Point Buy Negative Values

[Charwoman Gene]

Which of the following is more in the spirit of the DMG rules?

a) Assume they are all 0 cost, scores lower than 8 give no bonus points.

b) Make them linear, 7 "costing" -1, 3 "costing -5.

c) Make them match the curve of the high numbers. This gives

7 -> -1
6 -> -3
5 -> -5
4 -> -8
3 -> -11​

I should have put in an other choice, as a few people posted good values ranges in the "log X" range between the constant zero and the linear.

 

[Crothian]

They cost the same as an 8, zero points. If players want lower ability scores they can have them but they should not be compensated for doing so.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Just to clarify...

I'm gonna use this as part of my goal to debunk the myth of the balanced 25-pt. point buy.

Unless of course, my data disproves my hypothesis, in which case it must be suppressed.

 

[Crothian]

why do you think 25 point buy is unbalanced? and unbalanced with what? If all the players have the samee point buy be it 0, 25, or even 50 they are balanced in theory with each each other.

 

[Corsair]

A half-orc fighter with 6 cha after race has enough of a dump stat. No reason to let the real muchkinny folks try to get a bonus by making themselves even MORE terrible at something they are already terrible at.

 

[Rystil Arden]

why do you think 25 point buy is unbalanced? and unbalanced with what? If all the players have the samee point buy be it 0, 25, or even 50 they are balanced in theory with each each other.

Well 25 is too low, for one thing. If you run the Probability Distribution Function on a single stat roll and multiply by six, you get 25.4675925926 for an average point buy. And that includes characters who have 3 in all stats, so once you throw out hopeless characters, you should probably have 27 PB average.

 

[dcollins]

Well 25 is too low, for one thing. If you run the Probability Distribution Function on a single stat roll and multiply by six, you get 25.4675925926 for an average point buy. And that includes characters who have 3 in all stats, so once you throw out hopeless characters, you should probably have 27 PB average.

There's an advantage to selecting your scores exactly to your liking. Therefore, point-buy needs to be lower on average than the dice method to be equitable.

 

[Crothian]

Well 25 is too low, for one thing. If you run the Probability Distribution Function on a single stat roll and multiply by six, you get 25.4675925926 for an average point buy. And that includes characters who have 3 in all stats, so once you throw out hopeless characters, you should probably have 27 PB average.

Too low for what? Too low for insteresting characters? Too low to be effective?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Too low for what? Too low for insteresting characters? Too low to be effective?

Neither, too low to beat out random rolls though. So really I meant too low to use as an average.

 

[Crothian]

Neither, too low to beat out random rolls though. So really I meant too low to use as an average.

Since Point Buy and randome rolls are not used at the same time, what's it matter? Not all forms of character generation are going to be equal, but each has strengths and weaknesses.