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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 2137051" data-attributes="member: 3146">I don't know about that. There may not be very strong reasons, but there are several reasons to have odd ability scores:1. To increase at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, etc.Assuming that a character places all his stat bumps into one stat, a character with an odd score is better off than an even scored character at levels: 4-7, 12-15, and 20. Since that's only nine levels, it may seem like he's worse off in general, however, by level 18 or so, inherent bonusses from wishes, tomes, etc. are a very real possibility and they expand the "better off" to 11 levels--12 if you count the ability to spend less on a tome because you get the same benefit from a +4 tome as from a +5 tome at 20th level.Furthermore, any change in the starting or ending level changes the number of levels where an odd stat gains an advantage. Since, IME, the most common way to change the starting level is to start at level 2, 3, or 4, that shifts the balance of advantage to the advantage of odd stats. I would estimate that level 20, 19, 18, 17, and 16, etc are the most likely to be cut off (the sooner a campaign ends, in general, the lower the highest level reached) and since most of the top 25% of D&D levels is even stat advantage, that also shifts the balance to favor the odd starting stat.There is also a good argument that the levels at which the odd numbers gain the advantage are more significant:At level 5, a spellcaster with a 15 starting casting stat gains a bonus 3rd level spell. Not so for the 14 starting casting stat. With a +2 item, he will also gain a bonus 4th level spell at 7th level. The 14 starting stat character has to wait unit 8th level. This is true at higher levels too. A 14 starting stat character won't get a bonus 7th level spell until 16th level--even with a +6 stat item. A 15 starting stat character gains that bonus a 13th level--right when he gains 7th level spells. The even stat character catches up at 16th level, but, by that time, 7th level spells are no longer his premiere spells so the 15 stat character gains the bonus spell advantages when they are most significant and, by the time the 14 starting stat character catches up, those advantages are no longer as significant.2. To qualify for feats13 dex for the dodge tree and 13 int for combat expertise are obvious. However, 15 dex rather than 14 makes it much easier to qualify for manyshot/improved rapid shot by 8th level. Similarly, 13 strength for power attack is easy to overlook since most primary fighters have well higher than that strength. However, for secondary fighters and other characters, that's a consideration.3. Carrying CapacityStrength is the one attribute where it always makes a difference exactly what your score is. A character with a 12 strength will have to struggle to carry more than a chain shirt, rapier, buckler, longbow, dagger, and 10 arrows. With a 13 strength, it's easier to kit out a combat rogue. Similarly, a mage with a 9 strength has a slightly easier time than a mage with an 8 strength.All told, none of those are individually compelling reasons, but taken together, I think they provide sufficient reason to start with odd stats--or at least to prefer a 15 to a 14. My first characters in 3.0 had all even stats, but as I've gamed more, I've started a lot more characters with odd stats. Then again, I've mostly played under limited point buys (22, 25, 28, 30, 32). Since my primary reason to stick with the odd stat in preference to the higher even stat is not wanting to sacrifice other stats to do so, it stands to reason that I'd be more likely to select even starting stats in higher point buy games.</blockquote>

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