Stat Method vs. How long you've played

[diaglo]

i started before 1e/2e and use dice in my campaign.

but i am not against using point buy if that is what the DM requires in other campaigns. (although i will still complain about it. )


edit: but of course that may reflect the fact i have over 14000 dice.

 

[The Serge]

I've been playing since 1ed and I prefer the point buy system of all the options offered in the book.

First, I don't have to worry about people "fudging" dice rolls. I can add up their stats right there to ensure that they fall within the parameters of my game.

Second, I don't have to baby-sit people. They can do this in the comfort of their own homes.

Third, the less I have to worry about dice, the better.

At any rate, in most cases, I allow players to assign their stats and usually tell them what the maximum total modifier can be and limit the stats to 18 before racial mods. This is a little more time consuming for me (since I have to review it), but allows greater flexibility for the players... and usually more fun for them (until I start challenging them with really tough situations).

 

[evileeyore]

Old School GURPS player since forever... so that explians my preference for point buy.

IMO if I wanted to roll stats I'd play old Mega-Traveler and have the chance of the character not surviving the character creation process. Thats hard core.


TTFN

EvilE

 

[Pseudonym]

I have been playing since 1981, and vastly prefer 32 point buy in 3.0/3.5.

As a DM, I find it especially helpful.

 

[Pseudonym]

IMO if I wanted to roll stats I'd play old Mega-Traveler and have the chance of the character not surviving the character creation process. Thats hard core.
EvilE

Coincidently, my group was considering moving our D&D game to every other weekend to take up a game of Traveller. I was explaining to my girlfriend the joys of spending 2 hours rolling up a character, only to have him go into low berth accomodations and never wake up again. Ah, joy.

 

[Arnwyn]

I had this theory that people who are "old school" defined as having played D&D since 1st or 2nd edition was being printer...vs. those people who started playing when 3.0 came out. My theory is that the old schoolers prefer rolling the dice for stats, but that the newer players prefer point buy.

If this poll were available to the greater population using proper statistical methodologies, I'd probably agree with your hypothesis.

But it's not likely you'll find that result at ENWorld...

 

[Mercule]

Played since 1982 or 1983 (that's 1E). I was never particularly satisfied with rolling, although there was a long period that I was too green to know anything else existed. I've played with various stat-buys and pseudo stat-buys, but the 3E buy method is the best I've seen for D&D.

For most types of games, I wouldn't consider using anything else. Whether you just are trying to build to a certain concept or rounding out a dungeon-delving party, randomness in the creation process just doesn't make any sense to me. In fact, I'd consider it counter-intuitive.

The only way I'd add in the randomness or play in a game that did things that way would be if that was supposed to be part of the challenge (or if I really was totally without a concept, which is rare). Of course, if that was the case, why do things half-way. Don't allow rearranging -- take the stats in order and play it.

 

[dcollins]

Weird, the current poll results seem to prove the opposite of Cedric's thesis.

It's true, currently more 1st Ed. players like point-buy, while more 3rd-Ed. players like rolling.

Alternative thesis: Rolling is much better for beginning players -- it gets the game started with requiring an extended mathematical min/max analysis of how each ability works in the game. Point-buy is more appealing to advanced players -- comfortable with the system after years of playing and wish to have full control over their character design.

Of course, I'm old-school and prefer rolling, but I can't ever count myself in these things.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I've been playing about the same amount of time as diaglo, and my groups have switched to point buy (except one). I prefer having all of the characters on roughly equal footing.

 

[Eosin the Red]

Started in 80

I have seen too many players roll 18-18-17-14-14-9
and the next guy in line roll 13-13-12-9-9-6

We just started a Jedi Campaign and one player rolled so ungodly his stats using point buy would cost somewhere in the 70-80 range. My own Jedi would cost 32 points. I just never liked the extreme inequities occasionally produced. Also, old school Champions so point buy seems natural.