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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7215137" data-attributes="member: 29398">Perhaps, though one can certainly take a preconceived character idea and put theoretical numbers to it as part of determining ahead of time how it might function (or not) in play.And seeing that D&D is in large measure a game of luck - as is any game involving dice - this makes perfect sense.  Bring it on! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />You - and others, I think - seem to be assuming that us roll-for-it types are always looking to push the numbers higher.  Not entirely true.While high stats are nice to have just for the hell of it, sometimes I'm looking for a very low stat to make an idea work.  Neither point-buy nor array will allow me to start with a 6, for example, but if I'm looking to play a happy-go-lucky character whose lack of wisdom constantly gets her (and maybe the party) into scrapes, or a character whose charisma is so bad they won't let him into most civilized towns, I mechanically can't. (8 is only slightly worse than average, the mirror of 13 on 3d6 and still pretty central in the bell curve; I'm looking for something more extreme).A 17-6 stat range within a single character is far more playable and has far more potential than 15-8.  However, unless a DM does some rules tinkering I can only ever (maybe) achieve that 17-6 split by rolling for it.  And if I don't hit it this time, there's always plan B now and other chances down the road to put plan A into effect.Which brings up another point: maybe instead of coming to session 0 with a single fully-fleshed-out character concept in mind, maybe instead come to session 0 with three or four concepts in mind and see which one(s) the dice steer you toward.  In other words, instead of showing up at session 0 bound and determined to be playing this... ...by night's end, have a few more in mind as well such as:- - a human - could be fighter, barbarian, even heavy ranger - who always tries to do the right thing but isn't ever quite sure what the right thing is, a likeable gentle-giant type whose main claim to fame is that he's as tough as nails (mechanically: high con, low int and wis, decent cha and str, dex whatever - something like 14-7-8-11-17-13 for stats) [similar but different to plan A]- - a part-elf wizard or sorcerer type whose main theme is inventing new spells.  No spell in existence is good enough for her - they're all flawed and just begging for improvement and by gum, she's gonna do it whatever it takes.  She's only adventuring at all because she needs the wealth and resources to further her research...and it also gives her an opportunity to see just how inadequate these traditional spells really are.  Very single-minded (may the goddess have mercy on your soul should you ever interrupt her in mid-casting!) and goal-oriented, only her goals are far longer-term than just those of any one adventure. (mechanically: high [or very high if I'm lucky] int and wis, low cha, other stats whatever - something like 9-17-16-11-12-7 would rock this out really nicely)- - a dwarf rogue who matches or exceeds every possible stereotype out there to do with dwarven greed...except that behind the scenes and unknown to the party he's in fact giving most of these funds to some other worthy cause e.g. rebuilding a dwarven town destroyed by an earthquake.  He's a one-dwarf fundraising team.  The only downside is that after every major treasury division he takes off for a month or so, to distribute his wealth and ensure it's at least somewhat well-spent.  (mechanically: high dex, everything else reasonable, a very low stat kills this concept - 13-12-12-16-14-11 would be a 'go' here)Note that I do stats in S-I-W-D-Co-Ch order - there is no other acceptable way. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />And note that I do put a set of suggested or speculative numbers to each concept, mostly so I can figure out what I'm looking for and tell at a glance whether what I've rolled can work or not for any given one.TL-DR - why bind yourself to only one character concept before-during session 0 when having several makes more sense?Lan-"the problem I have is not lack of character ideas, it's that there's far too many ideas and nowhere near enough nights in the week to play them all"-efan</blockquote>

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