Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Point buy and skill-based game
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 5263097" data-attributes="member: 177"><p>The strength of point-buy systems are in their flexibility. This is also their weakness.</p><p></p><p>Point buy systems typically allow the players to develop whatever abilities they want. For those who want that level of control, it's a great thing. But, point buy systems typically have few or no guards against development that will have undesirable impacts on play.</p><p></p><p>It is relatively easy to build a point-buy character that is thoroughly ineffective at anything. It is also easy to build a point-buy character to take advantage of a rules-exploit so well as to be nigh-broken. It is relatively easy to have both of these characters in the same party!</p><p></p><p>In a classed and leveled system like D&D, while there are some quirks, characters of a given level have known numbers of hit points, you can generally guess at their AC, saves, and so on. The level alone gives you a gauge on how well they'll survive - not a perfect measure, by any means, but it is something. </p><p></p><p>Point-buy systems typically lack that handle for the GM. It can take more work and more attention on the GM's part to build encounters and adventures that challenge, but don't overwhelm the party. You find the sweet spot of what the party can take through experience with the party, not from any framework in the rules.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 5263097, member: 177"] The strength of point-buy systems are in their flexibility. This is also their weakness. Point buy systems typically allow the players to develop whatever abilities they want. For those who want that level of control, it's a great thing. But, point buy systems typically have few or no guards against development that will have undesirable impacts on play. It is relatively easy to build a point-buy character that is thoroughly ineffective at anything. It is also easy to build a point-buy character to take advantage of a rules-exploit so well as to be nigh-broken. It is relatively easy to have both of these characters in the same party! In a classed and leveled system like D&D, while there are some quirks, characters of a given level have known numbers of hit points, you can generally guess at their AC, saves, and so on. The level alone gives you a gauge on how well they'll survive - not a perfect measure, by any means, but it is something. Point-buy systems typically lack that handle for the GM. It can take more work and more attention on the GM's part to build encounters and adventures that challenge, but don't overwhelm the party. You find the sweet spot of what the party can take through experience with the party, not from any framework in the rules. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Point buy and skill-based game
Top