What is the least amount of Point Buy you'd play with?

[Evilhalfling]

The minimum I'd play with is 6 points. It would be a game called Evolution where my character would be an amphibian that just flopped out on to the surface. My goal would be to build up my stats and develop until I became a minotaur. My first objective would be to gain levels and put my stat bonuses in intelligence. That way I could find magic books and read them to further boost my stats, eventually finding a way to reincarnate into something more viable. Of course everyone would have to start with 6 points, otherwise people would just be minotaurs right away and my little blob of jelly would be outclassed.

Wahoo! 'Toad Rules' for D&D you know I never could get anyone to play Talisman Toad rules -
where everyone starts as a toad Str 1 Craft 1, 4 lives. with the ability to carry one item or hop underneath a helmet (treat as armor) any horse or mule allows a single move before you fall off.

In you game can I evolve to become a housecat? I hear they are da Bomb

Hmm a village idiots oneshot game, 15 pts, 10-30 gp(1/2 minimum). Can you make it to 2nd level?

 

[gizmo33]

Hmm a village idiots oneshot game, 15 pts, 10-30 gp(1/2 minimum). Can you make it to 2nd level?

No lie - I did start off two PCs in my campaigns as serfs, gave them small plots of land, used a variant of the Harn Manor rules. I called it "Serf, the Masquerade". It lasted about an hour until their crops had failed several years in a row, then they took to trying to steal some silver from the local baron, got caught, thrown in jail, escaped, and became normal adventurers.

The village idiots in your game are a heck of a lot richer than most of the peasants in my game.

 

[gizmo33]

I've played with 7 point buy, but never with as low as 6. That's just crazy!

7 points for Evolution the RPG!? What are you some kind of munchkin? Next you'll be handing out opposable thumbs before people even reach 4th level!

Footnote:
Actually, to avoid being banished to the april fools board - I will say that my original joke about Evolution the RPG was to suggest that point buys are fairly arbitrary and depend on the expectations of the players and the power-level of the campaign. Of course I'm not in the camp of folks that know how to roleplay someone with 6 INT vs. 7 INT, so mostly a person is just smart or not and the rules sort of take care of the rest. Someone with 14 INT is probably smarter than I am, so the difference between that and 18 pretty much comes down to just the bonuses you get when you roll for skill checks. It's not like I have an 18 INT in real life and can just hold back on my tactics. (I'm a DM 99% of the time though, so I can just hide the fact that I don't have an 18 INT by having the PCs meet mostly goblins).

 

[Ry]

I picked 22, but that's an absolute minimum. That is, I'd start with 22, but only if the DM had a damn good reason.

My game (although it's not d20, really) uses a model based on a 30 point buy.

 

[Evilhalfling]

No lie - I did start off two PCs in my campaigns as serfs, gave them small plots of land, used a variant of the Harn Manor rules. I called it "Serf, the Masquerade". It lasted about an hour until their crops had failed several years in a row, then they took to trying to steal some silver from the local baron, got caught, thrown in jail, escaped, and became normal adventurers.

The village idiots in your game are a heck of a lot richer than most of the peasants in my game.

Well they would have to spend all the gold coins on possesions, mostly sub par at that.
I actually tried stating them out - but I just couldn't get away from the image of idiots trying to go adventuring. Okay first I need a Hero- a fighter/paladin of course then a side kick, lets make him a smartalec thief then mabey an elven woman NOOOOO! Im writting a script for a really bad movie, and I won't even be able to get Jeremy Irons in mine.
I had to rip it up and go back to my regular game.

 

[arscott]

Someone with 14 INT is probably smarter than I am

Actually, I'd say that 14 INT is probably about average for a roleplayer. If Int's one of your top two stats, and you were rolled up with 3d6 scores, 14's about right.

 

[Altalazar]

32+ as I said in the other thread - it allows you to make more well-rounded characters that are heroes and not one-trick ponys - it makes them heroes. And it can make the raw character much more important than the items or magic in the game.

 

[Crothian]

32+ as I said in the other thread - it allows you to make more well-rounded characters that are heroes and not one-trick ponys - it makes them heroes. And it can make the raw character much more important than the items or magic in the game.

Stats don't make people heroes, their actions do.

 

[Technik4]

Stats don't make people heroes, their actions do.

Higher stats allow for more heroic action potential.

It is heroic to tell the party that, as the fighter, you are going to hold the gate and let everyone run underneath, then try and get underneath yourself. However, the rules tell us if this fighter does not have enough strength, his heroism will fail.

Technik

 

[Crothian]

Higher stats allow for more heroic action potential.

It is heroic to tell the party that, as the fighter, you are going to hold the gate and let everyone run underneath, then try and get underneath yourself. However, the rules tell us if this fighter does not have enough strength, his heroism will fail.

Technik

He will still be remembered as a hero for what he tried to do. Heroes many times are known as much for trying and failing then trying and always succeeding.