Point buy - How high do you go? (and why)

[ForceUser]

Snoweel makes it sound like Batman was 10th level when he started crime fighting. So how did he get the XP to get to 10th level to get all those high ranks? Sorry, no, Batman is a natural sooper hero. They are larger than life.

 

[rhammer2]

Similar experience. Our first 3E game I let them build with 42 points. Not any more, 32 is enough to get a few great scores or all good scores.

the first time that our group played, we used 45 pts. The players whined and complained that anything less was non-heroic. Since this was not an issue that I really wanted to fight (I could scale the encounters) I went with it.

Once they got it out of their systems we played the next one at 35 pts.


The next campaign I am hoping for 32 pts.

Actually, I am thanking Neverwinter Nights for the assistance in the power decrease - once the players were able to see what they could do with 28 pts. 32 or 35 pts seems like a ton.....

 

[Snoweel]

Snoweel makes it sound like Batman was 10th level when he started crime fighting.

No, he was 15th level before they started writing comics about him.

 

[Enkhidu]

Snoweel makes it sound like Batman was 10th level when he started crime fighting. So how did he get the XP to get to 10th level to get all those high ranks? Sorry, no, Batman is a natural sooper hero. They are larger than life.

If you think that the Batman was a natural sooper hero, you've never read any of the Batman: Year One comics...

 

[Grapeshot]

I beg to differ...

Batman
18th level Human Male (whatever classes):

STR: 15 (+2 from level advancement)
DEX: 16 (ditto)
CON: 14
INT: 13
WIS: 10
CHA: 8

Total point-buy: 25 and you'll notice Batman is far superior to the everyday person.

Never mind. I see now. Didn't notice the 18th lvl or the ditto.

Either way the buy in should depend on the campaign.

 

[jmucchiello]

Batman
18th level Human Male (whatever classes):

This is really the crux of this off topic debate. What classes do you give one of the best martial artists on the planet, who is a perfect dective a la Holmes, And who can perform just about every skilll in the book at near godlike perfection?

In d20 modern terms (without prestige classes in a superhero genre book) he is at least: Fast-1/Smart-5/Charismatic-3/Martial Artist-4/Field Scientist-5/Investigator-5 and several of these should be higher (Investigator, Martial Artists and Smart especially) but he's already over level 20 and yet his total Will save is only +10.

 

[Nifft]

32 point buy. That way, the players can make cool combination PCs like paladin/monks and ranger/monks.

-- Nifft

 

[WizarDru]

Far be it from me to suggest the d20 modern or some other system would be more appropriate for registering Batman on. Ooops. Just did.

Anywho, considering that Batman has gone through multiple incarnations, your idea of his stats depend on which Batman you're thinking of. The animated series features, IMHO, the quintessential Bats, not bogged down by continuity problems or completely different creative teams taking him in completely different directions.

Golden Age Bats was a completely different animal than modern Bats, 50s Bats or late 60s (i.e. Neal Adams) Bats. All of whom have little to do with Adam West's TV Bats, movie Bats, or even Super Friend Bats.

All of which highlights the difficulty of a debate about relative power based on point buy. It's all relative.

 

[Synicism]

This might freak some of you out, but I had my players build their characters with 45 points. They're heroes, so I wanted them to have the stats to fit the role.

Yeah. I always gave mine 40 points to play with. I tried 32 points and I found myself killing them off too fast.

I want my characters to be a cut above everyone else, and I consider it a roleplaying challenge to my players to take a character with all sorts of potential (i.e. good stats) and make a complex character with flaws and personality.

I've been in too many games where someone else in the group fed me the "bad stats=good roleplaying, good stats=munchkin powergaming" line of crap and I'm tired of it. I want good stats, talented heroes, and good roleplaying. What's wrong with that?

 

[JoeGKushner]

I don't play pointbuy.

Just out of curiosity, why would you post here when the original author pretty much said "Those of you that use the DMG point buy method, what point buy level to you use and why?" This statement seems to clearly indicate that your comment, and those of others in other posts, clearly aren't contributing to the listing.

Now me, I use a 32 point buy. I don't like the characters to have low stats in my game.

Other GMs I play with use a 42 point buy but no stat can start below an eight.