Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
White Dwarf Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Nest
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
EN Publishing
Twitter
BlueSky
Facebook
Instagram
EN World
BlueSky
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Twitch
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Point Buy vs Rolling for Stats
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Razamis" data-source="post: 7247861" data-attributes="member: 6909244"><p>Wrong.</p><p></p><p>The default is 4d6 drop lowest OR standard array, whichever you choose. The standard array is even the example chosen for "Building Bruenor: Step 3". Only the point buy system is the optional variant.</p><p></p><p>The average rolls from a player using 4d6 drop the lowest, will be roughly equal to the standard array. So the two official methods for generating characters more often then not gives you the standard array. The game is balanced on this assumption. This means that anything below the standard array is underpowered for what the content is fine tuned for, and anything above the standard array is overpowered for what the content is fine tuned for.</p><p></p><p>Rolling stats more often then not will not break the game, it will give you the standard array equivalent, in which case just use the standard array. The other options is that it will create an under-powered or over-powered character, and neither are desirable for most players. If you wanted to play a specifically under-powered or over-powered character, then why roll for it, just talk to your DM and adjust stats to make the character that makes sense for your RP idea.</p><p></p><p>Rolling for stats is simply a hold over from older versions of D&D when the game was newish and before game designers had learned from previous mistakes. That is not to say that they don't make mistakes today.</p><p></p><p>If you play a character that is above the standard array, or worse yet, if you have a party of players that are above the standard array, you are not getting the true experience the D&D5e designers intended when they balanced the monsters that you will be fighting. Everything will be less dangerous. There will be more work for the DM to adjust encounters upwards as the books suggestions will be off by however much your characters stats are off from the standard array.</p><p></p><p>Additionally most tables that I have played at that insisted on rolling for stats, usually had silly rules like "rerolls 1s once" or "reroll the entire set if there are not two or more 15s", which throws the average rolls off above the standard array.</p><p></p><p>The best choice is to use the standard array and experience encounters at their full strength, and make life easier on your DM. Rolling stats takes 30 seconds, and playing your character will require you to roll dice so often that not doing those first six rolls really should not be an issue for you for a better and more finely tuned experience.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Razamis, post: 7247861, member: 6909244"] Wrong. The default is 4d6 drop lowest OR standard array, whichever you choose. The standard array is even the example chosen for "Building Bruenor: Step 3". Only the point buy system is the optional variant. The average rolls from a player using 4d6 drop the lowest, will be roughly equal to the standard array. So the two official methods for generating characters more often then not gives you the standard array. The game is balanced on this assumption. This means that anything below the standard array is underpowered for what the content is fine tuned for, and anything above the standard array is overpowered for what the content is fine tuned for. Rolling stats more often then not will not break the game, it will give you the standard array equivalent, in which case just use the standard array. The other options is that it will create an under-powered or over-powered character, and neither are desirable for most players. If you wanted to play a specifically under-powered or over-powered character, then why roll for it, just talk to your DM and adjust stats to make the character that makes sense for your RP idea. Rolling for stats is simply a hold over from older versions of D&D when the game was newish and before game designers had learned from previous mistakes. That is not to say that they don't make mistakes today. If you play a character that is above the standard array, or worse yet, if you have a party of players that are above the standard array, you are not getting the true experience the D&D5e designers intended when they balanced the monsters that you will be fighting. Everything will be less dangerous. There will be more work for the DM to adjust encounters upwards as the books suggestions will be off by however much your characters stats are off from the standard array. Additionally most tables that I have played at that insisted on rolling for stats, usually had silly rules like "rerolls 1s once" or "reroll the entire set if there are not two or more 15s", which throws the average rolls off above the standard array. The best choice is to use the standard array and experience encounters at their full strength, and make life easier on your DM. Rolling stats takes 30 seconds, and playing your character will require you to roll dice so often that not doing those first six rolls really should not be an issue for you for a better and more finely tuned experience. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Point Buy vs Rolling for Stats
Top