Point buy

[Piratecat]

Yes, I've consistently found that 4d6-drop 1 gives scores that can be way out of whack with one another. I like it for nostalgia's sake, but prefer to use a 30 or 32 point buy.

 

[Deadguy]

Ditto PC! I have tried to get a couple of DMs to see the effects that their insistence on 4d6 DL has on the PCs. When in the same group you have a character with 2 18's, and another with most just about average (8-12) and a 16, guess which one shines through more often?

In my own games I go for 28 points. I find that that is enough to produce rounded or focused characters as the player desires, but still leaves them struggling to decide quite exactly how to split them...

 

[lukelightning]

We used to do dice, but when my character came out with mediocre stats while a couple others in the party had awesome stats we decided to change it.

We've also started non-random hit points; average plus .5.

The one problem with point buy is trying to design a "multiple-ability-dependance" character; two stats can be done easily, but something like a monk that needs dexterity and wisdom and a reasonably high strength and constitution is really difficult to make, though this is probably more a weakness of the monk class rather than point-buy (please no digressions into a monk discussion...)

 

[Troll Wizard]

As a DM

I prefer 25 PB (baseline), I don't have to do anything to change the monsters CR, ECL impact, or the DCs of skills and other challenges

With 28 PB, I sometimes tweat the monsters to compensate, intead of monster's base 18-22 PB, I increase to 22-25 PB, give them a couple more skill points, one feat or just a +1 to hit. I know a couple of DMs that simply subtract 1 CR level from a monter's CR from experience points awarded.

I have seen too many campaigns breakdown with 32+ PB, parties cake-walking monster CRs 2 levels higher, gain xp way too fast, and leaving the DM frustrated as to why he can't challenge the party.

 

[Graybeard]

In the game I run, I use a 36 point buy. I adjust the stats for the monsters/NPCs accordingly. Another thing I will do is use more of a certain monster/NPC against the party. I have not run into any problems challenging the party yet.

In two other games I play in, it is a 40 point buy.

Chuck

 

[Kanegrundar]

28 points. Nicely heroic, but not out of line.

 

[Elf Witch]

As a DM

I prefer 25 PB (baseline), I don't have to do anything to change the monsters CR, ECL impact, or the DCs of skills and other challenges

With 28 PB, I sometimes tweat the monsters to compensate, intead of monster's base 18-22 PB, I increase to 22-25 PB, give them a couple more skill points, one feat or just a +1 to hit. I know a couple of DMs that simply subtract 1 CR level from a monter's CR from experience points awarded.

I have seen too many campaigns breakdown with 32+ PB, parties cake-walking monster CRs 2 levels higher, gain xp way too fast, and leaving the DM frustrated as to why he can't challenge the party.

Its not that I don't believe that this happens but I never have seen it. We roll 4D6 drop the lowest and I have never seen a dm have a hard time with coming up with exiciting challenges for us. And since most of our games last longer than a year I have never seen it break a game down.

 

[Elf Witch]

We used to do dice, but when my character came out with mediocre stats while a couple others in the party had awesome stats we decided to change it.

We've also started non-random hit points; average plus .5.

The one problem with point buy is trying to design a "multiple-ability-dependance" character; two stats can be done easily, but something like a monk that needs dexterity and wisdom and a reasonably high strength and constitution is really difficult to make, though this is probably more a weakness of the monk class rather than point-buy (please no digressions into a monk discussion...)

I have never seen a decent monk or a really nice paladin made with a 25 or 28 point buy I am more into role playing than roll playing but I don't see the allure of playing a monk or a paladin with the kind of stats you can generate with such low point buy. They just seem really mediocre at best.

 

[Zog]

Other: Ditch the, IMNHO, very wrong 'official' point-buy and use 79 points - 1-to-1, all stats start at zero. It gives you 4 14s and 2 12s, which is 32 points by the, again, IMNHO, lame 'official' method. But, it also allows one to have, oh, 18, 18, 12, 12, 10, 10 which is, what, 48 points?

Bah. My hat of 'official' point-buy knows no limit.

 

[joshuakanton]

I think the numbers of players in the group helps determine what is an appropriate number of points for a point buy. Fewer players equal more points as they are performing more roles in the group. If you have more players, limiting the number of points allowed in the point buy theoretically forces them to work together (or a spectacular PvP fight) as one person can't perform every role in the group.