, depending on the situation.

 

[Pseudonym]

As a DM I prefer 32 point buy. My players tend to find something vaguely unnnatural about not rolling for stats, so to keep them from getting pouty we use 4d6, dropping the lowest.

Unfortunatly this leads to issues where characters conveniently have no stat below 14, but I just up the CRs to compensate.

 

[Jack Daniel]

I let players choose between either the standard 4d6 method (with up to two re-rolls, if they don't like the results), or setting their scores between 3 and 18 from a pool of 75 points.

 

[Len]

Some of my current group used 28 point buy and some used 4d6, due to a lack of organization before the first session. Personally I prefer point-buy because I like to feel that I'm in control of my character's development (as opposed to everything else, which is in the hands of the almighty DM).

 

[mkletch]

Other - Modified Point Buy

We typically used a point buy system, from 28 to 32 points. This let people make the characters they wanted. In a new campaign that I'm designing, we are taking a slightly different approach. To reintroduce some randomness, we roll (d100) on a table to determine how many points you get for your point buy. Instead of ECLs, more powerful races instead cost you points to buy. It is still in the design phase, so I really have no data or feedback at this point...

-Fletch!

 

[Steely Glint]

Some people I know prefer the "4d6 rolled at home before the game giving at least 2 18's" method.