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<blockquote data-quote="Ariosto" data-source="post: 4800631" data-attributes="member: 80487">&quot;The longer you play the same disparate characters&quot; would be more accurate. An old-style hit point bonus actually creates a growing disparity if hit dice rolls average out.(On the other hand, while the HP score is very strongly predictive of survival to 2nd level, its importance tends to decline at higher levels except in cases of extremely bad luck. If a character reaches 3rd level in the lowest 10% or so of the bell curve, then I will as DM be very favorably inclined toward a quest for some other means to raise HP! Dynamic Tension, &quot;in just seven days&quot; ... Why not? This is fantasy!)However, that assumes survival. Luck in play tends to select a bit for moderately above-average scores. To the extent that low ones are in fact a handicap, they tend to result in early deaths. Very high scores are in my experience less helpful than rare. If &quot;Mister Awesome&quot; buys the farm, it's likely to be a long while before the next is rolled -- allowing his &quot;inferiors&quot; to get ahead in level.Skill at play is in the long run the decisive factor in attaining high levels and acquiring powerful magics, the benefits of which can easily exceed bonuses from initial ability scores. The time-management aspect of skill, though, tends not to come significantly into play if Character A and Character B are joined at the hip. Thus, their XP gains are likely to be similar, and to reflect the success of The Party. In that mode, &quot;balance by level&quot; becomes more significant. Lower mortality rates overall further entrench initial disparities.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ariosto, post: 4800631, member: 80487"] "The longer you play the same disparate characters" would be more accurate. An old-style hit point bonus actually creates a [I]growing[/I] disparity if hit dice rolls average out. (On the other hand, while the HP score is very strongly predictive of survival to 2nd level, its importance tends to decline at higher levels except in cases of extremely bad luck. If a character reaches 3rd level in the lowest 10% or so of the bell curve, then I will as DM be very favorably inclined toward a quest for some other means to raise HP! Dynamic Tension, "in just seven days" ... Why not? This is fantasy!) However, that assumes survival. Luck in play tends to select a bit for moderately above-average scores. To the extent that low ones are in fact a handicap, they tend to result in early deaths. Very high scores are in my experience less helpful than rare. If "Mister Awesome" buys the farm, it's likely to be a long while before the next is rolled -- allowing his "inferiors" to get ahead in level. Skill at play is in the long run the decisive factor in attaining high levels and acquiring powerful magics, the benefits of which can easily exceed bonuses from initial ability scores. The time-management aspect of skill, though, tends not to come significantly into play if Character A and Character B are joined at the hip. Thus, their XP gains are likely to be similar, and to reflect the success of The Party. In that mode, "balance by level" becomes more significant. Lower mortality rates overall further entrench initial disparities. [/QUOTE]

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