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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dlsharrock" data-source="post: 4175135" data-attributes="member: 55833">I'm setting up a D&D game (3.5ed) online using the standard points buy system (28 points to spend on Abilities). When I mentioned to another DM, whom I happen to consider something of a mentor when it comes to moderating D&D, that I intended to use the points-buy he advised me to use a different system of his own devising in order to address 'unfairness issues' concerning character gen. My players are not overly enamoured with the idea, and I have to admit I'm a bit confused by the whole thing (and have probably explained it wrong to them). I thought I'd put it 'out there' in this forum and canvas opinions from other players/DMs. I'm interested to hear what folks think, and would appreciate non-aggressive, non-sarcastic responses. I'm merely a bit flummoxed by the whole thing and worry I'm missing the point somewhere along the line (for all I know this has been raised before elsewhere). Further, this isn't my proposal of a house rule (though it is one he uses), which is why I've posted this here. I'd just like to hear what others think.Suffice to say, I'm sticking with the RAW for character generation using points-buy and not my friend's suggestion. I'm more interested in playing the game than rewriting the rules, but I must admit this does intrigue me.Anyway, the premise goes as follows: When you generate a character using the standard points buy system all Abilities start at 8. Normally you would buy your points as follows: 9 (costs 1pt value) 10 (costs 2pts value) 11 (costs 3pts value) 12 (costs 4pts value) 13 (costs 5pts value) 14 (costs 6pts value) then values rise, 15 (costs 8pts value), 16 (costs 10pts value), 17 (costs 13pts value) and 18 (costs 16pts value). The issue is with value vs Ability points. Adding a +2 racial bonus to an ability score of 16 effectively gives a sizeable discount on the value of Ability points. Ok, it's a racial bonus, but the discount still applies. The bonus is no longer singularly representative of racial benefit but representative of a greater (and unfair) racial benefit when juxtaposed against points value gains. It only happens with the points buy system, not dice rolls, because it's not about racial adjustments for racial characteristics or random rolling, its about playing the points values for a stronger character. I get the feeling the advantages are incredibly subtle, so much so that most players won't even know they're doing it. But given the fact that a Tough Campaign points buy is 28 and a  High Level Campaign points buy is 32, that 4 point difference, value remember, not Ability points, makes the difference negligible.My friend's house-rule goes thusly:Racial adjustments are not added to the Ability score itself, but translate instead as a 'discount' or a 'charge' on the value of the points purchased, either being determined as the exact opposite of the original modifier (so a +2 bonus becomes a -2 discount, and a -2 penalty becomes a +2 charge). So if an Elf, with his +2 racial bonus for Dex, buys his way up to a Dex of 16, the cost would normally be 10pts out of his allocated 28. His racial bonus isn't added to Dex afterward to give Dex 18, but instead translates as a -2 discount on  the cost of his Ability from his bank of 28. So instead of paying 10pts, he pays 8. Dex remains at 16, but he has an extra 2pt value to play with.Conversely, if the Elf wants to bring his Con (-2 penalty) up to 16, it will cost him 12pts, not 10, because his -2 penalty translates as a +2 charge on the value of the points.I've probably explained it wrong, but this would seem to be the jist of it.</blockquote>

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