D&D 5E How do you determine your initial Attributes?

[Scars Unseen]

Koko was given IQ tests as an infant which suggested that her IQ was in the 70-90 range, but I agree that these metrics are arbitrary and interspecies comparisons fraught.

Well I suppose as long as we're talking about infant adventurers, that would be a decent metric to use then. Actually, that unironically sounds like a lot of fun. D&D Muppet Babies style. I call dibs on playing Gonzo!

 

[Maxperson]

I am actually surprised anyone uses array, except when accidentally building it with point buy.

LOL A player of mine found this PvP rule set at a local convention where everyone built a 20th level PC. One of the rules was point buy or array for stats. He brought the rules back to have us all play it and when making his character he spent hours going over every combination of points he could find. Then he came to me and announced that he had found what he felt was the best point spending combination. He told me that 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 was what he was going to go with. I looked at him, pulled out the PHB and told him that he could have just looked two paragraphs up and saved himself hours. He was still staring at the array when I walked away.

Rolling of course is a terrible idea, but it is apparent that a lot people love it. But I assumed that those who don't use rolling, use pretty much exclusively point buy.

Rolling is the best. You end up with stat numbers that you just will never see with point buy and array.

 

[Maxperson]

Well I suppose as long as we're talking about infant adventurers, that would be a decent metric to use then. Actually, that unironically sounds like a lot of fun. D&D Muppet Babies style. I call dibs on playing Gonzo!

A-ni-mal!!

 

[Scars Unseen]

That's an impairment and one that in my opinion should be roleplayed in some way.

This is basically what I take issue with. You're treating anyone with a below average intelligence as being impaired. Most people with below average intelligence act exactly like people with above average intelligence because most people's lives are routine and don't call for exceptional use of intelligence. Oh sure, the people with above average intelligence come to correct conclusions more quickly in situations they're familiar with and may adapt to new situations more quickly, but that only becomes obvious when those situations come up, and for the most part education and training plays a larger role. You wouldn't be able to tell the two apart in normal conversation the way you would immediately understand something was up with Forrest.

I've met and worked with people who were below average, and I've met and worked with people who are legitimately stupid. The former, you have to get to know to realize they aren't quite making connections where you are. The latter? Almost immediate. But even then, not Forrest Gump immediate.

 

[Scars Unseen]

A-ni-mal!!

Would he be a barbarian or a bard?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

That's fair. My point is more that below average is by the rules in 5e, below average mental acuity, reasoning and memory. That's an impairment and one that in my opinion should be roleplayed in some way.

The issue here is that in general parlance 'mentally impaired' implies more several handicap than just being slightly dumber than average. I wouldn't assume either 8 or 12 instantly coming across as much different from 10.

 

[Li Shenron]

Although we do point-buy normally in our games, we do have one guy who refuses to do anything except 3d6 in order. Doesn't matter how underpowered he is, that's his thing and he doesn't deviate.

It takes guts and spirit!

For my own PC I prefer to roll, but with current default rules i.e. 4d6 and arrange, although sometimes I haven't arranged.

When DMing, I suggest standard array, but allow all 3.

 

[Maxperson]

Would he be a barbarian or a bard?

Skald? I could see him being multiclass.

 

[Maxperson]

The issue here is that in general parlance 'mentally impaired' implies more several handicap than just being slightly dumber than average. I wouldn't assume either 8 or 12 instantly coming across as much different from 10.

I don't think that's accurate. If you look up mental impairments, depression, anxiety, addiction and eating disorders are considered to be mental impairments. They can certainly range to the more severe, but even a mild impairment is a mental impairment.

 

[cbwjm]

It can be fun to roll in order and let the dice determine what kind of character you end up making rather than going in with an idea for a character and arranging to suit. It can lead to you playing a character that you otherwise wouldn't, like if you normally play wizards but roll great stats for a paladin or something.