You suggest. The designers are ‘trying to craft’ the design of the game.
They omitted the 16 ability score from the array because they want 16s to be scarce. They designed the game around the assumption that only about 1-in-8 characters would have a 16, 17, or 18, at all. And even then, only if they rolled dice randomly to generate the arrays for them.
A high ability score, above 15, ‘fits’ less into the design of the 5e game. The designers made them possible, but discouraged them.
In order to create a point cost that makes a 16 possible, it is also necessary to discourage players from choosing an array with one in it. Ideally, if given a choice between arrays, 7-out-of-8 players should decide that they dislike the array with a 16 or higher, and instead choose one of the arrays with a 15 or 14 as the highest ability score. This way, the 16 remains scarce and ‘fits’ within the ‘crafted’ design.
In order for 16s to be scarce, it is important to make sure the point cost for a 16 is expensive.
Sorry it still does not compute.
You can make it expensive but all that accomplishes is having MAD classes not choose it. SAD classes run by minmaxers will still choose it.
And my guess is that when you said only 1/8 would choose it, you didn't mean that all Rogues and Sorcerers would choose it, but no other classes...
(Very rough example; not making a definite claim these are SAD while every other class is MAD)
You see, the defining trait is still lack of randomness.
It's like when designing a feat, say. Even if it's balanced for 7 out of 8 it will still cause problems if it's OP for the remaining eighth build.
Therefore it's better, if you absolutely must offer high ability point-buy, to keep costs generously low, and instead tell your players to first choose class and then roll a d8: every player that rolls 8 gets to purchase scores of 16-18; everyone else is restricted to the PHB's 15.
Since the cost isn't too high, all classes can enjoy buying their 16s or higher.
In short; you can't balance point buy around the cost. All you accomplish is favorizing some classes over the others. You will effectively give some classes free feats; a huge advantage and a very unbalanced one.
If we for a second assume Sorcerer is SAD while Wizard is MAD (not saying that's the actual case; bear with me for the example's sake) and furthermore assume both classes are equally powerful, what would you choose?
I know I would choose Sorcerer every time if I could buy Charisma 18, increase it through race to 20, and then get to buy feats at level 4 and 8.
Since we assume the two classes are equal at start, it is highly unbalancing to offer a chargen procedure that allows one class to sport three feats at level 12, while the other only sports one.
Hence I'm arguing there is a definite point to keep costs low (or low:ish) and force players to choose class before they're told they can point-buy scores higher than 15.
In short: there is much more to good game design than merely a grasp of basic probabilities. Thank you.
Sent from my C6603 using
EN World mobile app