Informal DM Survey: Stat Generation Method?

[Epametheus]

Point-buy. 28, 32, 37, etc. I don't mind high stats, but I dislike the dice-rolling method.

 

[Gizzard]

1) I use a point-buy system. In the current campaign I am using 35 points, which I feel is rather high but my players prefer. (This is an outgrowth of using the PHB Character Generator for our first campaign; the point buy equivalent of most characters there was 45 (!). I've cut 5 points off in each subsequent campaign.)

2) Characters typically have an 18 (+4) in their main stat, two medium-high stats (+2/+3), two medium-low stats (+1/+0) and a 9 in CHA.

3) NPCs are the reason I feel the current point-buy is too high. Even the "main villian" in published products tends to be noticably weaker than 35 points (before equipment). This means that I can't use many products off the shelf, which is a bother. I end up tinkering with them to make them a challenge for the players. The mooks I leave more or less as-is and then start scaling everyone else up.

 

[ARandomGod]

I won't even *play* a point buy.
I will, on the other hand, play low roll scoring characters, or assigned rolls.
Usually we play 4d6, reroll the first result of one you roll, and drop the lowest (for a very slightly higher than 4d6 drop the lowests).
The methods I actually prefer are a + point buy system
By which to say, every player gets a character with a + total of, say, 6, 9, or even 12 if we want real heroes.
And my very favorite.... each player rolls 4d6, drop the lowest six times, then the results are pooled onto one sheet, and we go around the table assigning scores to stats for each player, everyone sharing the master sheet and voting. I really like that one, it's ... interesting. ALthough you do have to have a group capable of some basic cooperation. But then, that's almost a given anyhow. And it's not completely needed. But the why's and wherefores to that are complicated.

Maybe I just really like complications!

 

[Liquidsabre]

4d6 drop lowest die, roll 7 times and drop lowest stat, allocate to desired Attribute. Total attribute modifiers less than 5, auto re-roll. Each player is allowed a single re-roll if they wish (modifiers 5 or more) but must retain the scores they roll.

In all the games I run I see a fair range of scores (none of them poor) and some occasionally high. I tried point-buy but after 3 players made their characters with the exact same attributes I chucked point-buy in favor of rolling. I prefer to see original stats than a series of identical stats anyday and we've never had any problems with players complaining about fairness.

 

[Gort]

My current game, which started a year and a half ago (and based in the world of Orbis, from the game Warrior Kings), is 25 point buy, for NPCs and PCs alike. There's no such thing as an NPC class in my campaign, either. Imperial men-at-arms are level 3 fighters.

I don't buy into this stuff where professional soldiers get one level of warrior and go down in one hit from anything.

If I was starting the campaign fresh, though, I'd use 32 points buy for everyone, after a few people who REALLY dumped charisma (charisma six does not a hero, in my eyes, make) because they wanted to get an 18 in their spellcasting stat or strength.

 

[Korak]

I have just started a new game, well am about to. My players are working on their characters at the moment. I decided to do something a little different. I had each player roll a sequence of scores 30 long with the 4d6 drop lowest method. They would then have to take a consecutive streak of 7 scores and drop one of those. Then, arrange as desired. At the end, if they just hated what they rolled, they could do a 28 point buy instead. One player almost opted for the point buy (even though his array was valued at 37pts). I haven't computed the expected average point-buy equivalent, but they ended up in the 35-45 range. However, this is tempered by the larger number of odd stats. The one thing I hate about point buy is that only bards, sorcerors, paladins, and the very odd cleric have charismas > 8. This method generated a lot more 11s and 12s that you would get from point buy.

As for NPCs, I generated stat lines for 2 BBEGs from the same method, but will likely stick to elite array or just picking stats as I see fit for the rest.

 

[Pax]

Here's a quick question for all you DMs out there... What method do you have your players use to generate base stats? And given your stat generation method, what would a typical player's base stats look like?

