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<blockquote data-quote="Timely Drought" data-source="post: 1754020" data-attributes="member: 13859">If you consider that 28 point buy is the average of the standard random character creation method, then presumably things should be balanced. I prefer fairness in character creation above whatever reason the current authors had of keeping the awful random ability score generation. Especially in a game like D&amp;D where challenges are meant to be calibrated against the PCs. In the end the DM always needs to adjust CR to ensure encounter level fairness, and a point buy averaged to the standard random roll method makes that easier.Some groups use non-standard point-buy where getting high ability scores does not scale in cost like standard point buy, making maxed favored scores and pathetically low dump stats extremely attractive. I would not hesitate to lower rewards for such PCs to compensate the lower challenge they are facing compared to standard characters.Going for 28 point buy (seems like a consensus from this thread) ensures that character creation is fair while the PCs are not at a disadvantage compared to PCs with randomly generated ability scores.For the matter of 25 point buy being more fair since it gives more control over where points go compared to random rolling: considering the number of stats rolled and the fact that the numbers can be assigned where the player wants, I don't believe that imposing a 3+ point penalty balances anything at all. Further, if all players use the point buy method, there is no reason to compare the two beyond finding the point where the random method averages. If I alllowed both methods at the player's choice, I would still use 28 point buy and let the player decide if he wants to take a chance to get better numbers.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Timely Drought, post: 1754020, member: 13859"] If you consider that 28 point buy is the average of the standard random character creation method, then presumably things should be balanced. I prefer fairness in character creation above whatever reason the current authors had of keeping the awful random ability score generation. Especially in a game like D&D where challenges are meant to be calibrated against the PCs. In the end the DM always needs to adjust CR to ensure encounter level fairness, and a point buy averaged to the standard random roll method makes that easier. Some groups use non-standard point-buy where getting high ability scores does not scale in cost like standard point buy, making maxed favored scores and pathetically low dump stats extremely attractive. I would not hesitate to lower rewards for such PCs to compensate the lower challenge they are facing compared to standard characters. Going for 28 point buy (seems like a consensus from this thread) ensures that character creation is fair while the PCs are not at a disadvantage compared to PCs with randomly generated ability scores. For the matter of 25 point buy being more fair since it gives more control over where points go compared to random rolling: considering the number of stats rolled and the fact that the numbers can be assigned where the player wants, I don't believe that imposing a 3+ point penalty balances anything at all. Further, if all players use the point buy method, there is no reason to compare the two beyond finding the point where the random method averages. If I alllowed both methods at the player's choice, I would still use 28 point buy and let the player decide if he wants to take a chance to get better numbers. [/QUOTE]

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