Ways to generate ability points.

[Darkness]

I actually prefer to DM for PCs with high ability scores, because they're more likely to survive the horrors I inflict upon them.

Same here. I use 36-point point-buy and action points.

NPCs don't usually get either.

 

[Wormwood]

32-point buy for PCs

Elite (25-point) array for monsters (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8)

32-point array for NPCs (16 16 14 12 10 8)

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Preach it, brother. (Well, I'm okay with random starting money but that's it.)

I usually just hand out level-appropriate gear and give them "beer money" to start. If it becomes important, I give everyone the same amount.

1) How do you handle hp? I give them average hp (e.g., 5.5 per d10). Maximized at 1st level, of course.

I prefer to do it the same way, rounding decimals up. I have a player who rolls above-average on everything, and constantly whines about how averaging the hit dice hurts his character. Since I'm using MDT in a Dragonstar game, I decided to go ahead and give max per die and save myself the headache.

2) How many build points do you charge for increasing a score to 19+?

Follow the pattern. 8-14 is 1 point each, 15-16 is 2 points each, 17-18 is 3 points each, 19-20 is 4 points each, and so on. That way, a character who starts with an 18 at first level gets enough points to boost to a 19 at 4th, and can consistently keep the same maximum stat as a standard character.

3) So they get 4 points at 4th level, 8 at 8th, etc., correct?

Yep. Originally, I gave them 1/3 character level, rounded up, at every level, but decided that was too much bookkeeping, and too powerful at higher levels. After toying around with some other options, I went with this.

 

[Thanee]

Follow the pattern. 8-14 is 1 point each, 15-16 is 2 points each, 17-18 is 3 points each, 19-20 is 4 points each, and so on. That way, a character who starts with an 18 at first level gets enough points to boost to a 19 at 4th, and can consistently keep the same maximum stat as a standard character.

That's a pretty neat idea. I suppose you can save points to go higher than 20?

Maybe giving 3 + level/8 (always rounded up) would be an alternative, as it gives you exactly enough to raise an 18 base ability on every level up.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

That's a pretty neat idea. I suppose you can save points to go higher than 20?

21 is five points... 19 at 4th, 20 at 8th (and you have 4 points left over), and you can easily pick up a 21 at 12th level. You'd only need to save points to advance faster than that.

I do allow people to save points from level to level, though, except at character creation.

Maybe giving 3 + level/8 (always rounded up) would be an alternative, as it gives you exactly enough to raise an 18 base ability on every level up.

I'll have to run the numbers on that. Thanks for the idea.

 

[MonsterMash]

I use 4d6 discarding lowest then assignment by choice, but coming from the old school of 3d6 in order, even that seems a bit easy. I have been tempted by using other systems (2d6+1d4+2 for example) to alter the curve a bit (my example would be range of 5-18, average 11.5).

I quite like the roll 21d6 and sort out 6 sets of 3.

 

[Buttercup]

Please don't interpret this question as confrontational, because I don't mean it that way. For those of you who insist upon a random method of ability generation for your players, why? What is so wrong with allowing players to distribute stats as they please? Do you feel like this would ruin your enjoyment (as DM) of the game?

 

[maddman75]

I'm of the opinion that stats are far too important in 3e to be generated randomly. In AD&D, it didn't matter nearly as much. Unless you had a 15+ or 7- there were usually no modifiers, and the modifiers weren't as large. Even the fabled 18/00 strength (which oddly in my misspent youth about 25% of the fighters seemed to have) was less than an 18 in 3e. I would be more comfortable having the starting level rolled at 1d4 or something than generate stats randomly. At least someone rolling poorly would eventually catch up.

I have my own simplified point buy. The players just select ability scores so that the modifiers add up to a fixed amount, usually +8. No minimum either - if you want to cripple a character that's fine with me. Three even, three odd. The only downsides are that it doesn't weight higher scores - two 18s and the rest 10s and 11s is fine, and racial modifiers generally don't matter much, changing only the max and min. But it works and its easy.

 

[Thanee]

21 is five points... 19 at 4th, 20 at 8th (and you have 4 points left over), and you can easily pick up a 21 at 12th level. You'd only need to save points to advance faster than that.

Oh... I thought you were giving flat 4 points every 4th level for some reason... Doh!

Re-read your original post and saw that you base it on number of HD (that's a whole lot more than what I proposed (3 + character level/8 (always rounded up) every 4th character level), which is just the maximum needed for the "standard progression" from a base ability of 18 raised 5 times).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Please don't interpret this question as confrontational, because I don't mean it that way. For those of you who insist upon a random method of ability generation for your players, why? What is so wrong with allowing players to distribute stats as they please? Do you feel like this would ruin your enjoyment (as DM) of the game?

In my case, I like a bit of randomness. I would totally hate to randomize completely (like rolling up what race/class you are ), and I would also hate 3d6 in order, but I do like a bit of randomness in ability generation. I despise methods where the generated ability sets can be drastically different. I generally prefer control over randomness, and if given the choice of one or the other, I'd definitely go for control, but since I can have both, enough control with a bit of randomness, I like that best.

Why the randomness you ask? Well, for one it is, that PB ability sets always look the same for similar concepts. It's just boring, so to say. And I see the little random influence as that part you cannot control yourself, like the little bit of talent you are born with (and don't say, that 3d6 in order does this better now ). It gives a bit of inspiration for character creation, also. We usually start with generating stats and then decide on what we want to play, not the other way around (of course, sometimes the race/class is already fixed, since one wants to play some specific character concept). Not everything has this sterile, "vat grown" feel to it, it's a dynamic process, feels more alive.

Bye
Thanee