D&D 5E What is your current way to roll stats

[TheCosmicKid]

27 or 32 point buy.

I like more 32. 15 is still the max buy, but it has less "tanked" abilities.

Yeah, 27 point buy is actually lower than the average results for the standard 4d6-drop-lowest method. 32 is much closer. (It's actually 33 and a bit, if I recall correctly.) So 27 doesn't seem fair to me. I foolishly gave my players 27 points right when we started playing 5E, before doing the math, and now I'm looking for an excuse to bump up their characters' scores a bit in-game.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Our current game started with 1d8+7 in order although I'm thinking of changing it for 2d4+7 for future characters.

It keeps the good old "take what fate dealt you" feel of 3d6 in order, except it's impossible to get nigh-unudable stats or for someone to roll really well on several stats leaving no room for improvement. So randomness, but with the same spread as a standard array (8 to 15) and with space for growth.

I've been thinking of suggesting that kind of method to my players.

I let them get scores however they want, including that they can arbitrarily choose scores they want, but they all prefer to roll in some manner. Yet they do occasionally do things like copy another player's scores so that they don't feel stat envy with their lower rolls, or arbitrarily lower an ability score or two because they feel they've rolled too well. A 2d4+7 method should prevent both of those from being necessary to them as often.

 

[Psikerlord#]

For Low Fantasy Gaming (d&d OGL variant) we roll 4d6, drop the lowest for six stats (wisdom is split into Willpower and Perception), and for the 7th stat you get an auto 15. Note max 18 in LFG with no racial modifiers.

Additionally, anyone can choose any other person's array with a small penalty if they prefer it to their own array. The GM also rolls an extra array to be chosen from if desired.

 

[Kzoki]

I do a 6x6 grid. Each player gets their own grid and rolls 4d6r1 for each slot a column at a time. Then they can take any row, column, or the diagonal if they wish. The stats are then placed in the order they appear, reading left to right or up to down. Sometimes I will allow them to switch any 2 stat values as well.

So an example would be (Using a dice roller for the example rolls, and 0's for place holders):

|08|11|15|08|14|13|
|16|14|17|08|17|10|
|13|18|11|11|09|16|
|11|15|10|10|14|13|
|11|16|11|13|08|11|
|08|12|10|08|08|05|

So your choices would be:

Columns(Read top to bottom)
Str: |08|11|15|08|14|13|
Dex: |16|14|17|08|17|10|
Con: |13|18|11|11|09|16|
Int: |11|15|10|10|14|13|
Wis: |11|16|11|13|08|11|
Cha: |08|12|10|08|08|05|

Rows(Read left to right)

Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
|08| |11| |15| |08| |14| |13|
|16| |14| |17| |08| |17| |10|
|13| |18| |11| |11| |09| |16|
|11| |15| |10| |10| |14| |13|
|11| |16| |11| |13| |08| |11|
|08| |12| |10| |08| |08| |05|

Lastly, Diagonal (1st from column 1, 2nd from column 2, and so on)

Str: |08|
Dex: |14|
Con: |11|
Int: |10|
Wis: |08|
Cha: |05|

 

[Bromjunaar]

Considering the general lack of need for an actual atribute score as opposed to the modifiers, I'm thinking about asking about something along the lines of 2d4 - 3 for the attribute modifiers and skipping the score entirely (I play 5e, so that would mean that ASIs and the such would simply bump a modifier by one if you took it). It might make some feats a bit extra powerful, but I don't think it would throw balance off by too much.

 

[cbwjm]

Considering the general lack of need for an actual atribute score as opposed to the modifiers, I'm thinking about asking about something along the lines of 2d4 - 3 for the attribute modifiers and skipping the score entirely (I play 5e, so that would mean that ASIs and the such would simply bump a modifier by one if you took it). It might make some feats a bit extra powerful, but I don't think it would throw balance off by too much.

I've thought of doing this before, instead of the standard array for instance handing out +2, +2, +1, +1, 0, and -1 or just a total of 5 points to distribute with the option of reducing some scores to add to others. Not sure how to handle races yet, either a +1 to their main race score (e.g., Dexterity for elves) or +1 to any score related to their race and subrace (e.g., Dexterity or Intelligence for high elves)

 

[Bromjunaar]

I've thought of doing this before, instead of the standard array for instance handing out +2, +2, +1, +1, 0, and -1 or just a total of 5 points to distribute with the option of reducing some scores to add to others. Not sure how to handle races yet, either a +1 to their main race score (e.g., Dexterity for elves) or +1 to any score related to their race and subrace (e.g., Dexterity or Intelligence for high elves)

I think I would personally go with +1 to the race's +2 Att. Score, since I tend to use the +1 Att. Score to bump one of my scores to an even number to get the next higher bonus. I don't think it would make the subraces too samey since they get other features besides. Though in this case, there aren't any PHB races/subraces that give a +2 to Wis, Mountain Dwarves have two +2 Att., and only Gnomes boost Int and only Dwarves boost Con. Which would be a fair case for allowing flexibility.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

My group have recently moved away from the method previously stated in this thread for us (which was for them to get stats however they wanted). The reason for the change was that the players felt being able to choose whatever they wanted to do left them spending time trying to decide, when they'd rather just have 'the way' and spend less time building their characters.

What they came up with was this: 4d6, drop lowest. Re-roll the set if you don't get at least two 14+, or you do get two scores below 8 or three below 10.

 

[RobertBrus]

Standard array or point buy from the book. Player choice.

But I really like the "Advantage/Disadvantage" system, and the 2d4 +7. I will add these as player choice.

 

[Syntallah]

Standard array or point buy from the book. Player choice.

But I really like the "Advantage/Disadvantage" system, and the 2d4 +7. I will add these as player choice.

I use the above, Standard Array or Point Buy, but I did something different this time. I had each player (I have five) roll 4d6, drop the lowest. Then I had each player roll 1d6, and dropped the lowest two. This gave me six scores which I converted into a Point Buy total. Came up with 29 vs the 27 in the book. This way, the players 'rolled' for their stats... but I keep everybody on the same level playing field with the array / points.

I've just seen too much disparity over the years with one player rolling great, and another rolling horrible...