D&D General How Do You "Roll Up" Ability Scores?

[prabe]

I have two methods I'm reasonably happy with. One involves choosing ability scores (half even, half odd; no three alike, total bonuses equal the same number for everyone). The other involves rolling 4d6 drop low in order, with some houserules to avoid wild variances in competency/survivability (two or more 1s, re-roll the 1s once; re-roll the set if you don't have at least one 16+ and at least one other 15+; swap any two scores; choose variant human or use the "fantasy species" rules--floating +2, +1, or floating +1, +1, +1).

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Point buy always. I used my houseruled point buy for my current campaign, but the important part is that no randomness is involved. And same with the HP, those are just the average too.

I really find it bizarre that people are fine with randomising the character power. Makes all those balance threads seem a bit silly, as it seems the first thing most players do is to intentionally throw the balance out of the window when they start creating a character...

 

[prabe]

Point buy always. I used my houseruled point buy for my current campaign, but the important part is that no randomness is involved. And same with the HP, those are just the average too.

I really find it bizarre that people are fine with randomising the character power. Makes all those balance threads seem a bit silly, as it seems the first thing most players do is to intentionally throw the balance out of the window when they start creating a character...

The reason for random in chargen is--approximately always--to make the characters in some way not perfectly optimized for whatever the player has in mind. Randomized scores--especially in order--limit the class options; if I had players in a point-buy system who were up for it, I'd be happy to have them roll randomly to see what class (and maybe what species) character they were playing--which they could then build as they wanted.

(I'm sure you know this, I'm just responding to you for context.)

 

[Micah Sweet]

Which version of the game are we talking about here? I use different methods.

 

[MockingBird]

Usually 4d6-L but I have used the standard array.

 

[DeviousQuail]

For 5e based D&D we've been doing point buy. I've tried breaking the habit, but that's what the table wants. It's usually one of 27-point, 27-point + feat, or 30-point.

I've wanted to do 3d6 and then let players choose from ability scores/feats/items similar to the draft style that people did on these forums a while back. The worse your total modifiers the more choices you get.

 

[Tonguez]

2d10-1

but generally array or pointbuy

 

[Reynard]

2d10-1

That is a pretty flat curve with a not great average. Do you mitigate the potential for very poor stats (including actual 1s)?

 

[Minigiant]

Other: All of the above

Step 1: Roll 4d6 drop the lowest roll
Step 2: Roll 3d6
Step 3: Roll 1d20
Step 4: Take a 12, 8, 8
Step 5: Receive 9 points to buy up your scores based on Point buy chart
Step 6: Place scores
Step 7: Decide if one will have the screw with your PC for +1 to any score.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I'd like to ask people who play 4d6-L:

Do you ALWAYS ALWAYS keep the first set you roll, or do you have some kind of "oh that's okay, roll again" when you inevitably roll crappy?

This is the biggest reason why I don't "trust" rolling. I played decades with 4d6-L but there was ALWAYS someone who rolled like crap who got to reroll.

The part where I found that offensive, and finally gave up on it, was when someone rolled an "okay" character and was forced to keep it, and another player rolled a "garbage" character (like highest stat 11 or something) and then got to reroll and wound up with a powerhouse. How is that fair to the guy stuck with the "meh but fine" character?

Now, I agree that point-buy and array make for some pretty samey-stats. But at least there's no zeroes and heroes.