Level Up (A5E) Do Player Characters Have Average Population Stat Distributions?

[tetrasodium]

Right, we could homebrew a solution to a problem we are creating, but we don't have to homebrew our way around things when we're discussing how we can make the system work better in the first place. And I think we should try to design so that there's less constraints on combinations of choices. Choosing a class shouldn't narrow race and lead to a domino effect which narrows culture which in turn narrows background. That kind of system leads to a bunch of hidden complexity that only serves to hurt abnormal builds.

I don't think linking an ASI to culture implies anything we can't imply with a better, more interesting feature. It's just locking a +1 bonus behind a door labeled "illusion of choice". Linking a Roleplay talent or feature akin to the Folk Hero's Rustic Hospitality or the Charlatan's False Identity encourages people to interact more with their culture in a way that is interesting and encourages the kinds of play I think we both want to see at the table without basically winding up with the problem of race/class combos but with one of the words swapped out.

You seem to be under some faulty assumptions. I made up that list because there is currently no list to point at.,,,

 

[Phoebasss]

You seem to be under some faulty assumptions. I made up that list because there is currently no list to point at.,,,

Ok, do you think we should link ASIs to culture? Because that's what I assumed based off of that list and the argument around it.

 

[Phoebasss]

Because I mean, if not, then I guess I don't have any problems with you doing something similar with cultures in your home games. I just don't think ASIs linked to culture should be built into the system.

 

[Lanefan]

I see PCs closer to Lebron James than Joe Average.

Right from the start? Hell no.

They start out as Joe-Just-A-Little-Better-Than-Average. With time, lots of adventuring, and a huge slice of luck maybe they become LeBron James sometime late in their careers; or die trying. The fun - and IMO the whole point - is watching them and playing them as they grow from one into the other.

 

[Lanefan]

What does this mean? I can't ever make a mercenary NPC with 7 Int or the setting is trash? PCs need to exactly conform to average population statistical math or the game is garbage? Designing NPCs with player character creation is a whole lot of effort for no upside. And I would say it even hurts the game to impose this restriction on yourself.

For reference I tend to use point-buy in my games.

Ah - there's problem one: point-buy does not give anything remotely resembling a bell-curve distribution across a population. It's a purely gamist idea (ditto with standard array, only more so) not meant to reflect reality in the game world, and thus IMO useless for anything except PC creation if your specific intent is to shoehorn all your PCs into a narrow window within the available bell curve.

 

[Lanefan]

Does anyone roll stats for NPC (point buy, standard array, etc..). I cannot remember the last time I did. I just give them what I want to make them what I want since they are NPCs and not PCs.

Which is fine provided what you give them could in theory be achieved by rolling - consistency is maintained.

 

[Phoebasss]

Ah - there's problem one: point-buy does not give anything remotely resembling a bell-curve distribution across a population. It's a purely gamist idea (ditto with standard array, only more so) not meant to reflect reality in the game world, and thus IMO useless for anything except PC creation if your specific intent is to shoehorn all your PCs into a narrow window within the available bell curve.

I just find it easier to not have to bandaid things when rolled stats fail to produce a playable character. The PCs are more important to get right than NPCs. An NPC can deal with a 3-6 in one of their stats or no stats above 13. That's a little too rough for me to consider inflicting it on my players. I want them to have fun

 

[Lanefan]

So, in cases where resolving a task is not easy, the DM decides what happens. Often (but not always) the DM will rely on the roll of a die to determine the results. It is entirely within the DM’s power to decide what happens without relying on the roll of a die. If the DM determines that a roll is necessary, the rules provide instruction as to how to resolve that roll.

Or, in this particular case where RAW isn't clear, the DM can simply assign the wall an AC of about 93 and a hit-point total in the low thousands and then tell the player to have at it.

 

[Lanefan]

You say that like we aren’t here negotiating it right now.

I'm saying that any such negotiation is, in the end, a waste of time if one wants a playable game to emerge out of it.

 

[Phoebasss]

I'm saying that any such negotiation is, in the end, a waste of time if one wants a playable game to emerge out of it.

I think a more pertinent point is that 5e, and most games really, already violate this in lots of little ways. And I consider plenty of those games very playable. Even good.