What Ability Score Generation Method do you use?

[Altalazar]

I do a 30 point buy. I think that is a good balance, to satisfy those who like higher stats without going too overboard.

Anywhere between 30-35 can do that. Below 30, and you start to get weaker characters - with random methods, there is at least a chance of an outstanding stat or two, whereas if you have too few points, everyone can flatten out.

 

[bondetamp]

The two latest campaigns that I've been playing in, we've just assigned numbers as we saw fit. It puts a certain peer pressure into the game, as a fully munched out character will be pointed at and there will be giggling.

 

[praetorian]

I really don't like any of the official ways that much. Point buy sucks, period. It just begs for min/maxing (which I hate!). Arrange as taste is almost as bad, again just a bunch of min maxing. Of all the official ones, strait is perhalps the best, but even then it is not great. Its good in that it gets rid of min/maxing, but it also give the player zero imput and in many cases stats that just don't work for that class. Granted, if you have a good group, any of these work, since the players should be caring less about stats and more on personality.

However, I have created a system I love much more than all the official ones, partialy because I made it I have the players roll 3d6 strait, then add 1d4, 1d6, 2d4, ect. points as they want depending on the difficulty of the campaign. I like this system because it takes characters away from the status quo. Now your mage might be stronger than he is smart, or a fighter with brains ans wisdom, but not as much brute strength. However, it does allow players to customise a bit (so there is room unfortunately for min/maxing) and with random points added, all characters really are not created equal, unlike in point buy.

 

[Eosin the Red]

I also use a variant of sayburr's character creation guidelines.

I have seen the same or something very similar on at least 7 web sites. None ever credit the original author.

 

[Fade]

Pick your scores. The GM eyeballs them, and if they seem right then that's your character.

 

[Ace]

I use two methods for character generation, either 40 or so points or my favorite "Just make something reasonable up" which works really well for me.

 

[Arkham]

In previous games I've done:
- 4d6 drop lowest, arrange. Best of 10 sets.
- Default Array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. But that was for a Con
game...
- 28 Point buy

In my next game, it is going to be epic stats, but very, very low
magic.
48 point buy, if you want to try rolling 5d6 drop 2 lowest, arrange,
you can. But if you don't like what you get you can then build with
38 point buy.
The PCs will be lucky to get 2 permanent magic items by 6th
level, and the game will be likely over by 7th. ( 1/10th of DMG
suggested exp, but exp for roleplaying and goals completed.

 

[wolfpunk]

Well in my high magic campaigns the slightly unusual method I use is this. All stats start at 18. A player then rolls a d10 five times and subtracts that amount from the five 18s.
so it would be
18
18-(1-9) x 5

This gives each character 1 18. I count a roll of 0 "10" as being a zero so it is possible to have more then one 18. The benefit of this is no score will be lower then 9. This usually creates a high powered character.

 

[Psion]

4d6, arrange to taste. Roll three sets of characters and pick the one that best fits what you want. DM intervention allowed (in either direction).

Allow 32 point buy as an alternative.

 

[drowdude]

Take a free 18. Roll 4d6 five times, rerolling 1s and pairs of 2s. Assign as desired.