Point buy starting pool

[BluWolf]

Some players believe rolling ability scores is sacrosanct. Other players want to play THE character they have in mind and don't want to leave the abilities to chance. I think both views are valid and I want to give my players the option.

So I will be using the standard 4d6 drop the lowest for ability gen and the point buy systme if they would like. My campaign tend to be a little action adventure heavy but lean towards lower magic.

How many points should I use as the starting alotment? 25,28??? more or less??

I have not used point buy before and I don't want to screw the players or give away the campaign.

 

[IronWolf]

For Point Buys I like to start anywhere between 28 and 32 depending on the feel of the game I want. The grittier I want then the closer I am to 28. The more heroic then the closer to 32.

 

[MadMaxim]

I always use 32 points for point-buy. I've grown to dislike the randomness of rolling your ability scores after having seen too many 1st-level rogues actually be better fighters than the fighter himself just because they got high ability scores across the board.

In my mind, point-buy helps make players specialize their characters more in different directions while maintaining a certain level of balance, so the rogue cannot be a better fighter than the fighter AND disarm traps, open locked doors and bluff his way past everything. My two cents on the matter...

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

One quiet day at work I figured out the bell curve for "4d6 drop the lowest". The peak of the bell was 12 or 13.

all 12's would be 24 point buy
all 13's would be 30 point buy

27 point buy would be the average between the two.

("The Iconics" WotC uses in game testing use 25 point buy)

hope that helps

 

[Crothian]

Let the players pick their abilities

 

[BluWolf]

Let the players pick their abilities

New campaign. New players. With the group I played with for 5 years, I would have no issue with doing that at all.

 

[Buttercup]

In that case, why not give them a default array? If you don't like the standard choices, offer them something a bit higher. 17, 16, 15, 12, 12, 8

Edit: I should add that IMO giving players higher starting ability scores makes them feel more powerful, but you can easily compensate by giving more hit points to their adversaries.

 

[MadMaxim]

In that case, why not give them a default array? If you don't like the standard choices, offer them something a bit higher. 17, 16, 15, 12, 12, 8

Edit: I should add that IMO giving players higher starting ability scores makes them feel more powerful, but you can easily compensate by giving more hit points to their adversaries.

I agree with Buttercup. Even though my players' get 32 points to spend, their characters don't exactly destroy entire nations from 1st level. They're just a little less dependent on ability-enhancing magic items. I like capable characters, because it gives me a little more assurance that they won't drop dead too quickly.

 

[Voadam]

One quiet day at work I figured out the bell curve for "4d6 drop the lowest". The peak of the bell was 12 or 13.

all 12's would be 24 point buy
all 13's would be 30 point buy

27 point buy would be the average between the two.

("The Iconics" WotC uses in game testing use 25 point buy)

hope that helps

Remember though that rolls resulting in 15s or above = more cost for point buy. Do you want average random rolls to be higher point cost than the point buy (because there is less min maxing maneuvering of point allocation) or roughly equal? I'd go with 28 to be about the same value.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

25

If you want to up the power scale later in the game, you can always hand out bonuses later. If they save the kingdom, for example, you can give them +1 CHA because everyone loves them so much. Or if they endure the Ritual of Really Bad Stuff they can get +1 CON.

It's easier to give than to take away later.