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<blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 4030950" data-attributes="member: 2020">Here is another idea:&nbsp; Start all stats at 7.&nbsp; Then allow a roll of 1d6 for each stat.&nbsp; &nbsp; Yes, this will place characters in the 'mundane' range of 8 to 13 (although racial modifiers could create a 14 or 15 in rare instances.)&nbsp; No 'starting' 14s, 15s, 16s, 17s, or 18s (much less the elvish 19s.)&nbsp; A problem with the old system was that the mundane *was* mundane, and soon the extraordinary became mundane also.&nbsp; 3E amplified this trend, IMO.&nbsp; For example, if you had a 13 in strength in 1E or 2E, you wouldn't become a fighter.&nbsp; Nah, too weak for that.&nbsp; (And if your highest stat was 13, you would have thrown the character away and rerolled, too.)&nbsp; A 14 intelligence?&nbsp; Not a good idea for a magic-user.&nbsp; Just too low.&nbsp; &nbsp; They would ask:&nbsp; where's your 15?&nbsp; Minimum pre-requisite.&nbsp; Where's the 16?&nbsp; Where's the 17?&nbsp; The 18?&nbsp; You need 16s, 17s, and 18s, to become that class!&nbsp; If it's under 15, it's not even worth consideration.&nbsp; Enter 3E.&nbsp; Now you may increase a stat every 4 levels.&nbsp; Very minor magical items you can make yourself can increase stats.&nbsp; Minor buff spells can increase stats briefly (depending on edition.)&nbsp; And stats go on above 20.&nbsp; They go on above 30.&nbsp; 40.&nbsp; Heck, 50.&nbsp; And, if you have millions of gold pieces and are able to craft epic items (like a 3E version of the old Girdle of Giant Strength) then you, too, can have stats in the 40+ range.&nbsp; &nbsp; It's like Inflation came to stats.&nbsp; 10, 11, and 12 were always considered worthless (but, at least, not one of those '9' stats, or heaven forbid, an '8' stat!)&nbsp; 13 and 14 were always so so.&nbsp; 15 was a maybe.&nbsp; The 'good stuff' were 16s, 17s, and 18s (and, of course, for elves, the 19 dexterity ...)&nbsp;&nbsp; Now, start with an 18, buff it to 20 with levels, 23 with your +3 bracers of strength, and 25 with the 2nd level Bear's Strength, and voila, your low level character is a fighting machine ... and the specialness, the uniqueness, of the 25 is devalued.&nbsp; Once upon a time, 25 was a stat only titans had.&nbsp; Now, any low level character with enough NPC and party help can get it.&nbsp; I say:&nbsp; lose the Inflation.&nbsp; Gary Gygax once said that Intelligence roughly equated to IQ.&nbsp; Go with the equivalent of that in every stat.&nbsp; If an IQ of 130 = Intelligence 13, then 1 in 100 people have an Intelligence of 13 or higher.&nbsp; (The dice say differently, of course - probabilities are different - but PCs are special people, IMO.)&nbsp; Thus, 1 in 100 people have a Strength of 13 or higher.&nbsp; And if you are so strong you are stronger than 99 out of 100 people, then you're pretty strong!&nbsp; Or fast!&nbsp; Or wise!&nbsp; Or charismatic!&nbsp; If you have a 13, and it makes you stronger, faster, or brighter than 99 out of 100 people, that's a special thing, and you should have bonuses to match (my +3 / spells +75% business, for 13s)&nbsp; The DICE say that an 18 is not equal to that.&nbsp; An 18, is scored by 3% of those rolling, or present in 3% of PCs and NPCs.&nbsp; Thus, my 13 is much more rare than the average 18 rolled!!&nbsp; So, that 13 should be special.&nbsp; An ACTUAL 18 should be nothing short of a miracle.&nbsp; If your character has an 18, you character is supernaturally endowed.&nbsp; He or she can perform feats that would astound everyone else, be considered impossible by most people (that elvish 19 would be even more astounding, pushing far into the supernatural ... but that's what elves are about, I fear.)&nbsp; With that 26 point buy, people try for a high stat or two, and leave one stat at 8, quite often (Charisma, is that dump stat ...)&nbsp; Why must everyone have an 18?&nbsp; Why should it be that they simply must have a 16, 17, or 18?&nbsp; Why can't they be content at 14?&nbsp; 13?&nbsp; They gain 1 point to add to a stat per level - they will be able to get to an 18 eventually in a stat, and when they do, they will be superhuman in that stat!