New point buy scheme?

[TPK]

I'm hoping they will do something about the point buy scheme. It's always bothered me that the bonuses increase at even numbers, but the price hikes come at uneven numbers. It disturbs my sense of game aesthetics or something.

Looking at the D&DXP characters, when analysed by the old point buy scheme, they seem to work out at either 29 or 30 points. My question to the intrepid reverse engineers of ENworld: Could a different point buy scheme be inferred that would make sense of the characters? I fooled with it a little, but couldn't quite get anything to fit.

Also, am I the only one annoyed with the current scheme?

 

[Shroomy]

The pre-gens were created with a 28 point buy. However, whoever created the pre-gens made a calculation error on a few of the characaters (can't remember how many or which ones), so they ended up with a 29 point buy.

 

[TPK]

So, same old, same old?

Disappointing.

 

[tombowings]

So, same old, same old?

Disappointing.

Just your own point-guy scale. It isn't difficult to implement; I've been using it for years.

 

[Imban]

The official point buy for 3e was 25, so 28 is a change... (Neverwinter Nights used 30, and Neverwinter Nights 2 used 32.)

...but I personally used 40 or so for my games, since that's more like what novel characters are built on.

 

[pweent]

The pre-gens were created with a 28 point buy. However, whoever created the pre-gens made a calculation error on a few of the characaters (can't remember how many or which ones), so they ended up with a 29 point buy.

Can you give a reference for that? Because according to Chris Tulach, that guy who made the characters,

The math on the ability scores is correct, and they all spent the same amount of points.
...
Just so you know, while I did double-check some of these characters and others checked them too, there might be some slight math errors on a couple. I'd have to go back and check on these again. There's not many; I only spotted two, both in the PCs' favors.

That's what I get for finishing them at 1:30 am on Tuesday morning!

See here and here for the references. That doesn't sound to me like "A couple of the stats are using the wrong number of points," but rather "Some of the calculated values are off deeper in the stat block." I've heard the "28/29" point error from a couple of places, but since neither of them have been able to identify the author of the stat blocks in the first place, I question their accuracy. But if you've got a reliable source for the 28/29 point solution as opposed to new stat math, I'd love to see it.

 

[Shroomy]

Nope, no references, just messageboard chatter. I hadn't seen the remarks by Chris.

 

[frankthedm]

I'm hoping they will do something about the point buy scheme. It's always bothered me that the bonuses increase at even numbers, but the price hikes come at uneven numbers. It disturbs my sense of game aesthetics or something.

It is done that way because the +1 ability score boost can be used to make odd scores into bonuses very easily. Also old age can allow for odd ability score boosts and reductions.

 

[TPK]

It is done that way because the +1 ability score boost can be used to make odd scores into bonuses very easily. Also old age can allow for odd ability score boosts and reductions.

...But even numbers give me an advantage that I don't have to either survive for four levels or screw my physique to take advantage of. What you give is a reason to ever take uneven numbers at all, IMO.