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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 4999325" data-attributes="member: 59082">In the context of all of the talk lately about ability score generation, here is an idea that might be useful. Using the array method, decide upon a tone for the campaign: Is it epic or grim-and-gritty? High or low fantasy? Then think of the adventurers in such a scenario: are the PCs heroic or just run-of-the-mill folks who happen to beat their ploughshares into swords? Are they street urchins or highly cultured and trained nobles?Now the basic assumption underlying 4ed--as I understand it--is that PCs are extraordinary people, or at least significantly above average. In another thread I used the analogy of baseball: being a 1st level PC is like playing in the minor leagues; minor league baseball players are, each and every one of them, extraordinary talents and far beyond the average high school or college player (we could posit that about 5th level would be regular major leaguers and Paragon Tier is various degrees of stardom, with Epic being superstars and Hall of Famers).Following the Standard Array, a 4ed PC is an exceptional individual--although not quite extraordinary. So we come back to the question: What is the basic assumption in your campaign about how exceptional the PCs are? So I offer you different arrays:Mediocre: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 (average 9.5)Average: 14, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 (average 10.67)Exceptional (Standard): 16, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10 (average 12.67)Extraordinary: 18, 16, 14, 13, 12, 10 (average 13.83)Legendary: 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 12 (average 15.33)Or something like that (alternately you could also just total up the numbers and distribute them as desired, with each tier having a maximum starting score in any number: 12, 14, 16, 18, 18x2, respectively). There are numerous ways to work with this sort of system: The DM and players could sit down before hand and discuss what sort of campaign they want to play, and how exceptional--or not--they want the characters to be. Want to play guttertrash in a decaying city? Use the Mediocre Array and come up with characters like Jack the Rat, Ogo the Thug, and Sneaky Leana. Want to play farmers who have to defend their home from orc tribes and then catch the adventuring bug? Use the Average Array and come up with charachters like Big Erik and Jasper Quickhands. Want to make classic adventurers? Use the Standard Array. Want to make extraordinary individuals, the type destined to become movers and shakers? Use the Extraordinary Array. What about legends-in-the-making? Do you just want to go hog wild and create superheroic characters? Use the Legendary Array.Again, the key (IMO) is for the DM and players to be on the same page, and therefore for the players to be happy with the characters they've made.</blockquote>

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