D&D 5E Point buy vs roll

[Mordhau]

I've played in AD&D 1e games where the DM insisted (against the stated intention of the DMG) in having players roll 3d6 in order. It wasn't that uncommon to roll up characters which didn't qualify for any class.

 

[Parmandur]

I've played in AD&D 1e games where the DM insisted (against the stated intention of the DMG) in having players roll 3d6 in order. It wasn't that uncommon to roll up characters which didn't qualify for any class.

In 5E, it is food form to check the Multiclass requirements to be sure you can be minimally effective at a given Class. But it's never been a problem.

 

[Maxperson]

Also @Lanefan , @Maxperson, @RoughCoronet0 , and anyone else who mostly rolls...

How often do you get a so-called "hopeless character"? Are none viewed that way, does the rolling system not have them occur, or is there a threshold to ditch them?

Thanks for any insight! It's been so long since I regularly rolled that I'm curious to hear.

So we roll a bit differently in my game.

I have the player assign rolls to the various stats. They have 2x3d6, 2x4d6-L, and 2x5d6-2L. If a player was making an elven wizard, he might assign 5d6-2L to Int and Dex, 4d6-L to Con and Cha, and 3d6 to Wis and Str. Then the player rolls straight down and those are the numbers for his PC. I also allow one number swap in case of bad luck with the 5d6 in the prime stat so that the player can be the class he envisioned for his character.

The last rule is with stat minimums. There isn't a bottom, so a sufficiently unlucky roll could result in a 3, but if you add up the array in the PHB it adds up to 72 total stat points. 15+14+13+12+10+8=72. I like the PCs to be a bit more heroic, so I set the minimum to 76. If after all rolls have been made the total is less than 76(before racial bonuses), then we add stat points one at a time. The player rolls a d6 with 1=Str, 2=Dex, 3=Con, etc. and raises that number by one to a max of 18. He continues until the total is 76 and then adds racials.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Also @Lanefan , @Maxperson, @RoughCoronet0 , and anyone else who mostly rolls...

How often do you get a so-called "hopeless character"? Are none viewed that way, does the rolling system not have them occur, or is there a threshold to ditch them?

Thanks for any insight! It's been so long since I regularly rolled that I'm curious to hear.

I did have a character that had very poor rolls (6,8,8,9,11,11). I ended up playing a wizard that specialized in utility, buff, and summoning spells. It was actually fun figuring out spells that wouldn't be so badly affected by my middling spellcasting ability. I couldn't kill a dang thing but I was great at helping others kill things. I was also able to shine outside of combat by utilizing spells like Invisibility, Identify, Spider Climb, Fly, Locate Object, and many more. I was the swiss army knife.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Standard Array, yo.

 

[Irlo]

As a DM, I strongly encourage/require players to use point buy or standard array for 5e. I've seen too much fun sucked out of the game for too many players over the years not because of "low" rolls but because of significant disparities among the PCs. I also ask players to take set HP increases during level ups. After a couple of campaigns, I'm thinking I'd be more open to random generation. The sameness of the arrays is getting bit dull. But I'm on a DMing hiatus and I'm not sure when I'll pick it up again.

For me as a player, I don't mind rolling stats and figuring out from there a character I'd like to play -- especially in older editions (pre-3E). In 5e, I've exclusively use point buy, aside from one pre-generated PC that I inherited.

 

[bedir than]

I still use the Redrick Roller that @aramis erak built.
The randomized array helps me create unique characters.

Redrick Roller

 

[ECMO3]

I'm curious about what is the general preference (if any) on this forum for the method to generate stats in 5e.

I prefer rolling dice and I prefer rolling for each stat individually instead of rolling all the numbers and deciding what stat it goes in what.

I actually have a method when I DM that is a throwback to 1E where you roll your stats in an order you choose but you can't move the score from one ability to another. You roll 9 dice on the first stat, 8 on the second, 7 on the third etc until you get to the last stat when you roll 4 dice. You keep the highest three dice from each set.

This generates very high rolls, much higher than 27 point buy, but it does not distribute your stats how you necessarily want them. You can end up with a 17 Strength on your wizard but only a 15 intelligence.

Average rolls (before racial bonus) is 17 16 15 14 13 11, but they are not necessarily arranged where you wanted them. Usually rolling 9 dice though you have a 90% chance of getting a 13 or better on your main stat (ie. the one you roll first), so with your racial bonus you will always be "good" at that.

 

[Lanefan]

Also @Lanefan , @Maxperson, @RoughCoronet0 , and anyone else who mostly rolls...

How often do you get a so-called "hopeless character"? Are none viewed that way, does the rolling system not have them occur, or is there a threshold to ditch them?

Thanks for any insight! It's been so long since I regularly rolled that I'm curious to hear.

Threshold to scrap: if of the six natural rolls (i.e. before racial adjust etc.) nothing is higher than 13* or the average of all six is less than 10.0 you can choose at that point only between keeping it or starting over. If you go any further with char-gen you're committed to keeping it.

It's fairly uncommon that this threshold is met, but it happens. That said, one of the most successful characters in my current campaign started with an average of about 10.5, proof that there's hope even for the nearly-hopeless.

* - bonuses etc. from stats don't start until 15 in my game.

 

[Lanefan]

I remember having at least one with several low scores and no above average ones back in the day. But didn't remember how often.

What system do you use for rolling, and what would you consider bad?

We've used 5d6drop2 since forever, in a 1e-style system.

What I personally would consider awful (but would have to keep) would be something like 14-11-11-11-9-9.

Does a character dying during creation count as them being thrown away in Traveller?

I've never seen one die during char-gen but I've seen a number of instances where a character died while trying to join the party, usually killed by the party because they assumed it to be an enemy but in one instance because it did something stupid and the locals killed it just as the party arrived on the scene.