AD&D 1E What is the best way to generate ability scores for 1e AD&D?

RhaezDaevan · Sep 8, 2026

Has anyone experimented with other dice sizes?

1d4+1d6+1d8 instead of 3d6 is probably too silly to be useful. What about 3d8 twice, 3d6 thrice, and 3d4 once, arrange to taste? Maybe also too silly.

Lanefan · Sep 8, 2026

RhaezDaevan said:
Has anyone experimented with other dice sizes?

1d4+1d6+1d8 instead of 3d6 is probably too silly to be useful. What about 3d8 twice, 3d6 thrice, and 3d4 once, arrange to taste? Maybe also too silly.

In a 3e-like system where ability scores of 24 (in play when rolling 3d8) are part of the game's design, I could see this working.

In TSR-era D&D, not so much.

RhaezDaevan · Sep 9, 2026

Lanefan said:
In a 3e-like system where ability scores of 24 (in play when rolling 3d8) are part of the game's design, I could see this working.

In TSR-era D&D, not so much.

Isn't the chances of rolling the highest possible value lowered for three dice as the size of the die increases?

billd91 · Sep 9, 2026

RhaezDaevan said:
Isn't the chances of rolling the highest possible value lowered for three dice as the size of the die increases?

Generally, yes. A die with more sides means more results to count up and those go into the denominator, thus decreasing the probability of rolling the singular highest result.

Mannahnin · Sep 9, 2026

Lanefan said:
In a 3e-like system where ability scores of 24 (in play when rolling 3d8) are part of the game's design, I could see this working.

In TSR-era D&D, not so much.

TSR-era AD&D included scores up to 25, technically. 19 using just the 1978 PH (for elf Dex, and Dwarf, Halfling, or Half Orc Con), and then all the way to 25 using Deities & Demigods. Stats going up to 25 are covered in the core PH charts in 2E. (Not even getting into stats going up to 100 in Mentzer's Immortals set.

)

While the game as published expected stats above 19 for PCs to be gated behind special magic items or artifacts, AD&D does have those charts defining the stats.