[Hijack] Debate over definition of "grit." Plus: is Midnight gritty?

[PowerWordDumb]

I just rolled a set.

3
3
8
6
9
12

What would my character do? I can't even wear clothing i'm so weak. If there was a rock 100 yards away from me i'd trip on it now. I'm at least healtyh enough that I don't require medical aid. I can speak some phrases but a parrot could would win a duel of wits. I have a nice "force of personality" even though you won't be able to make out what i'm trying to tell you without a lot of concentration.

LOL! That's awesome!

It'd almost be fun to play a character that pathetic just long enough to get the inevitable inept death story that'll be retold through the ages as a cautionary tale against adventuring.

Now I want to run a one-shot in our campaign with a bunch of clueless hacks trying to emulate our current party's exploits. That'd be fun!

 

[PowerWordDumb]

Actually, the idea of straight 3d6 brings up an important question about stat ordering... I know there was a thread about this a couple of weeks ago but I never saw any answer or agreement, and it makes a difference when trying to interpret these stat arrays.

Personally I'm an old-timer and remain in favour of Str,Int,Wis,Dex,Con,Cha despite what it says on the new character sheets - anyone using something else while posting these stats?

 

[Tom Cashel]

He can't be a wizard, a cleric, a druid, a sorcerer or a bard - not unless he wants to lose his spellcasting.

So lots of thing? I'm just not seeing it. Tom, what am I missing?

You're missing the fact that he "wouldn't be the best."

 

[Tom Cashel]

Thanks for the insightful comments, y'alls. PC, in all seriousness you've got a good point about losing spellcasting.

To those of you intent on proving you know how to use a dice-roller, congratulations. That's talent! In my game we use real dice.

So...before this degenerates into the eternal battle between "Yes it is!" and "No it's not!", how about coming up with ways that this sort of system can work--in practice--without reverting to 1E or Hackmaster?

F'rinstance...what if players rolled 4D6 (drop lowest), or even 5D6 (drop lowest), to generate ONE prime requisite...then roll straight 3D6 five times and arrange all scores as the player desires? This would give PCs their "heroic" qualities, and the ability to freely choose class, while avoiding the inflation.

 

[Tsyr]

You're missing the fact that he "wouldn't be the best."

If by "not the best" you mean "Not playable", I think we are in agreement here.

 

[Tom Cashel]

If by "in agreement" you mean "smart-assed," then you've got a point.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

But aren't you also a big fan of Midnight? See, here's the logical gap I see. Midnight is clearly a very gritty setting. But it's not because the PCs are weak -- in fact, the races for Midnight are equivalent to ECL +1 races, and the Heroic Paths make them even more powerful. It's the setting itself, and the way the game plays that makes it gritty, not the stats.

Look up grit in the dictionary, and you will find a picture of Midnight.

Indeed, the characters themselves are more powerful than standard D&D characters. The difference is that all the world is against them. They don't drip with magic items like typical D&D characters do.

It's all in the setting...

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

If by "agreement" you mean "smart-assed," then you've got a point.

"If by "not the best" you mean "Not playable", I think we are in "smart-assed" here."

 

[Emiricol]

Point Buy is the best option for my group, partly because we play online, and partly because a bad roll screws a player and online games take longer, so he'd be stuck with it longer. Online games are also more available, so a disgruntled player could easily go find another game.

I have been toying with the idea of killing time making NPCs based on where the stats fall with a straight 3d6, however... Hm....

 

[Tom Cashel]

Wrap your mind around my Alabama Slamma of an edit, there, Ashrem.