Rolling Characters... how do you like this?

[Thanee]

We made new characters on saturday (because the regular DM wasn't around) and just started a little FR campaign for those weekends.

For rolling characters I decided on 4d6 drop lowest, but without distribution, that is roll for Str, roll for Dex, and so on.

To make it fair and to give everyone the chance to play whatever he/she would prefer, the players could then have the rolls for two stats switch position (i.e. Str and Int). This way you can always choose a decent stat for your primary attribute, but the rest is fixed.

What do you think of this?

Cool, since it tends to make characters more diverse, instead of archetypical (i.e. fighter almost always having high Str, Con and low Cha), or too restricted?

As a result, the Dwarf Wizard has the highest Str (he switched Str and Int, which were the two highest rolls he had) in the party so far (some more characters are expected, if we continue to play with them)!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bastoche]

We use ahybrid of point buy and rolling. You generate random scores and distribute randomly leftover points until there's no points left. Players can place their scores wherever they want though.

 

[Berandor]

I used this system (it is in the 3E DMG, only with an additional re-roll of one stat) for my first 3E campaign. I still like it.

Nowadays, we use card draws, but that's just me

 

[diaglo]

it's okay. but i prefer 3d6 six times in order.

 

[VorpalBunny]

We use either a 30 - 32 point buy or 4d6 and drop the lowest, arranged in any order.

One of the things I really disliked about original D&D (sorry, Diaglo ) was the
roll 3d6 in order rule. This way IMO, allows for character diversity, while more importantly, allowing the player greater latitude in customizing his/her character.

 

[Desdichado]

Works for me. I prefer a bit more flexibility, but as long as my highest stat is the one that most applies to my chosen character class, I'm happy.

Although you didn't ask, what I prefer to do is use the standard array and then give everyone 3 more points to distrubute as they like on top of it.

 

[hong]

How to roll a character:

1) Wait until they are sleeping in their bedroll.

2) Push them over.

For best results, do this on a slope or at the top of a hill.

 

[iwatt]

it's okay. but i prefer 3d6 six times in order.

Done That.

It worked better in 2e though. You chose class according to what your highest roll was:
Str...Fighter
Dex..Rogue
Con..look at second high ability
Int...Wizard
Wis..Cleric
Cha.. Paladin or Bard or druid (Cha 15 ay leadt in the good old days)

Forget about a ranger, you needed indecent luck on the dice to qualify (2 stats 13+, 2 stats at 14+)

One of teh methods I used was: roll 4d6, drop lowest. Arrange in prefered order. Then roll additional d6. This shifts your abilities: i.e you rolled, 15,13,8,10,12,14

build a unhealthy charismatic rogue
Str 13
Dex 15
Con 8
Int 12
Wis 10
Cha 14

rol 1d6...get a 2

Str 10
Dex 14
Con 13
Int 15
Wis 8
Cha 12

you get a smart rogue. Or an agile wizard. with decent cha.

The thing I liked was that it led to interesting characters: charismatic fighters and wizards, non-tank clerics (low con). It's fun to play whatever you rolled up unless your'e dead set on a concept. It's also fun for DMs who ar concerned that there players always play the same archetype: Like AB3 El Disgusto, who always played a ninja

 

[hong]

I've rolled characters in the past, but I never inhaled.

 

[fett527]

This last campaign we started we rolled 4d6 in front of the DM. You could keep what you got or take the DM's rolls he did in secret. It was fun.