tetsujin28
First Post
I'm an old-school 3d6 guy, myself. You end up with some amazing idiots, that way.
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Point-buy or rolling? Your preference and why?
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David Argall
First Post
pb variations
"But is the point buy in the DMG the best way to go?"
Probably not, and if the design job was done properly, it definitely is not.
A premise of 3e design is that 10+18 = 14+14. That is. If you increase any stat, you gain a net zero because you weaken another and the character remains at the same strength. Now, perfection is not to be expected in a mortal world, and 3e shows several acknowledgements that they knew they did not fully succeed. Thus the half-orc's increase in strength is balance by losses in 2 stats instead of one. And very high stats are made harder to get even tho they should be of no special benefit.
Still, it is quite possible to argue the higher stats are well overpriced and the strongest PC has no stat above 14 [or 16 for non humans]
"But is the point buy in the DMG the best way to go?"
Probably not, and if the design job was done properly, it definitely is not.
A premise of 3e design is that 10+18 = 14+14. That is. If you increase any stat, you gain a net zero because you weaken another and the character remains at the same strength. Now, perfection is not to be expected in a mortal world, and 3e shows several acknowledgements that they knew they did not fully succeed. Thus the half-orc's increase in strength is balance by losses in 2 stats instead of one. And very high stats are made harder to get even tho they should be of no special benefit.
Still, it is quite possible to argue the higher stats are well overpriced and the strongest PC has no stat above 14 [or 16 for non humans]
Valiantheart
First Post
*Well I dont know why my original post was deleted*
I give 80 points flat and let my players place them anywhere they wish. I require all scores have at least an 8 and none higher than 18.
The players can make any characters they want and they are strong. I have absolutely no problem running strong character when every NPC you ever see in any of the Campaign books were born with absolutely silly stats. Just give the FRCS a flip through and figure out what PB they used.
The standard PB wouldnt be so bad if the cost of things didnt scale.
I give 80 points flat and let my players place them anywhere they wish. I require all scores have at least an 8 and none higher than 18.
The players can make any characters they want and they are strong. I have absolutely no problem running strong character when every NPC you ever see in any of the Campaign books were born with absolutely silly stats. Just give the FRCS a flip through and figure out what PB they used.
The standard PB wouldnt be so bad if the cost of things didnt scale.
Negative Zero
First Post
Snoweel said:
*sigh*
don't confuse "could" for "would." i'm just as capable of being an offensive jerk as the next person. however i choose to try not to be (with varying degrees of success). but, assuming that "wouldn't" is what you meant, then you're right. i wouldn't. and all that does is put us in the same category of making idle, empty comments that we have no intention of following up on. me offering coments similar to yours, and you claiming to hold from us your oh so genius insight.
why you would have such a personal problem with the way other people chose to game, people who you'll likely never meet or actually be affected by, is beyond me. but i suppose it's irrelevant. feel free to respond, as i'm sure you would, but don't expect another one.
~NegZ
LostWorldsMike
First Post
I waver on this. I'm not a huge fan of the potential vast disparity in stats betwen characters that result from rolling, but there's something about point buy that seems too sterile. And I really don't like the fact that, with point buy, you need to "pay" for a stat that gives you a penalty.
Negative Zero
First Post
i hadn't thought about it before, but since David Argall first mentioned it, and then LostWorldsMike, it got me thinking. is it really a "penalty" to have 17 and 18 stats so expensive? sure it certainly seems so. in fact, the more i think about it the more i agree with this reasoning. i'd even go so far as to say that this methong actually encorages "min-maxing."
of course, since you can adjust the point buy figure to tase, one could argue then that there doesn't have to be as mcuh min-maxing. but if that's the solution, then the whole thing seems flawed to me. i guess the whole idea that you have to sacrifice the value of one or more stats to achieve another great one, just doesn't sit well with me.
certainly, i can see the value of having a balanced spread of stats and the resultant ease of balancing encounters. but i agree with LostWorldsMike; it does seem sterile.
~NegZ
[EDIT]
btw Umbrage, i absolutely LOVE your rolling method. i think i'll keep it on hand for some future use
[/EDIT]
of course, since you can adjust the point buy figure to tase, one could argue then that there doesn't have to be as mcuh min-maxing. but if that's the solution, then the whole thing seems flawed to me. i guess the whole idea that you have to sacrifice the value of one or more stats to achieve another great one, just doesn't sit well with me.
certainly, i can see the value of having a balanced spread of stats and the resultant ease of balancing encounters. but i agree with LostWorldsMike; it does seem sterile.
~NegZ
[EDIT]
btw Umbrage, i absolutely LOVE your rolling method. i think i'll keep it on hand for some future use
[/EDIT]
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John Jacobsma
First Post
In general, I prefer point-buying to random generation of characters.
I enjoy min-maxxing my character, and what better time to do than right up front?
I dislike the idea of having a lower than average character because of "bad luck".
I like the fact that, with point buy, all the players start on a level playing field. With random generation, a set of lucky rolls could become the de facto dominant character.
But mostly, I enjoy the min-maxxing aspect of point buy systems.
I enjoy min-maxxing my character, and what better time to do than right up front?
I dislike the idea of having a lower than average character because of "bad luck".
I like the fact that, with point buy, all the players start on a level playing field. With random generation, a set of lucky rolls could become the de facto dominant character.
But mostly, I enjoy the min-maxxing aspect of point buy systems.
John Jacobsma
First Post
Although a prefer point buy, my players would rather trust the winds of fortune than their own intellect.
The method we compromised on for the campaign I'm starting up was:
Each stat starts at 8.
Roll 9d6, and assign the dice to stats as desired, but with the constraint that no stat can exceed 18 (before racial mods are applied).
Each die must be assigned to a single stat -- the pips can't be divided between two stats, but any number of dice can be applied to a stat (well, from 0 to 9, anyway)
The method we compromised on for the campaign I'm starting up was:
Each stat starts at 8.
Roll 9d6, and assign the dice to stats as desired, but with the constraint that no stat can exceed 18 (before racial mods are applied).
Each die must be assigned to a single stat -- the pips can't be divided between two stats, but any number of dice can be applied to a stat (well, from 0 to 9, anyway)
