Random Character Generation

[InVinoVeritas]

I've started running two nostalgic games as 4e shows up everywhere. One is a 1e AD&D game, the other is a 4e Gamma World game.

One of the big differences between the older games and games of now is random character generation. You're expected to roll attributes (and, in GW, mutations) randomly, and accept what the dice give you. There are pros and cons with this.

On the plus side, the player is given an interesting challenge. How do you play and thrive with the character as given? With random generation, you get something you wouldn't expect, and it shapes how you succeed in the game. It stretches your creativity, makes you think in innovative ways instead of falling into old habits, and forces you to try new things. Although you can end up with an imbalanced character through the luck of the draw, you aren't guaranteed of one through your skills at gaming the system. Finally, there's some verisimilitude. We as people don't get to choose what sort of gifts we start out into the world with, and this gives us one more chance to learn how to accept what we're given in a nice sandbox.

However, there are plenty of advantages given with choosing everything. You get to play what you want. You can be sure that you're as balanced as your peers (as long as you all get the same chances at the same loopholes). You'll start with what you want, when you want it. If you want to try out a new class, a new path, a new whatever, you don't have to wait for the right chance, you can do it right away.

How random do you like your character generation?

 

[Glyfair]

I prefer non-random or nearly non-random. I want to be able to choose what character I am going to play, and not be at the mercy of some die rolls.

My favorite system in the non-random/random is the Dying Earth RPG. You can choose all of your stats (with a bit of point buy in areas). However, you can choose to roll stats and you get a slight building point bonus for doing so. You can choose to roll some and not others. The best of both worlds.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

I leave nothing to chance. I build the character I want to play from the ground up. I also get my players to do the same when I DM.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm also a crafter; I usually have a character idea in my head and I want him to come out as I see him within the context of the ruleset. Rolling up scores was fun, but most of the time I saw weak scores handwaved anyway, so I stopped worrying and adopted standardized (point-buy) systems for ability scores.

While a one-shot "roll 4d6, drop lowest" game might be fun, any game I think I'm going to play over the long haul will feature few if any random elements to char-gen. Leave the dice to the actual gaming, not the pre-show.

 

[RFisher]

I voted: “I like some parts random, but certain aspects of the character must always be choosable.”

Although, even in those cases I’ll sometimes random roll the choices I get to make as well.

I’ve been really impressed by classic Traveller. Chargen is very random, yet if I try to make a pilot or a doctor more times than not I actually get what I was going for.

With random generation, you get something you wouldn't expect, and it shapes how you succeed in the game.

In my groups the numbers on your character sheet usually don’t count as much as your decisions. I’ve seen characters who would be discarded as “hopeless” by many players do very well indeed.

You get to play what you want.

Ah, but I find that often to not be the case. The lack of dice rolls doesn’t mean the system supports creating the character I want to create with the number of points I’ve been given.

You can be sure that you're as balanced as your peers (as long as you all get the same chances at the same loopholes).

My experience is the opposite. It is nigh impossible to correctly sum up the value of a mechanical ability in a single number. Especially since one of the many variables involved is the GM. If we all build the exact same character, we’ll be balanced. If we create different character with the same number of points, we won’t be balanced.

That’s not to say it makes a game unplayable. I can enjoy a good point-buy system. I just recognize that they aren’t really any better balanced than completely random systems.

And random systems have the advantage of doing a better job of making things rare. You put a point value on something, and either every character can buy it or no character can. A high-but-not-too-high point value might make something rare but might not.

In fact, in a random system you can make available to starting characters things that—in a point buy system—would be priced out of the budget of starting characters.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I voted: “I like some parts random, but certain aspects of the character must always be choosable.”

Although, even in those cases I’ll sometimes random roll the choices I get to make as well.

I’ve been really impressed by classic Traveller. Chargen is very random, yet if I try to make a pilot or a doctor more times than not I actually get what I was going for.



In my groups the numbers on your character sheet usually don’t count as much as your decisions. I’ve seen characters who would be discarded as “hopeless” by many players do very well indeed.



Ah, but I find that often to not be the case. The lack of dice rolls doesn’t mean the system supports creating the character I want to create with the number of points I’ve been given.



My experience is the opposite. It is nigh impossible to correctly sum up the value of a mechanical ability in a single number. Especially since one of the many variables involved is the GM. If we all build the exact same character, we’ll be balanced. If we create different character with the same number of points, we won’t be balanced.

That’s not to say it makes a game unplayable. I can enjoy a good point-buy system. I just recognize that they aren’t really any better balanced than completely random systems.

And random systems have the advantage of doing a better job of making things rare. You put a point value on something, and either every character can buy it or no character can. A high-but-not-too-high point value might make something rare but might not.

In fact, in a random system you can make available to starting characters things that—in a point buy system—would be priced out of the budget of starting characters.

I agree with a lot of this, but I generally prefer point buy. The reason is simple enough. Back in the day I was hooked by the "Play a Mighty Warrior, Powerful Wizard etc." type advertising, but found all to many of my 1st level characters dropping like flies because they weren't anyof those things. They were just average Joes who might survive if they were real lucky, otherwise not. So the ability to create a character who's closer to what I wanted to begin with has a definite appeal. Of course, there were those rare time times when you'd get something really kewl...

 

[FireLance]

If I were to pull numbers out of the air, I'd say a good mix of player choice vs random generation would be about 80% choice, 20% random.

To my mind, that would be enough for player with a specific concept in mind to get something that approximates that concept, while allowing a chance for a minor perk or flaw that the player would not have chosen.

 

[Jasperak]

Base attributes should be random, but what you do with those abilities should be choice. I didn't choose to be this good looking, but I sure am going to use it for all its worth.

 

[Vegepygmy]

I voted "choose and sculpt," because for the most part that's what I prefer. But I do get tired of seeing and making characters that are ideally suited to their roles.

Recently, my gaming group started a new 3.5 campaign, and (after a dozen or so point-buy campaigns in a row) decided to roll one random set of six stats and have all players use that set, arranged to preference. Everyone has really enjoyed the result, but I'm not convinced I'd want to do that every time.

 

[Glyfair]

Recently, my gaming group started a new 3.5 campaign, and (after a dozen or so point-buy campaigns in a row) decided to roll one random set of six stats and have all players use that set, arranged to preference. Everyone has really enjoyed the result, but I'm not convinced I'd want to do that every time.

That is one of the few random methods I'd be willing to try.

An alternative I would try sometime is have the players choose their stats. I would only do this in a group that is heavy on the role assumption and low on power gaming.