D&D 5E Point Buy vs Rolling for Stats

[Oofta]

I see that statement as inherently unfair.

Nobody said life was fair.

That doesn't mean the game has to be unfair. All of our characters can be from Lake Woebegon where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Nobody said life was fair.

That doesn't mean the game has to be unfair.

Games need to be fair, and dice games can be perfectly fair. If you're all roll'n the same dice, with the same targets, that's fair. Win or lose.

 

[Satyrn]

After all the heated debate through all the forums it all boils down to this:

1. Players don’t trust other players to roll their stats for fear of cheating and

2. Someone else will have better stats then them (this is most important!!)

3. (And the only item in the list that applies to me) Rolling creates too large a range of starting scores.


I've grown to prefer Standard Array as both a player and DM for that reason alone.

 

[Oofta]

Games need to be fair, and dice games can be perfectly fair. If you're all roll'n the same dice, with the same targets, that's fair. Win or lose.

Ever read "The Lottery"? I don't think Tessie(?) thought the result was fair either.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Ever read "The Lottery"? I don't think Tessie(?) thought the result was fair either.

I have, and it being barbaric and murderous and, to the modern reader, completely unnecessary and unjustifiable, didn't render it any less fair to those who participated. In fact, I think I used that very example far up-thread.

In contrast, if you rig a lottery like that: not fair.

 

[Oofta]

I have, and it being barbaric and murderous and, to the modern reader, completely unnecessary and unjustifiable, didn't render it any less fair to those who participated. In fact, I think I used that very example far up-thread.

In contrast, if you rig a lottery like that: not fair.

We have a different definition of fair. End of story.

 

[Tony Vargas]

We have a different definition of fair. End of story.

Fair is one of those words with a number of meanings. I believe the one I'm using is conventional enough.

I think you're looking more for something like 'equitable,' or, in gamer jargon, 'balanced.'

I'll readily agree that random generation can produce markedly imbalanced results.

 

[Oofta]

Fair is one of those words with a number of meanings. I believe the one I'm using is conventional enough.

I think you're looking more for something like 'equitable,' or, in gamer jargon, 'balanced.'

I'll readily agree that random generation can produce markedly imbalanced results.

Are we really back to this?

1) Tony: rolling is fair
2) Oofta: whether it's fair or not is an opinion. I don't care about the process, I care about the results. The results are not fair.
3) goto step 1.

I don't see the point.

 

[Caliban]

Are we really back to this?

1) Tony: rolling is fair
2) Oofta: whether it's fair or not is an opinion. I don't care about the process, I care about the results. The results are not fair.
3) goto step 1.

I don't see the point.

He's being the best kind of correct: technically correct.

He doesn't actually disagree with your point, just the terms you are using to describe your point. (He thinks you should be saying "balanced" instead of "fair".)

Which some might describe as a pointless exercise in hair splitting.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Next step is dictionary definitions.



...the thread equivalent of jumping the shark...