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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 2707988" data-attributes="member: 3586">Should D&D use point buy?Definitely not.One of the most wonderful things about D&D is how balance can be achieved over (a) a certain level and (b) over the entire lifetime of the class. Creating the abilities of a class or a prestige class not only relates abilities to the proper level but to the abilities gained at other levels. The interrelationship between the abilities is complex, and creates the balance. Point buy sacrifices all of that on the altar of "choice".Consider the Warlock's Eldritch Blast ability. This is a 1/round touch ability. Then consider the impact of the Warlock having a Fighter's attack progression rather than the Wizard's. In fact, it is nowhere as significant. The Fighter BAB is more significant to the Fighter because they have the special abilities to back it up (bonus feats, etc.) To the Warlock, it doesn't increase the number of attacks per round with their primary ability, nor does it significantly increase their chance to hit.Another example would be with the Incarnate. The skills they have as class skills are not (for the most part) skills they can increase with their soulmelds. There is a relationship there that point buy cannot grasp.Costing abilities for point buy must always be conservative. You must always assume the min/maxer. The result is some abilities that are overcosted for most builds, although they would be thematically correct - and under the class system, would be granted to that class.By conservative costing, I draw your attention to the Emotion spell of 3e. It had several abilities, which could be called a level 3 effect, a level 5 effect and a level 8 effect. To correctly cost it, you'd have to call it level 8... but by doing that, you make the level 3 and level 5 effect useless. Although 3e doesn't have a point buy system as such, it does have a menu choice system (a weaker form of point buy), in the form of spells and feats. They are as close to point buy as I want to get.Cheers!</blockquote>

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