Modified Point Buy System

[Creamsteak]

Ability scores are generated through a slightly modified point buy. Ability scores start at 6 instead of 8 to make the ability scores slightly more open ended. The math that was used to figure out how many points should be given to players is the point buy value of every possible dice roll using the 4d6 drop one method over the total number of possibilities rounded up, then multiplied by the total number of ability scores, which is six. In other words 40.52777778 rounded up to 41. It seems like a lot more points than usual, but the numbers make some sense given the slightly raised cost of average ability scores.

Ability Score Point Cost
6 0
7 1
8 2
9 3
10 4
11 5
12 6
13 7
14 8
15 10
16 12
17 15
18 18
*Players have 41 points to spend, all ability scores start at six.

 

[Argus Decimus Mokira]

Hey

Are you going for the equivalent of 28 point buy (from the DMG)? If so, you should drop the points given to 40, and it's perfect.

Thanks
-Matt

 

[Jens]

This should be fine. However, I think it would have been easier to count 6 as -2 and 7 as -1 with the standard point-buy. As far as I can tell, that would be identical.

I think the standard point-buy score is 28 instead of 41-6*2=29 (which I think is a more 'correct' value) because the ability to assign points is worth something, and it was deemed to be worth about one point.

 

[bensei]

Note that starting at 6 (resp. starting at 8 and allowing -1 and -2) makes the point buy system more powerful, as you can drop the not-wanted abilities even further down, which given two more points for the wanted abilities.
A strong, tough human Barbarian who before had
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 8
can now have
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 6
or
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 6
instead, i.e.
one more skill point/lvl or +1 will save and +1 on many class-skills, for the only disadvantage of -1 on intimidate.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

One of the things I appreciate about the point buy system is that it doesn't allow really dumb, foolish, or noncharismatic characters. They can be fun occasionally, but someone properly role-playing a 6 int, 8 wis, 6 cha half-orc barbarian can get really frustrating. Are you carefully sneaking into a powerful wizard's house? He gets distracted, forgets the plan, walks out of the silence spell, and kicks in a door. So much for stealth. Or he gets bored waiting for the rogue to check for traps and skips ahead to boot the next door.

And how about a riddle or puzzle? Forget about it. A social situation? Deliberate sabotage. A situation requiring restraint? (Panicked adventurers attack you when you boot the door to the room where they barricaded themselves for instance) Not likely.

Myself, I'm tempted to start mental and social attributes at ten just to make sure players don't feel obligated to be stupid. (They're plenty capable of acting stupidly when they're trying to be smart).

 

[Creamsteak]

I was thinking I like 29 and 41 just because they keep at least 1 number odd. Way too many point-buy characters seem to keep all numbers even, unless it's a 17 that they can easily bump up later.

I once played a Living Greyhawk cleric with a 13,8,10,13,15,15... but it's rare to really see that from anyone else.

 

[Conaill]

Not a bad table, but it has shares one annoying feature with the "standard" one: price increases occur at even->odd stats boundaries! For example, increasing a 13 to a 14 only costs one extra point, but increasing a 14 to a 15 costs 2. Likewise, 15->16 only costs 2, but 16->17 costs 3.

Considering how much more useful even stats are - and how often point-buy stats get min-maxed to consist of almost exclusively even stats - I would greatly prefer stat increases to lie at odd-> even boundaries instead. How about this:

[color=white]Score  Cost
 6            0
 7            1
 8            2
 9            3
10           4
11           5
12           6
13           7
14           9
15          11
16          14
17          17
18          21[/color]

Yes, it raises the point costs even more. On the other hand, you could look at it as point "inflation". In other words, you get less out of decreasing a stat down to a 6, because those single points aren't worth as much.

Figuring out the average point value for 4d6 is left as an exercise to the reader.