Point-buy or rolling? Your preference and why?

[Henry]

Continued from the New Character closeup thread here.

Do you prefer point-buy or rolling 4d6 for your stats in your games? Why is it?

 

[Maraxle]

Definitely rolling. I like the luck aspect, plus it helps avoid making cookie-cutter characters.

 

[Zogg]

Ditto what Marlaxle said. Rolling is better - it provides more colorful characters.

 

[Belen]

I just give them 90 points where they choose where/ what to do with their stats. That's 90 points total and racial traits allow people to start with a 20 score or a max of 16 in their negative score.

It is far easier when everyone has the same points and I have always hated low point-buy because, darn it, if you're an adventurer then you should be better than others in the crowd.

Dave

 

[SpiderMonkey]

We've utilized the point-buy system for the last few years and it's worked out pretty well. I got sick of letting the dice determine or compromise people's visions for their characters; plus we'd have one guy who wouldn't be satisfied until he got at least two eighteens to beef up his uber-barb, and another guy that would take the first thing he rolled, getting miffed when his abilities didn't quite match up to what he had envisioned for the character.

Do I think everyone should utilize the point-buy? Nah. Has it worked for us? You bet.

 

[Psion]

Rolling, with the caveat that I allow low-roll mulligans.

I generally find that rolling provides for a little extra creativity and distinction between similar characters. Sometimes character concepts spring whole cloth from a set of rolls.

 

[sircaren]

We do it with dice. I love the random aspect of it. Sometimes we'll do 3d6 straight up, let the dice(and abilities - no moving scores around) fall where they may. I personally have played pretty much everything, so I'm just as happy designing a character based on my roles. Can really make for some interesting backgrounds. Point buys always tend to lead to the same cookie cutter PCs, boring.

 

[drowdude]

I prefer rolling. 'Tis more fun, and you tend to get fewer "stock point spreads" where everyone has the exact same, optimum ability scores.

 

[Bloodstone Mage]

I use to like rolling 4d6, but from many arguments lately around my FLGS, I think I'll switch to point-buy. I'm thinking of letting the players have 36 or 40 points to use (with the PHB/DMG guidelines for using point-buy). I'm still not too sure yet.

 

[idum]

It depend.
When i'm DM and the group is newbie-like, i prefere point buy (+32) for avoid unhappy players and for help better newbies to create something they can play with fun.
When i'm DM and the group is expert-like sometimes i give points (+26) and sometimes i want they roll; normally i ask at players what they prefere.

When i'm PG i prefere roll, even if i'm very unlucky with dices. But i love rpg and i haven't great problems play an unperfected pg.

Idum