Informal DM Survey: Stat Generation Method?

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I usually use the default 4d6 drop lowest six times and then assign, method. But every so often, if it fits the campaign, I'll do a 32 Point Buy.

 

[shilsen]

Divide 80 pts between your six abilities, with no more than one maxed stat and no stat lower than 8 before racial modifiers are applied.

 

[Will]

Huh. I'm surprised by the wide variation...

I do strict book 25 point buy, and normally use that or the 'elite array' (which is the same thing) for my NPCs.

I also don't bother with 'NPC classes,' except the Aristocrat, who I think is close enough to a PC class to stand.

So for the most part, people rarely have a 17 or 18 unless they are very specialized. I think the wizard started with 18 Int, but has very little else to work with.

It was a bit of a shock for the players, who had previously played in a game where their characters rarely had a single ability score below 14 or something, but it works fine.

 

[Piratecat]

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 do 32 pt. point buy, and I love it, but I've got to say - this is an innovative and very interesting system. It starts the group with teamwork, and gives them more buy-in into their characters. Neat idea.

What do you do when someone enters the group after the rest of the people have characters?

 

[hong]

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).

Huh?

Back to the topic: I started off using point buy on 30-36 pts depending on how tough I wanted the NPC to be. Now I just wing it; stat boosts from items and levelling up mean that the final results can be nowhere near how they started, so worrying over individual points isn't really worth it. Although this does require familiarity with how the stats are likely to change by level, so that you don't go completely off the rails.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

For NPC's, I decide what they get. I try to keep the biggest NPC's at par with the player characters.

For PC's, sometimes it's 32- or 36- point buy, sometimes its the basic method, sometimes its roll 24 dice, keep the 18 best, arrange to taste (3 dice per stat).

For monsters, I usually use the stat array presented in the book, but I have no quarry about beefing up some monsters, especially when I know the players have benefitted from higher-than-normal stats.

AR

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Used to be 4D6 drop the lowest.

More recently it's been point buys - varying between 24 and 36 - or standard arrays of some sort. Depends on the GM and the campaign...

I'm using a high standard array at the moment - 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9 and then add 6 points on top. Wouldn't usually go this high - but it fits with the game we're currently running, which has a bucket o' house rules in play.

I rather liked our experiences with a low point buy Star Wars game (22 points, IIRC?) - At low levels made for very specialised characters and placed a lot of emphasis on feats/skills.

 

[billd91]

4d6, drop lowest, six times, arrange as desired.
I never use point buy.
Crappy rolls are part of the game and can generate interesting characters, just takes a little creativity.

 

[Pax]

billd91 ... so, you're saying you would WANT to play "mister consistently below average" for the ninth game in a row, where everyone else around you are playing "superguy with amazing stats" also for the ninth game in a row ... ?

After a while, playing the Sidekick to someone else/s character gets old, and you wanna play someone who HAS sidekicks.

 

[Liquidsabre]

After a while, playing the Sidekick to someone else/s character gets old, and you wanna play someone who HAS sidekicks.

No problem, I just take the Leadership feat.

As Billd91 said: Creativity. Though some of us have added to the standard 4d6 with simple rules that make poor rolls a novelty and worthy of playing when they turn up. Let's stay on topic however, I'd hate this thread turn into another point-buy vs. roll thread ugh.

For NPCs I use the standard stat array in the DMG, the PCs are the heroes and should have the higher stats in general. Only the occasional, meaningful villain has PC-esk stats.