[/snarky mode on] New Character Closeup

[Knightfall]

I let them arrange the rolls at will.

I hate DMs who don't. If I've got a fantastic idea for a fighter, and the roll 9, 10, 11, 18, 16, 12 I don't want to have to make a wizard just because of the order I rolled the dice in.

I hear ya!

It doesn't make sense any other way, IMO. What good is rolling an 18 if you have to leave it in, say, Charisma or Wisdom if you want a kick-butt fighter?

 

[Glyfair]

I have to agree with this. I never really warmed up to the point-buy method, not because I dislike it (it's actually a good concept), but because of 25 years of habit. The people I game with are the same way. I've yet to meet anyone in real life who actually uses point buy.

Strangely enough, since 3E was released, I've only seen one game IRL that didn't use point buy (and that DM regretted it soon after). I suspect you've part of the reason.

Most of the gamers I know have been playing many, many games since they played D&D. Most of the times we switched games (or in one case, designed & published one), we did because of things we didn't like about D&D. Randomly rolled characters seems to be something that everyone has avoided for many, many years. I think I've actually rolled 3 characters in the last 20 years.

I have to agree that a large part of it is probably habit. When you're used to something, you stick with it. Another is style. The people I know come up with character concepts they like. They don't want to have to fit it into some randomly rolled set of stats. Other groups like the challenge of developing a character based around a set of stats.

Glyfair of Glamis

 

[Son_of_Thunder]

Kudos to Ramon Arjona

Greetings all!

Actually,

I was quite please with the Character Closeup. I like Ramon's stuff and was wondering when we were going to see a hardback by this guy?

Son of Thunder

 

[Old Fezziwig]

For the games that I've run on-line, I tend to use the standard array from the DMG, although that adds up to 25 point buy IIRC. In my RL FR game, the group settled on 30 point buy, I think (3 DMs, nonstandard party—bard, monk, ftr/clr, rog/sor, bar).

Best.
tKL

 

[Aaron L]

I've never seen point buy actually used. We're 4d6, put themn where you want them. Several different groups that I have played in were all like this.

 

[clark411]

Huh.. my group uses the standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). Its fine imo. Rolling is fun now and then, but I get a kind of sense of real accomplishment overcoming challenges with my std. array character that I don't with the 4d6 chars I play and have played.

 

[Nifft]

Point Bought!

The group I DM uses 32-point buy, or 4d6 (drop lowest, put where you want).

I've only once seen a "4d6" character made.

-- Nifft

 

[Capellan]

For the first 3e game I started, I had the players roll dice.

One player got:
14, 17, 13, 15, 11, 18

Another got:
12, 13, 11, 13, 9, 14

In point buy terms, the first PC effectively had twice as many points as the second PC.

While both players have fun, it pretty much decided me against ever again using random stat generation in such an ability-heavy system as 3e.

For my new game, the method I sent the players was:

You may choose your ability scores.
Three things to keep in mind:
* Your chosen scores will be modified by your race as normal
* At least 4 of your ability scores should be even numbers
* The recommended net ability modifier for your characters is +8. You are free to ignore this recommendation if you wish, and choose a higher or lower net ability modifier ... but there may be consequences.

I'll be interested to see the results.

 

[Kraedin]

We have one player who's always unlucky in dice rolling. If we're using 4d6 drop lowest, he normally has to roll 3+ times before he gets a character that doesn't qualify for a re-roll. Another guy just rolled someone up who has three seventeens, a fifteen, a fourteen, and a twelve.

That's why when I DM everyone uses 25-point buy.

On a similar theme to the original post, I was kind of annoyed at the stat for the big NPCs in Greyhawk and FR. Most them are 40-point buy up.

 

[Snoweel]

Heh, does anyone other than my group actually play 25-point buy characters? It is, supposedly, the "norm," which is why we play it.

I do.

Maintains the scarcity of abilities above 16. Which means that certain feats will be likewise scarce - expertise, dodge, power attack, etc.

And really, a party where every character has an 18, a 16 and a couple of 14s is a bit over the top. Then again, some people like their games over the top...

But my biggest beef is the likely disparity that arises between PCs. And unlike an unlucky d20 roll in combat or negotiations, you're stuck with your sub-par stats until you die.