D&D 5E Different Methods for Rolling Ability Scores (8-15 range)

[DND_Reborn]

• Start with a 12 as your number in each attribute.
• For each attribute, Roll a d6 and 3d12.
• Discard all 1s and 2s and 3s.
• For 4 to 6, Subtract 1 from your number.
• For 7 to 12, above, add 1 to your number.

The d6 has a 50% chance to be nothing, and a 50% chance to reduce (net reduction: 66%). For each d12, there is a 25% chance of nothing, a 25% chance of reduction, and 50% chance of increase.

Chance of a 15? ~6%
Chance of a 14? ~16%
Chance of a 13? ~23%
Chance of a 12? ~24% (12 or greater? ~69%)
Chance of an 11? ~17%
Chance of a 10? ~10%
Chance of a 9? ~3%
Chance of an 8? ~1%.

It is convoluted enough I love it, but fails in the "simple" part honestly.

It probably just isn't feasible...

 

[Krachek]

No deal! I am keeping my case and risking it for big bucks!

(Also, the average of 11.5 is too low.)

But thanks for playing LOL.

Devil‘s times are harder than ever.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Here's another method:

Roll two d8.
If the rolls are within 2 of each other, use the lower roll. (e.g. 1 and 3, 5 and 6, 4 and 4, etc., use lower (bold) roll)
If the rolls are 3 or more apart, use the higher roll. (e.g. 2 and 7, 4 and 1, 3 and 6, etc., use higher (bold) roll)
Add 7.

Range 8 - 15,
Average 12.22
Non-linear
No table
Is it simple enough?

 

[Blue]

One method I was rather surprisingly taken with was a deck of cards. I forget the actual distribution, but you deal out the whole deck into six piles, one for each ability. It ends up with different ability scores, but still balanced between characters.

 

[DND_Reborn]

One method I was rather surprisingly taken with was a deck of cards. I forget the actual distribution, but you deal out the whole deck into six piles, one for each ability. It ends up with different ability scores, but still balanced between characters.

Hmm... I remember something about people using decks before. If you recall more let me know!

 

[Cadence]

Do you have some fate dice (+1,=,-1)? Would open up some easy combos to think about if so.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Do you have some fate dice (+1,=,-1)? Would open up some easy combos to think about if so.

No, but I could easily substitute a d6 for them.

Did you have any ideas?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Wonder what the probability is in using a VTT to roll 1d15, reroll 1-7.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Wonder what the probability is in using a VTT to roll 1d15, reroll 1-7.

It would be linear, since results of 1-7 never count you can basically ignore them. That leaves only 8-15, each with the same probability since it is a single die roll, and thus linear. The probability would be 0.125 for each result.

It is really the same as d8 + 7 if I am understanding your concept correctly.

 

[Flamestrike]

3d4+3 gives 6-15 (with a median of 10.5).

 

[DND_Reborn]

3d4+3 gives 6-15 (with a median of 10.5).

Absolutely correct.

But since I am trying to get a range of 8-15 with an average of 12 or so, how does that help exactly?

 

[Cadence]

No, but I could easily substitute a d6 for them.

Did you have any ideas?

Does 8 + best of two d6 + Fate Die give 8-15 with a mean just under 12.5.? Really skewed though.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Does 8 + best of two d6 + Fate Die give 8-15 with a mean just under 12.5.? Really skewed though.

That is actually pretty decent.

Here is the AnyDice link: AnyDice

The 8 is pretty low, but on par with the 1% of rolling 2d10 and having a result of 2 = a score of 8.

Sadly, I think the hard part is the "simple" criteria I was looking for, but I'll keep this in mind.

 

[Blue]

Hmm... I remember something about people using decks before. If you recall more let me know!

I found a recent thread about it.

D&D General - Deck-based Ability Score Generation

Coming out of a few threads on generating ability scores, and in particular conversation with @EzekielRaiden I came up with an interesting tweak to the deck-based score generation that I'd like to share. @EzekielRaiden made an argument for surprise - i.e. for not knowing what your total scores...

www.enworld.org

From @clearstream

Make a 20-card deck from which you will draw 3 cards for each score without replacement, leaving 2 cards in the deck. For example - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2. This deck has interesting features -

• The range for the sum of scores is 60 to 66
• The range for an individual score is 6 to 15
• A character can have no more than one 15, and no more than one 6
• Scores will average to at least 10, and at most 11, i.e. 10.5

There are other decks and discussion there as well.

Also while searching for it, I found an older thread that mentions some other alternatives for ability score generation.

D&D 5E - Compilation of Alternate Ability Score Generation Methods

I kept track of innovative methods people were using for stats in the thread, “Point Buy vs Rolling for Stats “. I gave up on the thread on page 27 of 192. I made-up some names for the methods, in bold, for formatting and quick references. Add a comment if you have another way to generate...

www.enworld.org

 

[DND_Reborn]

I found a recent thread about it.

Awesome! Thanks for doing the leg work. I'll check it out tomorrow.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

7d2 + 1.

You can flip seven coins.

 

[DND_Reborn]

So, for anyone following this I think I might have something. You can tell me your opinion.

You roll d8 +7 for each ability score. Then you roll an extra d8, adding the result to your lowest ability score, to a maximum of 15.

• Range is from 8-15, with the cap for adding the extra d8.
• Average is 12.24, the same as 4d6, drop lowest.
• The distribution is non-linear:

• Obviously, you get to roll instead of using a chart.
• Finally, it is pretty simple IMO (same as the easiest option, d8 + 7, with an extra die).

Getting an 8 is pretty low, less than 1 in 100, but considering how little I see an 8 with rolling or point-buy, I can live with that.

Thoughts?

 

[DND_Reborn]

7d2 + 1.

You can flip seven coins.

The average is still only 11.5, so not the 12-12.5 I was looking for, but I recall once I used a similar idea for commoners:

15d2 - 12 to generate 3 - 18.

 

[Cadence]

That is actually pretty decent.

Here is the AnyDice link: AnyDice

The 8 is pretty low, but on par with the 1% of rolling 2d10 and having a result of 2 = a score of 8.

Sadly, I think the hard part is the "simple" criteria I was looking for, but I'll keep this in mind.

Highest 3 of 6d5 (make it 8 if it isn't) is pretty -- except for needing a bunch of d5s.

AnyDice

AnyDice is an advanced dice probability calculator, available online. It is created with roleplaying games in mind.

anydice.com

 

[Cadence]

Similarly, highest 4 of 6d4 truncate between 8 and 15... but d4s are kind of annoying.

AnyDice

AnyDice is an advanced dice probability calculator, available online. It is created with roleplaying games in mind.

anydice.com