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

[Micah Sweet]

I'd love to point buy or use the standard array, but my wife refuses to do anything but roll. Since she's the only person I've ever met whose rolls I always believe, I'm disinclined to refuse her. One time I did have everyone e use one set of rolls she made, and then arrange to taste. It's not ideal, but it works.

 

[Shiroiken]

Interesting idea, you could allow 3d6 rolling, and then take the average of the group, and if someone is out by 4-6 (??) from the average give them a few floating numbers to bring them up?

pretty much, but they use the standard 4d6-1. This makes the group overall more powerful, and sometimes it's better to be below the average, because they use it as a flat 1:1. I've seen someone be overall below average, then start with an 18 (20 after racial ASI) when the highest roller only had a 17.

 

[aco175]

Since 5e started, we always just used standard array. I do miss rolling though. There was some power creep that came in along the way. Started with just 3d6 in order, then 3d6 arrange. Next was roll 3d6 seven times, then eight and pick six. Move to 4d6-L and eventually we had 3d6 plus 1d8 and drop lowest. It may have been ok for 2e games where a bunch of 15s were maybe a +1 in something.

 

[Minigiant]

ALL THREE PLUS MORE for my next game!

1. You have a 12 and a 13
2. Choose an age
   1. Child-You roll a 4 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate your Strength and one Mental ability Score.
   2. Young Adult- You roll a 4 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate your Constitution and one Mental ability Score.
   3. Middle Age Adult- You roll a 4 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate your Dexterity and one Mental ability Score.
   4. Old- You roll a 3 dice to generate your Constitution. You roll a 5 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate one Mental Score
3. You get 9 points to buy 2 scores from 8

 

[cbwjm]

I prefer rolling to any other method, though I will also make do with point buy or standard array. That's also the order of my preference for stat generation; rolling > point buy > standard array.

 

[Charlaquin]

ALL THREE PLUS MORE for my next game!

1. You have a 12 and a 13
2. Choose an age
   1. Child-You roll a 4 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate your Strength and one Mental ability Score.
   2. Young Adult- You roll a 4 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate your Constitution and one Mental ability Score.
   3. Middle Age Adult- You roll a 4 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate your Dexterity and one Mental ability Score.
   4. Old- You roll a 3 dice to generate your Constitution. You roll a 5 dice and keep the 3 highest to generate one Mental Score
3. You get 9 points to buy 2 scores from 8

That’s neat!

 

[Charlaquin]

2d6+6 seems like a pretty cool rolling method. Produces a score from 8-18 with an average of 13, which seems pretty on-target for where I think most folks want their PCs to be starting out.

 

[Micah Sweet]

2d6+6 seems like a pretty cool rolling method. Produces a score from 8-18 with an average of 13, which seems pretty on-target for where I think most folks want their PCs to be starting out.

Yeah, interesting idea. I'd be interested to see if you actually end up with one out of six PCs having an 18 in one stat.

 

[payn]

I guess I don't really see the value of rolling if you are still arranging to taste. It's not like it has any real impact on the character you are going to play.

Oh, but it feels right.

 

[Jack Daniel]

3d6 in order for me. Simple; pure; nips stat bloat and power-gaming in the bud.