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What is the standard ability score set? Are most games playing too high?
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<blockquote data-quote="Jin_Kataki" data-source="post: 3455894" data-attributes="member: 42730"><p>I have seen many players who seem to think having a modifier of zero or negative one in an ability means they need to play their character as dumb if it is in intelligence or completely helpless if it is in strength or any other number of ridiculous extremes. I am of the mind set that these are heros and as such should be HIGH above the norm. I am playing in a game right now where if I had wanted to I could have a modifier of zero in 5 abilities and then one with a modifier of 6 in another. Eventhough my system is generous in giving good and maybe even excellent scores in all 6 abilities it still will cap their highest chance at a modifier of 4 before any racial benifits. And while I don't allow multiple negative modifiers that is only before racial adjustments as well so with those you could feasibly wind up having more than one negative. Also with the randomness of dice who is to say someone wont roll bad and wind up with everything being a modifier of zero.</p><p></p><p>All of this being said I suppose my biggest reason for diliking point buy is the fact that I have always had really good luck in rolling my abilities when playing. So my theory is why as a DM would I do something to my players that I as a player hate so much. As far as your suggestion of just letting them assighn their own ability scores based on what they feel they should get based on their background. I think most of the people I have played with would abuse this. Now perhaps having them write up a backstory and leaving it to the DM to decide could be an alternative, but then you will get the person who felt their backstory warranted this or that and by you not giving it to them you must be screwing them.</p><p></p><p>Another system I have seen used that I felt was pretty good. Was giving everyone a 9 and an 18 then rolling 4 six siders for the others with the same re roll any ones and nothing else negative rule. This wasn't a bad way my only qualm with it is the fact that I was forced to take a negative in an ability score when I have NEVER rolled a negative ability.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jin_Kataki, post: 3455894, member: 42730"] I have seen many players who seem to think having a modifier of zero or negative one in an ability means they need to play their character as dumb if it is in intelligence or completely helpless if it is in strength or any other number of ridiculous extremes. I am of the mind set that these are heros and as such should be HIGH above the norm. I am playing in a game right now where if I had wanted to I could have a modifier of zero in 5 abilities and then one with a modifier of 6 in another. Eventhough my system is generous in giving good and maybe even excellent scores in all 6 abilities it still will cap their highest chance at a modifier of 4 before any racial benifits. And while I don't allow multiple negative modifiers that is only before racial adjustments as well so with those you could feasibly wind up having more than one negative. Also with the randomness of dice who is to say someone wont roll bad and wind up with everything being a modifier of zero. All of this being said I suppose my biggest reason for diliking point buy is the fact that I have always had really good luck in rolling my abilities when playing. So my theory is why as a DM would I do something to my players that I as a player hate so much. As far as your suggestion of just letting them assighn their own ability scores based on what they feel they should get based on their background. I think most of the people I have played with would abuse this. Now perhaps having them write up a backstory and leaving it to the DM to decide could be an alternative, but then you will get the person who felt their backstory warranted this or that and by you not giving it to them you must be screwing them. Another system I have seen used that I felt was pretty good. Was giving everyone a 9 and an 18 then rolling 4 six siders for the others with the same re roll any ones and nothing else negative rule. This wasn't a bad way my only qualm with it is the fact that I was forced to take a negative in an ability score when I have NEVER rolled a negative ability. [/QUOTE]
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What is the standard ability score set? Are most games playing too high?
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