D&D 5E Is Tasha's More or Less The Universal Standard?

[Helldritch]

"those were practice rolls"
"that doesn't count"
"If you make me use these I'll just make a new character after I suicide or retire this one"
even before the BLATENT cheating

My group stopped rolling in the end of 3.5. I only 1 time since have gone back to rolling and I didn't roll (I have told this story before)

I went to a PF game and was told to roll stats. I sat down had the 4d6 in hand and put them down and just took what every stats I wanted. I went and showed the DM he asked if I had rolled and I was honest, "Nope, just took what I wanted... still going to be lower than your brother and his best friend" he didn't know what to say... a little bit later his young brother showed up and if you put my highest to lowest and his highest to lowest every number on his... when the younger brothers best friend showed he had BETTER stats yet, so the DM let me keep mine. I was the second lowest in 7 players... 1 rolled at table so i know he rolled well. other 5 all swore they just rolled well (all 5 had 1 or more nat 18)


over the years I have seen people cheat, people lie, and in general when even players that wont complain about useing the array or point buy and be fine with a 15 high stat find they NEED an 18 when rolling.

This is why all rolls are made in front of me.
All players roll once.
6 players mean 6 rolls.
Everyone uses these stats in any order they want.
Guess what? People still prefer the standard array because it is usally risks free and gives a nice average.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

And rolling straight down could have made it hard to even play a rogue, but whatever works for y’all.

There's still the PB option. And with 7 or so sets, odds of no high Dex was really low. But yes, you might not get exactly what you want. If you want guarantees, why roll at all? Just to get more stat points? To me, rolling and assigning just looks like sloppy point buy. Your wizards will still be weaklings, your fighters uncouth dummies, and your monks wondering why the designers hate them.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

There's still the PB option. And with 7 or so sets, odds of no high Dex was really low. But yes, you might not get exactly what you want.

I mean, text sucks at tone, but this comes across as dismissive of people who don't play your way?

If you want guarantees, why roll at all? Just to get more stat points?

Because it's more fun, primarily. The reason I choose any methodology in the game over another. I'm not playing Dark Souls. I'm dropping into the mind of an imagined person who I have concieved of in a fair amount of detail, but not every detail.

To me, rolling and assigning just looks like sloppy point buy. Your wizards will still be weaklings, your fighters uncouth dummies, and your monks wondering why the designers hate them.

Roll and assigning isn't "sloppy", it's semi-randomized. It takes your basic layout, and gives you some small surprises to integrate into that layout.

As to your statement about class norms, no, that has never been my experience at all. Literally not once in 25 years or so of playing DND and it's derivatives have I seen a table full of class stereotypes when rolling, and rarely have I seen it happen even with point buy.

 

[James Gasik]

I mean, text sucks at tone, but this comes across as dismissive of people who don't play your way?

Because it's more fun, primarily. The reason I choose any methodology in the game over another. I'm not playing Dark Souls. I'm dropping into the mind of an imagined person who I have concieved of in a fair amount of detail, but not every detail.

Roll and assigning isn't "sloppy", it's semi-randomized. It takes your basic layout, and gives you some small surprises to integrate into that layout.

As to your statement about class norms, no, that has never been my experience at all. Literally not once in 25 years or so of playing DND and it's derivatives have I seen a table full of class stereotypes when rolling, and rarely have I seen it happen even with point buy.

Yeah, left to their own devices, historically, players seem to choose to be 13th Warriors or Mystery Men rather than the Justice League.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Yeah, left to their own devices, historically, players seem to choose to be 13th Warriors or Mystery Men rather than the Justice League.

exactly.

I really only see low in and cha fighters, str 8 wizards, and the like, from brand new players. And even then, not often enough to ever see a group full of stereotypes.

 

[James Gasik]

exactly.

I really only see low in and cha fighters, str 8 wizards, and the like, from brand new players. And even then, not often enough to ever see a group full of stereotypes.

What I hate the most is when someone decides to, say, play a high Intelligence Fighter and then realize the game doesn't really reward them for their choice...

 

[HammerMan]

What I hate the most is when someone decides to, say, play a high Intelligence Fighter and then realize the game doesn't really reward them for their choice...

Big pet peeve.

Not just INT but 3/4 the stats. For fighter you want 1 of Str or dex high and con. I saw new players put high stats in Cha and in and Wis over them to be smart perceptive and likeable. Then found out that isn’t how d&d worlds work

 

[cbwjm]

What I hate the most is when someone decides to, say, play a high Intelligence Fighter and then realize the game doesn't really reward them for their choice...

It kind of does reward you though. I'm playing a 16 INT fighter and that +3 bonus has helped out with investigation and various knowledge checks. You can't just rely on wizards or those trained in those skills in actual play.

 

[ECMO3]

So don't allow mulligans or the array. That's how I've always seen it done.

I prefer rolling, but I don't think the 4d6 and arrange your stats works very well.

For rolling I think you need three things for it to really work and be an improvement:

1. You need to roll each stat individually. No moving scores around and putting your highest roll in your most important stat. If your fighter rolls a 13 strength and an 18 Intelligence he has a 13 strength and an 18 intelligence (before racial mods). This puts the sort of variety that makes for a really good game.

2. Before you start rolling pick two stats. You get one extra dice (roll 5 drop 2) and a minimum roll of a 13 in these stats (before racial mods). If you roll less than a 13 it is a 13. Usually this stat is the multiclass requirements or the classe's two most important stats. If you are a Wizard for example you might pick intelligence and Dexterity. Or if you are a wizard that plans to multiclass to Cleric you might pick Intellitgence and Wisdom. This assures that you are viable in your chosen class.

3. I don't allow mulligans on individual rolls - roll a 3 con and you have a 3 (unless it was one of the stats designated above, if it is then it is a 13). However I do use a minimum threshold for ALL your scores combined. I make this 73 (standard array is 72 and 73 is the median for combined rolls using 4d6L1). If you have less than 73 total can reroll everything. This means if you roll a 3 you are going to need high rolls in other abilities to meet this threshold, making up for your 3.

I think this results in some awesome diverse characters.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

What I hate the most is when someone decides to, say, play a high Intelligence Fighter and then realize the game doesn't really reward them for their choice...

It's very DM dependent, but yeah it should be less DM dependent.

Big pet peeve.

Not just INT but 3/4 the stats. For fighter you want 1 of Str or dex high and con. I saw new players put high stats in Cha and in and Wis over them to be smart perceptive and likeable. Then found out that isn’t how d&d worlds work

I've got a BM Fighter with highest stat in Int, and he's great. But my games feature a lot of investigation, research, etc, and the game doesn't really punish you for starting with a +2 in your main stat, so he's fine.