D&D 5E Houseruled: Feats, Rolled Stats, MCing Pick One

[commandercrud]

Those 3 things have nothing to do with each other. That said I always only roll stats. I rarely use feats. I've only multiclassed once.

 

[Laurefindel]

I really don’t get how anyone can think higher stats are a big deal in 5e. They don’t make that much of a difference.

Seriously, give every PC a 16 before mods, and play the game as normal. The difference will be somewhat noticeable at low levels, and you won’t notice unless you’re actively looking for it by level 8 or so.

The only major impact is more CharGen freedom. As someone who has started (after mods) with 15s in Dex and Int, 13 Con, 12 Wis and Cha, and 10 Str with one character, and another similar character started with 17 Dex, 14 Int, 14 Strength, 16 Wis, 15 Cha, 15 Con, the extra HP from Con was the biggest difference.

Ive played with PHB point buy, 32 point buy, 4d6 drop lowest reroll 1s, choose between two sets, and 10+1d6. In 3.5 an oddball DM I knew used d4s to roll stats, because they gave a “better distribution”, but no one else I’ve ever met did that, and I haven’t tried it in 5e.

Anyway, all my games have run the same with any of those, except that weird concepts are less frustrating to put together with the more generous options.

But I’d choose feats. MC builds are harder to deal with, and point buy works fine. But I only consider 5e satisfying in terms of breadth of options with feats.

Because high stats enable a lot of options that are not attractive without the stats to back them up. GWM for example. When your attack bonus is +6, that -5 penalty hurts pretty bad…

Good stats all around puts less stress on weaknesses that need to be addressed otherwise

Now, I don’t have an issue with high stats, it is by far my favourite way to play and DM D&D, exactly because it enable things that would be hard to pull otherwise. That and good stats-all-around PCs are less of one-trick ponies.

but high stats is a big deal

 

[Cadence]

Because high stats enable a lot of options that are not attractive without the stats to back them up. GWM for example. When your attack bonus is +6, that -5 penalty hurts pretty bad…

Good stats all around puts less stress on weaknesses that need to be addressed otherwise

Now, I don’t have an issue with high stats, it is by far my favourite way to play and DM D&D, exactly because it enable things that would be hard to pull otherwise. That and good stats-all-around PCs are less of one-trick ponies.

but high stats is a big deal

So a high point but for everyone would be the way to go for you?

 

[Don Durito]

I really don’t get how anyone can think higher stats are a big deal in 5e. They don’t make that much of a difference.

Seriously, give every PC a 16 before mods, and play the game as normal. The difference will be somewhat noticeable at low levels, and you won’t notice unless you’re actively looking for it by level 8 or so.

The only major impact is more CharGen freedom. As someone who has started (after mods) with 15s in Dex and Int, 13 Con, 12 Wis and Cha, and 10 Str with one character, and another similar character started with 17 Dex, 14 Int, 14 Strength, 16 Wis, 15 Cha, 15 Con, the extra HP from Con was the biggest difference.

Ive played with PHB point buy, 32 point buy, 4d6 drop lowest reroll 1s, choose between two sets, and 10+1d6. In 3.5 an oddball DM I knew used d4s to roll stats, because they gave a “better distribution”, but no one else I’ve ever met did that, and I haven’t tried it in 5e.

Anyway, all my games have run the same with any of those, except that weird concepts are less frustrating to put together with the more generous options.

But I’d choose feats. MC builds are harder to deal with, and point buy works fine. But I only consider 5e satisfying in terms of breadth of options with feats.

I personally don't like rolling dice more for the principle of it, rather than because high stats are an issue.

After all you can also end up much worse than the default array (Every single time I've rolled up a 5e character I have.)

There's also the fact that when ability scores start higher than the point buy or array you take off the trade-off for feats vs ASIs (Is that a bad thing? I'm not sure? But it's a significant thing).

That said, I think the default array and point buy are both pretty poor. The big issue is that they are too low on the low end.

 

[Laurefindel]

So a high point but for everyone would be the way to go for you?

My favourite is when all players roll 4d6k3 to produce the stat arrays available for this campaign. Then it sets the tone for the campaign, power-wise, and the DM goes from there.

We’ve done that a few times (although only two games reached conclusion, (not counting the present one) and it usually produces two series that are above standard point-buy, often one with a single high stat, and one with multiple 15s or 16s.

…except for the last time, our current campaign, where we rolled four very bland and average series (almost all 10s, 11s, and 12s) and one extraordinarily good one (DM rolled too). The same stat array(s) is then used for NPCs with character levels.

this fixes the thrill of rolling and sets all players on equal footing. Otherwise, I prefer rolling over point buy, but I prefer fairness between players over rolling, at which point I prefer fixed standard/elite arrays. [edit] my favourite fixed array is 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 10.

 

[Moorcrys]

I’d pick feats.

 

[Stalker0]

Feats all the way

 

[aco175]

My group hardly uses any of them. In 5e we have never rolled stats. I think one person multi-classed for a couple levels before the campaign ended. A couple players have taken one feat or another, but never some of the 5 mentioned. We could play fine with none of them.

 

[Minigiant]

As a player, Feat.
As a DM, MCing
As a Wargame ref, Rolled stats

 

[Ath-kethin]

As the title says.

DM says the player can use feats, multiclassing or roll for stats. BUT you can only pick one your choice.

Thoughts?

Feats.

I haven't rolled stats in close to 20 years and WotC era ala carte multiclassing just rubs me the wrong way.