point buy or standart array?

[DinoeL]

Can't decide which one to use for my next campaign. pt buy is very customizable but i'm afraid all players will have one stat 18 and others 11 which is not good, and Standart array method may create too many ugly fighters w/ Cha 8.
Don't want to use rolling cause my previous experience shows it generates very unique adventurers (good) but it is too unbalanced, PC to PC and NPC to PC. (very bad!)

What do you use and why?

 

[bwgwl]

32 point buy. that way they can afford that 18 and still have points left to take other things above 11...

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

I encourage a standard array, but I don't mandate it. I simply told the players that I preferred it and that dumping all their points into 18s was potentially gimping their own character.

 

[Tiberius]

I've been using the standard array, and have noticed that Dex becomes the dump stat for the fighters/clerics, since they plan to use heavy armor anyway and won't benefit much from high Dex.

-Tiberius

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

If you keep the point total low enough (25-28) you won't see that problem -- an 18 just costs too much at that point.

I give my players the option of 25 point buy or default array (which really isn't a choice: they're exactly the same thing). I have yet to see a player push one very high stat to the detriment of all his others -- there just aren't enough points available to do that (25 pts with one 18 nets: 18, 10, 10, 10, 10, 9, 8 -- which most people aren't willing to live with).

 

[The Kender]

Here's what I do.

1. First, use the default array to assign your stats
2. You can increase your stats by 3 points in any way you like. You can add them to one score, or amoung two or three different ones.

This let's you have your 18 if you want it or two 16's, or whatever.

 

[Snoweel]

I REALLY want to start another thread, but since there's enough threads re: character generation methods, I'll post here:

Organic point-buy method:

Roll 4d6, drop lowest 6 times.
Record scores in order.
Keep 2 highest scores in order they are rolled (no matter what, and in the case of ties for second place, determine randomly which are kept).
Buy the remaining 4 attributes with 13 points (for 25-point buy), 16 points (for 28-point buy) or 20 points (for 32-point buy).

Whaddaya reckon?

 

[Jens]

The simplest is to just use point-buy. That way players can play what they want. Some may want to play a character with an 18 and be willing to accept that the other stats are low, but that isn't really a problem, is it? After all, that's what they want. After having played a character with 18-10-10-10-9-8, they will probably want more balanced stats, I know I would .

 

[diaglo]

3d6 six times in order.

 

[Drawmack]

I use point buy cards. I don't have them here with me so I can't give you the exacts on them but what they do is randomly generate individual stats while ensuring a 72 point character. Note that's 72 points flat or a 12 in each of the six stats.