&nbsp; &nbsp; But it shouldn't be 'requisite' that you have a 15, 16, 17, or 18 in order to have a viable character ('oh no, nothing above 14.&nbsp; Let's erase these stats and roll again.&nbsp; Gads, with only 2 14s, a 13, an 11, 2 10s, and an 8, these rolls are useless!')</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Edena_of_Neith, post: 4030950, member: 2020"] Here is another idea: Start all stats at 7. Then allow a roll of 1d6 for each stat. Yes, this will place characters in the 'mundane' range of 8 to 13 (although racial modifiers could create a 14 or 15 in rare instances.) No 'starting' 14s, 15s, 16s, 17s, or 18s (much less the elvish 19s.) A problem with the old system was that the mundane *was* mundane, and soon the extraordinary became mundane also. 3E amplified this trend, IMO. For example, if you had a 13 in strength in 1E or 2E, you wouldn't become a fighter. Nah, too weak for that. (And if your highest stat was 13, you would have thrown the character away and rerolled, too.) A 14 intelligence? Not a good idea for a magic-user. Just too low. They would ask: where's your 15? Minimum pre-requisite. Where's the 16? Where's the 17? The 18? You need 16s, 17s, and 18s, to become that class! If it's under 15, it's not even worth consideration. Enter 3E. Now you may increase a stat every 4 levels. Very minor magical items you can make yourself can increase stats. Minor buff spells can increase stats briefly (depending on edition.) And stats go on above 20. They go on above 30. 40. Heck, 50. And, if you have millions of gold pieces and are able to craft epic items (like a 3E version of the old Girdle of Giant Strength) then you, too, can have stats in the 40+ range. It's like Inflation came to stats. 10, 11, and 12 were always considered worthless (but, at least, not one of those '9' stats, or heaven forbid, an '8' stat!) 13 and 14 were always so so. 15 was a maybe. The 'good stuff' were 16s, 17s, and 18s (and, of course, for elves, the 19 dexterity ...) Now, start with an 18, buff it to 20 with levels, 23 with your +3 bracers of strength, and 25 with the 2nd level Bear's Strength, and voila, your low level character is a fighting machine ... and the specialness, the uniqueness, of the 25 is devalued. Once upon a time, 25 was a stat only titans had. Now, any low level character with enough NPC and party help can get it. I say: lose the Inflation. Gary Gygax once said that Intelligence roughly equated to IQ. Go with the equivalent of that in every stat. If an IQ of 130 = Intelligence 13, then 1 in 100 people have an Intelligence of 13 or higher. (The dice say differently, of course - probabilities are different - but PCs are special people, IMO.) Thus, 1 in 100 people have a Strength of 13 or higher. And if you are so strong you are stronger than 99 out of 100 people, then you're pretty strong! Or fast! Or wise! Or charismatic! If you have a 13, and it makes you stronger, faster, or brighter than 99 out of 100 people, that's a special thing, and you should have bonuses to match (my +3 / spells +75% business, for 13s) The DICE say that an 18 is not equal to that. An 18, is scored by 3% of those rolling, or present in 3% of PCs and NPCs. Thus, my 13 is much more rare than the average 18 rolled!! So, that 13 should be special. An ACTUAL 18 should be nothing short of a miracle. If your character has an 18, you character is supernaturally endowed. He or she can perform feats that would astound everyone else, be considered impossible by most people (that elvish 19 would be even more astounding, pushing far into the supernatural ... but that's what elves are about, I fear.) With that 26 point buy, people try for a high stat or two, and leave one stat at 8, quite often (Charisma, is that dump stat ...) Why must everyone have an 18? Why should it be that they simply must have a 16, 17, or 18? Why can't they be content at 14? 13? They gain 1 point to add to a stat per level - they will be able to get to an 18 eventually in a stat, and when they do, they will be superhuman in that stat! But it shouldn't be 'requisite' that you have a 15, 16, 17, or 18 in order to have a viable character ('oh no, nothing above 14. Let's erase these stats and roll again. Gads, with only 2 14s, a 13, an 11, 2 10s, and an 8, these rolls are useless!') [/QUOTE]

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