Stat Method vs. How long you've played

[Altalazar]

I first played in about 1980. I strongly favor point buy. It makes for an evenly balanced party in terms of power level and it allows players to finely craft characters without having to waste time rolling up stats.

I can recall lots of dice rolling in the early days, trying to find the "perfect" balance of stats or just trying to see what I'd get for a particular character. Almost invariably, where there were dice, there were unbalanced parties - some people rolled really well, some people didn't - and that just wasn't fun.

I do 32 point buys now for my games - makes for tough PCs that I can then throw into difficult situations and they find it both challenging and rewarding - and no one character is dominant due to stats.

... and looking at the results here, it looks like the exact OPPOSITE of your hypothesis has come to pass - old-schoolers are LESS likely to use dice - perhaps experience has taught us what I indicated above - that rolling dice, in the end, just takes a lot of time and can only lead to imbalance - unless you take measures to remedy that, in which case, why not just go point buy to begin with?

 

[Ashrum the Black]

Well, I voted for roll dice because that is my preference and until reciently the way I'm played. But with the start of the last campaign I used a point buy to stop the rampent abuse of rolling dice until the "ultimate" characters stats have been rolled. Keeps things less abusable in my book so we're giving it a try. I'm thinking this may be the way I go from now on if this works out.


-Ashrum

 

[Wombat]

Where is "I've played prior to 1st ed" (which to my mind means "AD&D")?

Depending on the game I am running, I have used both point buy and rolling methods. Matter of taste for a specific game.

Overall, however, I prefer adding in a random element to all my games. People don't get to choose all their good breaks in life, either inherent or outward, so why should players?

To bring in the central quote from The Princess Bride, "Whoever told you life is fair?"

 

[Nifft]

I started in 1e, but I haven't played for most of the intervening years... I skipped 2e entirely. Thus, I picked "played since 1e", but it's not entirely accurate.

Anyway, I like Point-Buy, because it feels more fair to the players. I like rules that enforce fairness, so I can screw them on their choices without guilt.

-- N

 

[kingpaul]

Hey! Where's the choice for those of us who started when it was still D&D? I started 23 years ago on the blue book. And I do a mix of rolling stats or point buy...really up to the DM in question.

 

[WayneLigon]

I've played since Original D&D. I roll dice. In fact, I've only been in one campaign in all those years that used point-buy and that was just recently for a Living Greyhawk thing. Most of the people I talk to aren't even aware point-buying exists.

 

[Greybar]

I agree with Norfleet.

Since 4d6 method matches one of the point buy methods (was it 28?) in average probability, I plan to offer players a choice of either in future games I run.

john

 

[Storminator]

I use 4d6 drop low, arrange to suit, no rerolls. If your PC is unacceptable, you may use point buy. However, the points are 24 +1d8. You may roll the 4d6 method and the point buy totals before deciding which one you'll use.

PS

 

[RuminDange]

Rolling or Point Buy

I've been playing and mostly GM since 1st ed and I've always rolled attributes. Point Buy however is convenient and will give you balanced characters but also the characters will be min/maxed and most will be the same. Not really a realistic approach to me. I like the role-playing aspect of "I always wanted to be a wizard but just couldn't figure out this magical writing stuff that easily so I learned to fight until I do."
Players and I have always had character concepts to build on, but sometimes it takes work to get a character where you want it. I don't believe you should be able to make it the way you it all the time without a little randomness.
However, I long time ago changed the roll method to 4d6 drop the lowest, reroll 1's once, roll 12 times and pick 6, place a needed. I tend to run the heroic campaigns and this produces the results I want but still give a random chance of a lower attribute. I still get characters that have stats ranging between 10 - 18 to start, most of the time they average around 13-15 for 3 or 4 attribute with a 17 or 18 in the best two attributes. For instance a Sorcerer/Fighter turned BladeSinger started with initial rolls of 15,18,15,17,12,15 and that is in the order he placed them.
Random rolls require a player to work/role-play at the concept not just get what they want at the start because they can min/max the point buy.
I also have a lot of other ways that a player can slowly customize their character as they level over time (based on Hero Points earned). Most are still working the concept out and average character level is around 33 after over 3 years of play. (Started the campaign just before 3e came out using 2e).

Just my thoughts.
RD

 

[RuminDange]

Rolling or Point Buy

Bloody database errors. Caused multiple posts.
RD