Ways to generate ability points.

[Ferret]

I found an Awesome Dice Roller that I've been using to generate alternative ability rolls, I've layered them all in Photoshop so they can be compared, because of haveing to shrink some it won't be deadly accurate but should work.

I was thingking of using the 3d4+4, can anyome think what changes that might make to a campaign? I mean what would having that kind of 'safty net' against bad rolls do?

 

[HellHound]

I'd be better disposed towards 4d4+2... Gives the same old 18 max, puts the peak at the same point as the top end of the plateau for 3d4+4.

 

[kenobi65]

I was thingking of using the 3d4+4, can anyome think what changes that might make to a campaign? I mean what would having that kind of 'safty net' against bad rolls do?

Well, you virtually eliminate anyone having a stat below 8...but doing a point buy would have that same net effect.

The "average" score will be 11.5, one point higher than the average of 3d6 (10.5), but closer to the average score you'd get with 4d6-lowest (around a 13).

Where this'd really have an impact is in the "really good" scores. 3d4+4 maxes out at 16, and it looks like less than 10% of your rolls will be a 15 or 16 (and only about 2% will be 16).

Net result: most scores will be between 10 and 14. Gives you "above average" characters, but not particularly heroic-scored ones.

 

[Jdvn1]

For a really powerful game we did 1d4 to determine our modifier for each stat. Then it was just another roll for odds-and-evens.

The guy that normally played a Wizard was great with the d4's (Magic Missile anyone?) and got like 4 18's.

 

[Tigerbunny]

One of the approved methods I'm using for the new game I'm starting to put together will be:

1. Roll 21d6
2. Build 6 sets of 3
3. Assign at will

It's mostly identical statistically to the 4d6 drop lowest method in the mean score, but gives more variance. It's slightly more likely to produce high and low outlier values. Plus it's fun to roll 21d6.

 

[Jdvn1]

6 sets of 3? I don't think I follow.

 

[Seeten]

you roll 21d6, so results would be like, 6, 5, 5, 4, 5, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6, 1, 2, 1, 5, 4, 6, 4, 3, 6, 2, 1 and then you build 6 sets of 3d6, for example, you drop the 3 lowest immediately, thats all the ones. From there, being who I am, I take 18(3 6's), 16(5, 5, 6) 15(5, 5, 5), 12(4, 4, 4) 10(4, 3, 3) 6(2, 2, 2) nd then assign to taste.

 

[Crothian]

Let the players pick their ability scores based on the character concept they have. No point buy, no rolling. They the players design the character they want to play.

 

[reanjr]

Let the players pick their ability scores based on the character concept they have. No point buy, no rolling. They the players design the character they want to play.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

...

wait a sec

...


were you serious?

-----------------

I've actually done this before, but I'd never do it with my current group. Even if I could get them to assign ability scores based on character concept, they'd just end up coming up with the concept of a character who the hero of his village, well loved by all (Charisma), strongest warrior in town (Strength), advisor to the political authorities (Wisdom), well-read and educated (Intelligence), a marksman of great repute (Dexterity), and a the only one to avoid the plague that swept through last year (Constitution).

 

[Crothian]

were you serious?

I sure am. I have found that by trusting the players they behave responible. That and I think attributes are over rated. They mean more at low levels then high levels, and I don't mind characters being a bit strong at low levels so I can throw more powerful things at them.

I should note that while I let my players choose abnility scores, no one has actually done this. They all have either rolled them or used a form of point buy. I find it quite funny.