Point buy and humans vs other races?

[Plane Sailing]

Question for anyone using the point-buy system for creating characters. Do you include a fudge factor for humans & half elves vs other races?

Just wondering, because elves/dwarves/hobbits/gnomes etc can buy an attribute to 16, then get +2 from their race (worth 6 actual points), and lose 2 from another attribute (worth 2 points).

Thus carefully maximised races can end up with effectively 4 "bonus" points in the point buy system.

So how do you guys handle this?

a) humans and half elves suck it up
b) humans and half elves get bonus points to spend
c) you don't apply racial bonuses after spending, but at some other point

Cheers

 

[novyet]

Option A actually. No one has ever complained about that, and there is never a shortage of humans or half elves in our parties. So at least from my vantage point there may not be much of an issue here. Of course YMMV.

 

[bret]

Definately option A.

The rules enforce the stereotypes of the various races. There are not going to be very many elves with a great Con, nor dwarves with a great Charisma.

It isn't just racial bonus that gets applied after point buy, it is also the penalty.

 

[Al]

This is one of the criticisms of point-buy, and one of the reasons I don't use it: it can be especially abusive with characters with 'dump stats'. A true powergamer with point-buy would normally be a half-orcish barbarian. His can take a hit to Int and Cha without any discernible effect (1 less skill point) and perhaps even buy back Int if he so desires and then gain about 6 points for free in strength.

 

[nwn_deadman]

I think you guys are forgetting that Humans get a free feat and an extra skill point per level, as well as any favored class that suits their needs.

Besides this, they can excel at any class because there are no negative mods for them.

The point buy is the most equitable means of character creation, as everyone at the table will have the same opportunity to have a good character. NO 32 equivalent for one character and 45 for the next and 55 for the next still...

 

[Crothian]

Options A the closest, but in truth if you are so worried about your PC being min maxers and abusing the game why are you playing with them?

 

[Omegium]

We have seldomly a problem with that. Most classes won't get their racial adjustment in their primary stat anyway. And if you give humans and halfelfs extra points, those poinst will always go in a primary stat. And although half-elves are quite weak (haven't seen them much, both humans and often also elven are better), there are mostly humans enough

 

[CRGreathouse]

A racial stat adjustment is one of the benefits of the race; it's already factored in. Humans get more benefits to make up for this lack.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

A racial stat adjustment is one of the benefits of the race; it's already factored in. Humans get more benefits to make up for this lack.

Ditto.

It is fundamentally no more unfair that an Elf can get a 16 Dex on the cheap with point buy, than that same Elf could "roll" a 20 for Dex with dice. -And 2 Con is nothing to sneeze at.

Neither system is perfect. But my experience is that point buy has fewer annoying issues than the alternative.

 

[smetzger]

Neither system is perfect. But my experience is that point buy has fewer annoying issues than the alternative.

Of course I have come up with the perfect way to do it.

1) roll your stats.
2) take all the PCs lowest roll. Replace everyones lowest roll with the highest of the lowest rolls.
3) take all the PCs highest roll. Replace everyones highest roll with the highest of the highest rolls.

*:> Scott