I have a custom system of my own, actually. It's based, initially, on the GURPS system - all attributes start at 10, and you spend points to raise them - or get points back if you lower them. The table of costs is:

COST ... ATTRIBUTE
    32 ... 18
    25 ... 17
    18 ... 16
    13 ... 15
      8 ... 14
      5 ... 13
      2 ... 12
      1 ... 11
      0 ... 10
     -1 ... 9
     -2 ... 8
     -3 ... 7
     -4 ... 6

If you look carefully, you'll see my pattern was simply to start at a cost of +1/+1 for the first two points purchased, and increase both sides of the pair to the next prime number for each additional two points. So, the cost of an 18 is the sum of (+1, +1, +3, +3, +5, +5, +7, and +7).

I currently give players 50 points to build their character; that used to be 40, which gave spreads somewhat comparable to the standard 4d6-and-drop method.

The intent of the system is to allow players to have their single 18, if they really want it ... but also, to more effectively permit, even encourage, a wide range of moderate attributes - which supports the creation of characters like Monks and Paladins, who rely on three or more attributes to "get by".

The instigation of this, was the realisation that the DMG-standard "25 point buy" is not a 25-point buy; it's a thirteen point buy, that then ASSUMES you lower each attribute from the average score of 10, down to a disadvantaged 8, before buying them back up. I despise that sort of duplicity, so I cam up with a more-honest approach (10's cost 0 points). Then I did what I could to steepen the curve as you steadily increase your scores above 10, moreso than the DMG standard, to reward people with lots of 14's and 15's.

Also, do you generate NPC stats in the same way, or do you use some other method?

Same method, but the point values change. Cohorts and significant NPCs get 10 points fewer than the PCs get; named but not significant NPC's get 10 points less, "mooks" get 0 points (IOW, "average stats" per the MM2), central-role NPCs get as much as 20 points more than the PCs, and so on.

My own method is to let my characters take stats that add up to some arbitrary total (usually 81). My players are generally trustworthy, so [no] one yet has set their strength, dex, and con all to 18 at the expense of the mental stats. I've warned them that if they abuse the system, I'll make them use the point-buy system from the DM's guide.

Hmm, six stats, 81 points, that's an average of 13.5 I suppose. The problem there, is, yoru system favors the "one stat matters" characters over the "I need lots of high attributes" characters.

A fighter, really, only needs an 18 strength. OTOH, a Paladin needs that, and a good charisma. A Monk needs to have a good Dexterity, Wisdom, and Strength (beign denied armor, they need both good Dex and Wis modifiers, to make up for their otherwise-pitiful AC).

 

[FireLance]

Like Pax, I use my own point buy method.

08 - 0
09 - 1
10 - 2
11 - 3
12 - 4
13 - 5
14 - 7
15 - 9
16 - 12
17 - 15
18 - 19

Basically, this system does two things:

1. Increasing costs for very high stats, so it's easier to have a few moderate stats than a very high one.

2. Point buy costs increase on the even numbers. The DMG system increases costs on odd numbers, and I find this encourages players to have even-numbered stats as they provide the most immediate return on your points.

 

[PaulGreystoke]

Players: DMG Standard 32 Point Buy
This tends to result in an array of 16,14,14,14,12,8 although there is some variation here. The only character to ever start with a 17+ (before racial adjustments) was a Halfling Sorceror. My players prefer to have several decent stats rather than one monster stat. Nobody has ever taken more than one 8 & some prefer to have no abilities with penalties. Point Buy lets each of my players play exactly the character he wants.

NPCs: varies
Average Array (11,11,11,10,10,10) for lesser mooks
Default Array (13,12,11,10,9,8) for better mooks
Elite Array (15,14,13,12,10,8) for named opposition
32 Pt Buy for opposition meant to be the equal of the PCs
DM's choice for BBEGs (although I haven't actually invoked this yet...)

 

[RangerWickett]

I allow the players to

a) roll 24d6, drop the six lowest, and assign three dice to each stat, or

b) 36-point buy, or

c) default array of 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18. Prominent NPCs get this.

I have a bit less permanent magic than the default, so the slightly higher stats lets them feel powerful without stat-boosters.

The best character I ever rolled up, using option A, had stats that were 43-point buy (9, 15, 12, 14, 15, 18). One player rolled a character with the stats 18, 18, 16, 15, 14, 10, worth 58 points.