What's the big deal with point buy?

[jcfiala]

How? Most point-buy systems start at base 8...meaning your lowest stat still has to be at least 8. (some DM's allow you to voluntarily go lower, or even trade down for up, but not all)

If you buy a 9 point stat, and have a -2 penalty for racial traits, then you end up with a 7.

 

[Cedric]

Did you miss that on the first reply?

Nah, just felt it was off-topic so I would stick it in its own reply so it stood alone from the point I was trying to make.

I think what the topic is refining itself to, is, that point buy does not guarantee balanced or equal characters as a result, but it does give all players the same opportunity at the start...what they do with it is up to them.

I would agree with that.

 

[Lanefan]

If you buy a 9 point stat, and have a -2 penalty for racial traits, then you end up with a 7.

D'oh! Yep, that would do it. (we put everything on a bell curve, so there's no straight -x or +x by race, so I always forget that aspect of the rules...)

Lanefan

 

[Jedi_Solo]

I think what the topic is refining itself to, is, that point buy does not guarantee balanced or equal characters as a result, but it does give all players the same opportunity at the start...what they do with it is up to them.

And this is why I will always go with point-buy from now on. I will agree that some classes need a little more help in numbers than another.

Point Buy may not be perfectly balanced. But it does ensure more balance than stat rolling may end up allowing. You might still have people hogging the spotlight with point-buy. You might have a "smarter" player better using their fighter than someone else's fighter is being used for.

It isn't perfect. But from my experiences it is better. I know there won't be someone completely dominating a completely different class than they are playing simply because thier stats are THAT much better.

That is enough for me to be completely sold on point buy.

 

[Alceste]

I guess I just can't agree with requiring Point Buy for reasons of "balance." I think it allows some classes to shine, some classes are largely unaffected and a few classes are forced to mediocrity (with a low to average point buy, 28 or so).

But, obviously, you guys are free to play however you choose. And I'll be the first to step up and defend your right to do so.

Games seem to work much, much better for us using point buy. No whining, no superman, no "hopeless" characters, and you make exactly the character you want to make before the game starts but I will defend your right to use rolling if that is what you choose to do in your campaign.

Btw, Paladins can immensely effective on 28 point buys. I have a charisma based one in my Saturday game. Divine might, and divine sacrifice coupled with well timed smites works wonders on mobs. Paladins get to deal nice damage with a shield up so they are not turned into swiss cheese like raging barbarians too. The save bonus helps alot too. Even lay on hands can be used effectively on incorporal undead. Most of our campaigns have had a paladin in them actually.

 

[werk]

I wanted to add, for those that haven't seen it stated before, I use a really high point buy. Largely because, when I used rolled stats (~17 years) I had such a contrived method to help level things out that when I converted some existing characters to point buy, they were really high as well. I wanted to keep that internal consistancy with my players and my personal preference and experiences.

Everyone plays a hero IMC.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I've never used point-buy (in any edition of D&D). We typically use one of the following:

1. 3d6, arrange to taste
2. 3d6, arrange to taste and adjust*
3. 4d6, drop lowest, and arrange to taste

* per the various classic D&D rules

I tend to prefer some randomness over desire for balance. I'm not really against point-buy, I just don't see any compelling reason to use it.

 

[jcfiala]

Personally, I go back and forth between point buy and rolling, but I'm interested in the question between monk and sorcerer.

Let's say we're making a sorcerer and we end up with, oh, 18 12 12 10 10 8. He's going to be pretty powerful with that 18 - nice work.

On the other hand, we could make the Monk with the same numbers and he'd be pretty good too. Throw the 18 into Dex, and take Weapon Finesse, and he's hitting a lot. Put the 12's in Con and Str for a little damage, or Con and Wis for a little extra AC. Alternately, throw the 18 into Strength for the damage and to-hit boost, and concentrate the 12's into Dex and Wis (or Con and Dex) for AC, and keep your eyes out for something AC-boosting (like that sorcerer) that can help you out.

I think a Monk with the same attribute numbers as a sorcerer can do very well - although with point buy he may do a little better by going from 18-12-12 to 16-14-14. (I don't have the exact table here.)

 

[Schmoe]

Point Buy


And I run a high power game so 32 points for PCs

I use point buy for NPCs as well
BBEG 32 point
Henchmen 28 point
Minions 25 point
Mooks straight out of book.

Wow, that's almost identical to the system I use. The only difference is that I don't follow my system strictly for NPCs, sometimes using the elite array or something like that.

Personally, I like point buy because I've seen too many times where players have felt useless throughout long running campaigns due to relatively poor rolls. Point buy starts people out on an equal footing, so if they are feeling useless, they only have their own decisions to blame. There's usually less resentment when you have greater control over your uselessness

 

[Warbringer]

I resently ported my group to trueD+D (blend of true 20 and D+D).

Points is, we went from rolling stats to straight +7 in points (ability to take some -ve values to pump +ve scores). So, in rolling, people freeked if they had "8" in a stat, now they happily drop a sta to -1,-2... Wierd.

Point buy seems to encourage lower stats, which opens great roleplay. Of course, gotta watch the tendancy to load a stat...