What is the point of rolling and then modifying the roll when you can actually set the numbers as you like?
Because you don't have an exact idea on how you want to look, or because you aren't feeling too particular about it currently, or because you aren't good with a height to weight ratio based on stats, or because you want to, etc.
The way i see it, rolling for Height/Weight is like rolling to see in which ability each ability score will go... Like having rolled... say 16,8,11,6,13,12 and THEN roll to see which ability takes what...randomly.
You see it differently from me (and probably everyone in my group, and likely other people in this thread). It's not the same, as the ramifications are much, much less than stat allocation.
Players should be concerned about how tall or how much their characters weight. It's part of what their characters are.
I think players should have fun. To this end, if they will have fun rolling on a chart, even if you don't think they "should" than more power to them.
When i create a character i like to know/imagine how he looks like. From head to toe. What his hair looks like, what his clothes look like, how tall he is etc. etc. There is now way I'm leaving this to luck. Just as I decide if my character is smarter than he is strong, I also decide if he is short or tall.
It's all part of character creation.
Awesome. Some people don't do this. The idea that they're doing it wrong because they aren't doing it the way they "should" is baffling to me on something like this.
Even when I DM, my players do the same. That's how we play.
And I wouldn't recommend otherwise for you, because there's no way you "should" go about this.
That's not to say that people who roll are not interested in their characters, or that they play the game badly because of it.
But it is saying they're not doing it the way they "should" and I think that's a bad thing to say.
I was merely trying to point out the following facts:
1-Str does not necessarily mean "stocky", nor does Dex necessarily means "skinny". Therefore by applying modifiers based on ability scores is misleading.
No, but lithe builds tend to be more agile than bulky builds. Strong builds tend to be more bulky than skinny in nature. These are theoretical optional guidelines, set within a game. They will produce something like elves living for 350-750 years, except the range will be smaller, stats will come into play, and above all,
it will be optional. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule, and they're allowed by the very nature of Water Bob's suggestion of implementation.
2-Weight/Height numbers do not affect the mechanics of the game. Even if what frankthedm said makes some cense, it's hardly something that can break the game. If the players are such munchkins that are willing to pick the lowest weight possible so as to profit from weight limits and mounts' carrying capacities, I bet that the DM will have bigger problems with his players than this...
I agree. On something so unimportant, the idea that some groups adopt an individually optional rule (not even an optional rule that affects the entire group!) is somehow objectionable is ludicrous to me.
3-Weight/Height are part of what a character is. Such ineffectual numbers should be left on the players to define, so that they create characters as they picture them.
Not all players have a set mental image of their character. Your players do. My players put personality first, and create build that reflect that. Neither group is right. I think suggesting that other groups "should" do it the way your group does is wrong.
Rolling can bring numbers that go against a player's will. Even if a player does not care, and is willing to roll, he should be impelled to decide on his own so as to get a better idea of the character he is making.
First of all, if it's optional to roll, and optional
to change it after you roll, then it cannot go against a player's will. Period. They have complete control and final say over it.
Secondly, some players have an idea of what they want, but they don't know the specifics yet. They should be allowed some help if they want it, since it's literally hurting nothing since it's something as admittedly mechanically unimportant as character appearance.
Do you know how many times I've played something like Oblivion and stayed at the character creation screen hitting the "random features" button or the like on appearance, just so I can see a potential theme I like and run with it? In basically every game that allows that option.
Especially in games that allow multiple races, such as in D&D.
You know what's more fun than spending ten minutes choosing my appearance? Actually playing the game when I'm done. Anything that makes that decision both fun and interesting is a good thing in my mind, and an individually optional rule that allows for this is nothing but a good thing.
Again: That's not to say that people who roll are not interested in their characters, or that they play the game badly because of it.
I think you're still saying people "should" be doing it another way, which reeks of badwrongfun or One True Wayism to me. As much as I disagree with Dandu's idea of play on these boards, I've never said he should play differently, nor do I think I should say that. To his credit, he's never said I should play differently. I think that level of courtesy is vital to a constructive discussion.
As always, play what you like
