DMs - What is your point buy method?

[Jon_Dahl]

What sort of point buy systems do you use in your games for ability scores?

Personally I don't like standard point buy because I don't like the fact that scores start from 8. PCs should be allowed to have weaknesses and 8 or 6 (after racial modifiers) is not a real weakness.

In my 3.5 game, I have been very happy with my table:
Ability score / Point cost
5 / 0
6 / 1
7 / 2
8 / 3
9 / 4
10 / 5
11 / 6
12 / 7
13 / 8
14 / 10
15 / 12
16 / 14
17 / 17
18 / 20
By default, you receive 45 points.

There are downsides of course... For instance, it allows you to completely dump one or more stats but on the other hand you get very little benefit from that. I've noticed that having balanced scores is ultimately the best choice. After two years of playtesting this method has proven to be solid.

 

[delericho]

For my current campaign, I used 30-point buy using the standard costs from the DMG.

For my next and subsequent campaigns I will be offering each player a choice:

1) 4d6-drop-lowest

2) Standard array: 16/15/13/12/10/8

3) 28-point buy using the standard costs from the DMG.

(If selected, option 1 requires that the rolls be witnessed by me. Also, once a player starts rolling, it's too late to change his mind.)

While I agree in principle with your statement that PCs should be allowed to have weaknesses, I've found that most groups I've been with have at least one power-gamer who will proceed to dump at least one stat heavily, for no other reason than to squeeze more power out of his character.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

Some weaknesses can be detrimental to a character thanks to ability damage or other factors, so the starting point of 8 tends to work fairly well in games I've watched or participated in. Some races also have penalties greater than -2, such as a Mongrelfolk's charisma being -4. I wouldn't want to start any lower than a base of 8 on that especially once templates are factored in.

I'd probably go standard 32 were I to DM. That's enough to let some of the more MAD classes get into a good spot to keep up alright while still allowing for weak areas that can be leveraged for better or worse during the campaign.

 

[Herzog]

I've never actually used point-buy.

I recently started a game where I allowed each player a choice between standard 32 point-buy and 4d6 drop lowest. Everyone chose to roll. One of the characters died, and even though the player had rolled rather low the first time, chose rolling again for his new character.

I guess they just like some form of randomness during character creation....

 

[James the Newbie]

we just roll the standard way, and you can shift about the points however you like. Sounds like a lot, but with the monsters made to match, its all dandy fun and fair.

 

[Crothian]

I let the players pick their ability scores then as DM I adjust them so they are in the same ballpark as each other.

 

[Greenfield]

I use the table from the DMG.

The oddest thing I've seen though is when I give a choice between roll 4D6 drop the lowest and a point buy aimed at the same average, the player complain about the point buy: "Average? That means half the people out there will be better than me." Ignoring, of course, that the same number will also be worse off.

For some I've played with, even "above average" isn't good enough. Unless they can play the top 1% they feel they're at a disadvantage.

And it's amazing how hot their dice are, until someone else is watching. I have a jumbo D20 I picked up, and when these folks are in the game I use that to mark the Initiative: I hand it to the player at the top of the order, and they make their rolls with it. Then they pass it to the next player, and so on down the line. Everyone can see their rolls, and there's no mistaking whose turn it is.

 

[BriarMonkey]

My last campaign used the standard point-buy table from the DMG. I allowed players to purchase their scores above 18 if they wanted, as well as "purchase" below 8 (but not below 6). They started with 36 points. (And yes, it was a more magically and beastie heavy environment.)

For my next campaign, I am still going to use point-buy, but I'm still trying to figure out just how many points I want to allow for. And, I'm thinking of not allowing starting purchase of ability scores above 18 (not counting racial modifiers).

 

[Nezkrul]

i do one of the three, depending on the power level of the campaign.

Low Power- 32 point buy OR array 18/15/14/13/10/8

Mid-range- 39 point buy OR array 18/16/14/13/12/8

High Power- 43 point buy OR array 18/16/15/14/13/10

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I let my players assign their stats any way they want, totaling up to 74, with no stat higher than 18 or lower than 8 before racial modifications.

This averages to 12,12,12,12,13,13 to be adjusted up and down however the players want.