Stats, how you come about it!

[MerakSpielman]

?!?! Why not just have them pick a stat with a 14 and roll a d4 then?

That would throw the probability of getting the higher scores out of whack.

 

[Umbran]

I tend to prefer dice-rolling methods to point-buy. I recognize the inherent balance to point-buy systems, but I find them lacking. The random results fo dice rolling serves me better in terms of inspiration.

My usual method is the boring 4d6, drop lowest, arrange as you will.

On interesting one I saw recently was similar, but had an interesting twist:

Roll 4d6, drop lowest, 12 times. Arrange in six pairs: Lowest score with highest, second lowest with second highest, and so on. The player may choose three of these pairs, then arrange as he wishes. So, if he wants the highest score, he must also accept the lowest.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

That would throw the probability of getting the higher scores out of whack.

Never mind.

 

[Piratecat]

One of the coolest things I've seen:

Everyone rolls 4d6, drop one, six times. Everyone writes their scores down on a single sheet of paper.

Then the group as a whole splits up the scores to the different members. Doing this requires that they talk to one another, bargain, and agree who gets each individual score.

I love this idea; it's a little like the auctions in Amber, but this method builds teamwork and communication in from the start.

 

[RedShirtNo5]

Another card draw system

Take 24 cards: four each aces, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s. Shuffle into six piles of four, then turn over in order taking best 3 of 4. Swap any two stats.

Gives random stats with a tight distribution at 28-30 points. The player can usually play what they want with a judicious swap.

-RedShirt

 

[Yig]

This is what we used for the current campaign:

You get an 17 and roll 3d6 (reroll any 1) five times and assign as needed.

That mean we all got at least one good score.

I got 17, 15, 15, 14, 13 and 8.

And we all manged to roll an 8

 

[Wormwood]

1. Roll 5d6, drop lowest
2. Repeat eighteen times, splitting into six arrays of three
3. Drop the two arrays with the lowest total
4. Write the remaining four arrays on slips of paper
5. Put slips of paper in a cup
6. Put the cup away
7. Use 28-point buy

 

[SableWyvern]

Most recently, the system I used is as follows:

20 point buy, maximum ability value at this stage = 16.

Then, allocate 3 x 1d4 to abilities in any fashion (eg, 2d4 to Int and 1d4 to Con, or 3d4 to Str, or 1d4 to each of Str, Dex, Con).

Once all d4s are allocated, roll away, with total results over 18 being considered 18.

This provides what I consider a nice balance between random factors and player control. You can wastefully guarantee an 18 with a 16 + 2d4, or gamble with lower values allocated individual d4s.

On maximised, average results, this system closely approximates a 32 point buy.


For my upcoming Conan game, I'm probably going to go with the Conan heroic option of 8+1d10 for all ability scores.