What character generation method do you use?

[Dagda]

I use point buy 32 points. As the DM I had to implement this rule. We were using 4d6 drop the lowest before. The problem, we use eTools to build the characters, and I noticed on one of the characters that I got a look at the file, the DM screen showed they had rolled 280 times for stats and over 500 times for HP!!

So I had to implement point buy to be fair to the players who only rolled a few tries. I also put together an hp standard (100% at first level, and 3/4 of max at each following level). This made higher powered characters, but was much weaker that what they were "rolling". When I implemented this, I did a calculation to see at what point buy their current characters were... 3 were >50 and 3 were around 44. So, after a few character deaths, and a few forced rerolled characters, they all have 32 point characters with non-random hp.

I hate being a controlling DM, but my players are my kids and their friends who have way too much time to roll characters, but not enough time to read the rules. Ah well. I love sharing a hobby with them though!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

28 point buy. I hate dice-rolling, since you end up with characters who are way better or way worse than others.

28 point buy only allows a little flexibility in character generation, though; usually I've seen 28 point buy tanks go Strength 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 8 - all but one stat looks very familiar, eh? (They wanted Combat Expertise.)

On the other hand, even at 28 point buy I've got people playing mages with starting Int 18, which is annoying, just like a fighter with starting Strength 18 who kills everything he runs into for the first couple of levels in just one blow.

 

[Galethorn]

Choose one of three arrays. They're all equal to a 35-point point-buy.

18, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8

17, 16, 15, 12, 10, 8

15, 15, 14, 14, 12, 11

That's obviously before racial modifiers, so you can get up to a 19 with the third one (if you're playing the one and only race in my campaign with a +4 modifier to a stat), or as low as a 6 for most of the non-humans.

This was after the whole group rolled 4d6, drop lowest, and everybody got something equal to or (greater than) a 40-point point-buy...one was at 40, some at 45ish, and one had stats equal to a 52...which is higher than PC stats should be, in my opinion. Anyway, we're in the middle of converting from D&D to Grim Tales, so we're using the three arrays. The four players (of eight) that have converted their characters so far have chosen the second one.

 

[D+1]

Organic. Best 3/4d6, in order, reroll any one result, switch places for any two.

 

[Treebore]

5d6, reroll lowest two, place in order desired. Gives an average of 14 and no crappie stats. Haven't met a player yet that preferred crappie stats over an average of 14. Fun character=fun game.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

4 methods vary according to my mood, though it solid for each party so new characters into a group get the starting party method.

1. sofite 4d6 drop lowest and arrange as you want
2. super softie 4d5 drop lowest reroll ones arrage as you want
3. 25 point buy but stats don't cost more past 14. I don't like it, and only in the case of str is a 18 compared to a 16 better than a 14 is to 12. And hey fighter types can use a boost so if str is too cheap so what.
4. a method I stole +8 total stat modifies to spread around 1/2 stats are even 1/2 are odd, only 1 stat can be a penalty before racial mods and then only a -1. For example Str 14(+2) dex 13(+1)con 14(+2)int 13(+1)wis 14(+2)chr11(+0) would be a fine character, but so would Str 18(+4) dex 13(+1)con 16(+3)int 13(+1) wis 10(+0)chr 9(-1)