D&D 5E Generating Player Characters

[TallIan]

If it's possible for a group, I always recommend a Session 0 for the reasons cbwjm mentioned: it allows for building relationships between the PCs and removes the element of low-level paranoia about the honesty of rolled stats produced by other members of the group.

As TallIan said, though, a Session 0 is not always possible for some players.

That suggests to me this rule-of-thumb:

1) When there's not going to be a Session 0, the PCs should be created using either the standard array or the 27-point* buy.

I usually use messaging apps, like whatsapp, to deal with session 0 stuff. By the time we are creating characters there is a chat group set up anyway so it's easy.

Once the game has begun the chat group covers all meta game chat and planning. An hour's worth of session time can be covered during non game time that way.

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[Caliban]

Point buy, sometimes with 32 point instead of 27. For my home campaign I also give a free feat at first level (no Sharpshoot or GWM at first though). Variant humans have +2 to two stats instead of a feat.

 

[machineelf]

Hi All,

Just out of interest, how does your table generate your player characters? I'm planning a new campaign for my group and I'm thinking of using Matt Colville's method which is the standard 4d6, drop the lowest, if you don't have at least two 15s then you can reroll. For new players, he will also typically have them roll in order, however, since my players have been playing for a bit already I plan on letting them assign their ability scores as they like. I do like the idea of players rolling their ability scores in order and then deciding on a class, but I don't want to be that restrictive.

I've also though of using the multiclass requirements for single classed PCs so a fighter would need a 13 Strength or 13 Dexterity but again, I don't think I would need to be that restrictive and at any rate, the minimum ability scores probably won't even be noticed since players tend to typically have a high score in their primary ability anyway.

Other considerations I can see for generating characters is session 0 where the players discuss what roles they want to cover and have a collaborative method of party creation as opposed to the AL method, where everyone shows up with a PC, no discussion beforehand due to the nature of AL. I think one of my friends would like to have the session 0 not so much for party creation but for party connections. That is, how do the PCs know each other which I think is a good idea and could lead to RP later in the campaign.

SO these are just a couple of things I've thought of, I will be rolling for stats instead of point buy/stat array this time, just curious how others approach character generation.

I like the point buy system. I creates balanced starting characters, which then can become very strong in a few areas as they level. Rolling for attributes is cool if everyone is on board with it, but I wouldn't let them reroll low scores. You're just bumping up character power too much that way. In my game, if you roll for stats, then you keep whatever you roll and must live with it.

Same thing with hitpoints. Normally we just take the average hitpoint increase every level. But if we decide to roll for it in our campaign, you take whatever you roll, no arguing.

 

[Azurewraith]

I usually use messaging apps, like whatsapp, to deal with session 0 stuff. By the time we are creating characters there is a chat group set up anyway so it's easy.

Once the game has begun the chat group covers all meta game chat and planning. An hour's worth of session time can be covered during non game time that way.

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Yep this is a much as a father of two under 5s that works 40hour weeks minimum often at odd hours having a text based chat that you can hit up any time is a must he'll we have even been know to run social interactions over it.

 

[S'mon]

Default array 15 14 13 12 10 8, allow point buy in my tabletop game.
IME rolling then assign generally sucks with the 3e-4e-5e attribute bonus system. Rolling *in order* then swap any pair helps a lot, but you want to avoid anything that reeks of "variable point buy".

 

[cbwjm]

We do standard array +2. So everybody starts with the same scores to distribute, then has an additional 2 points to put where they like.

This method is fast and easy and ensures everybody is competent without anyone being super powered just because of a lucky roll or two.

I quite like this one for a standard array, it provides a little more variety than everyone having the same 6 numbers and that extra +2 can allow them to specialise even more (an 18 stat after racials) or create a more well round character.

 

[cbwjm]

I like the point buy system. I creates balanced starting characters, which then can become very strong in a few areas as they level. Rolling for attributes is cool if everyone is on board with it, but I wouldn't let them reroll low scores. You're just bumping up character power too much that way. In my game, if you roll for stats, then you keep whatever you roll and must live with it.

Same thing with hitpoints. Normally we just take the average hitpoint increase every level. But if we decide to roll for it in our campaign, you take whatever you roll, no arguing.

Some of us in our current campaign have been rolling for hit points, it's worked well for others, not so much for me. So far, I've rolled less than the 4 that a wizard would have gained at each level had I taken the average. All good though, just means having to be more careful, at least I should be more careful... I'm often not.

 

[cbwjm]

I usually use messaging apps, like whatsapp, to deal with session 0 stuff. By the time we are creating characters there is a chat group set up anyway so it's easy.

Once the game has begun the chat group covers all meta game chat and planning. An hour's worth of session time can be covered during non game time that way.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

We have a hangouts group for our game which allows us to send of queries to the group. Along with email, it has really made gaming a lot easier since a lot of stuff that might have been queried during a session can be hashed out during downtime.

With every one in my group working 40 hours, some having kids or other family related events, it means that me also don't have a standard time to play, a couple recently had a new baby so that put the game on hiatus for a bit. Organising the game around everyone life has certainly become more difficult than when we were in high school.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Under 3.x, the system was: Roll 4d6 drop 1 until you get a 16 or better. Take that roll plus the next 5 rolls of 4d6 drop 1. That's your first array. Then repeat for a second array, and again for a third. This turns out to be roughly equivalent to 36 point buy under 3e's point buy table. On rare occasions, we used a fixed array.

In 5e, we use standard array or point buy. On rare occasions, we use 4d6 drop 1.

Excepting one shots, I've never played D&D with the order rolled abilities kept.

 

[Tormyr]

Our next campaign after 3 years of 5e Age of Worms wraps up in a couple weeks is going to be Zeitgeist. I am going to distribute the player's guide ahead of time. Then we will play Bonds of Forced Faith (the teaser adventure for Zeitgeist) after our current campaign wraps up since that uses pre-generated characters. After that, we will play other adventures until the 1st chapter is released around August, and I will answer any Zeitgeist questions my players have. A week or two before we start, we will have a session 0 to introduce characters, work on backgrounds, and the like.