I played a crappy character...and it was great!

[JamesonCourage]

I think this is the real split. If you like coming up with character concepts and then using the rules to create that character, you're going to be opposed to (or at least wary of) random stat gen. If you prefer being "inspired" by the character gen process, then random stat gen is a good thing.

I think this is generally true, but it's obviously not that simple. For example, just yesterday I rolled up a character for my brother's online game (I doubt we'll play often, but it's fun to make a character anyways). Before I rolled, he asked what I wanted to play. I finally settled on a race and class (an axe thrower), and then I rolled stats. And it's cool, because I'll make due with what I've got, unless it's basically unplayable.

So why roll? Like you said, I like being surprised. It's why I also rolled for a couple personality traits (brave, grumpy), his main motivation (saving his tribe), a personal challenge (he's frank), and something he didn't know but wanted to know (looking for me mentor), and then filtered the results through the lens of his race: troll [not D&D, but kind of similar]). I already had an idea of what I wanted in mind (race, class, and personality); now, however, I have more than that. He's brave (even for my reckless race, as we've got regeneration), grumpy (trolls are generally nice to non-enemies, so I'm basically a friendly curmudgeon), frank, and looking to save my tribe and find my mentor.

Then, when I rolled for his heritage, who he was raised by, his siblings, and some childhood/adult events, I found out some things along the way. He made some friends as a child, and I found out who trained him (the mentor I was looking for). He had a good childhood romantic relationship with another troll from the ship he was on most of his life. He saw a sea monster. Last event as a child, and important mechanically, he was badly injured. There was no real mechanical effect other than I started a year old due to recovery, but trolls have regeneration in this, and so the recovery was mostly mental. However, it inspired me to pick up a couple of flaws (slow healer, so my racial regeneration is slower, and low pain threshold, so I might get overwhelmed when I am hurt, even if it's regenerating). As an adult, his talent for throwing weapons was discovered, and he was used as a soldier for the dying tribe. He displayed heroism (and made a friend), got a little famous, and gained a reputation as a reliable warrior.

Now, I could do the same rolls with point buy or an array. So, don't think I'm trying to deny that. But, I roll stats for the same reason I roll all those other things: to find out something I don't know about the character. It's like how some GMs (like me...) roll personality traits on NPCs. Sure, you're talking to an alchemist, but who knew he'd be (pause to roll) bored and evil, too?

I usually go into things with a concept before I roll. Again, though, I think what you're saying is generally true. It's just not universally applicable, and I don't know how much help it is trying to paint in broad strokes. Some people just prefer point buy, others rolling, and some array. I offer two out of three in my RPG (roll or array), so I get it. I've even used the array. But, really, it comes down to mostly preference. And we can talk about the broad whys, but I don't know how much good it'll do. Oh well, you're much nicer than the first page looked, so please don't think I'm attacking you, or anything. Thanks for the thoughtful, civil post. As always, play what you're like

 

[Greylond]

I like Random Character Generation. What I do is to have 4 or 5 general character concepts ready and then roll the dice. Then I match the stats that I roll with one of the character ideas that I have. Also, for the power level of a character the design philosphy of HackMaster as written about in the HackMaster Player's Handbook Forward;

http://www.kenzerco.com/hackmaster/foreword.html

HackMaster includes another element overlooked by the other games – the journey to becoming a hero.

In HackMaster, players begin running characters generally little better than the local commoner. True, some may be head-and-shoulders above their fellow man, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Most HackMaster characters even have one or more weaknesses that make the road to hero even more difficult. The challenge of the game is to overcome difficult situations with a band of allies, none of whom are overly exceptional. To find a literary example of this type of story, one need not look far. Arguably (if not factually) the most popular fantasy story of all is such a tale. In Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the main character (as well as his dwarven companions) is a plain everyday person. One of the reasons we love this story is because we can identify with Bilbo; he’s just like us. We root for him as he overcomes the odds on his journey to becoming one of the most storied heroes of Middle Earth. The Hobbit is about the journey to becoming a hero. This is also the essence of HackMaster.

Certainly, playing a roving band of superheroes a la the Justice League has its place, but arguably this is far less heroic than a commoner rising to the challenge. True heroism comes from overcoming the odds and risking life and limb in a perilous situation not the faux valor that comes from defeating supervillains when the chance of failure is slim or none.

 

[Alzrius]

Techically all casters are DAD or SAD, Clerics like Cha but need wis everything else is gravy.
So you weren't crappy with 17 Wisdom at 1st.

Had you played a Monk then you'd be crappy (5 Str indeed).

Given the penalties I'm taking to my hit point rolls at each level, not to mention penalties to two out of three saves, then it doesn't look too single-attribute-dependent to me!