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<blockquote data-quote="Snarf Zagyg" data-source="post: 9088354" data-attributes="member: 7023840">So this is mostly correct, but additional context is helpful.OD&amp;D used the &quot;standard&quot; 3d6 (see also Holmes Basic at 5). When AD&amp;D was released, the PHB didn't actually provide any method of rolling attributes. This was in the summer of 1978. Instead, it simply said that the DMG would have ways of rolling stats. So for an entire year, the &quot;default&quot; method of rolling stats in AD&amp;D continued to be 3d6, in order. Because AD&amp;D was just a continuation/expansion/codification of OD&amp;D. The DMG then presents ways of rolling characters- it starts by acknowledging that rolling 3d6 is the defaults, but says that this tends to generate &quot;rather marginal characters ....&quot; It then recommends four variant systems (Methods I-IV) as variants. &quot;Four alternatives are offered for player characters:&quot;Method I is the famous 4d6k1 that became widespread, but these were variant methods. So in context and at the time, it's more accurate to say that there was a baseline of 3d6 in order, but AD&amp;D was providing numerous recommended alternatives. You often will see a schism between people who played OD&amp;D and transitioned to AD&amp;D (using 3d6 in order) and those who started with AD&amp;D.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Snarf Zagyg, post: 9088354, member: 7023840"] So this is mostly correct, but additional context is helpful. OD&D used the "standard" 3d6 (see also Holmes Basic at 5). When AD&D was released, the PHB didn't actually provide any method of rolling attributes. This was in the summer of 1978. Instead, it simply said that the DMG would have ways of rolling stats. So for an entire year, the "default" method of rolling stats in AD&D continued to be 3d6, in order. Because AD&D was just a continuation/expansion/codification of OD&D. The DMG then presents ways of rolling characters- it starts by acknowledging that rolling 3d6 is the defaults, but says that this tends to generate "rather marginal characters ...." It then recommends four variant systems (Methods I-IV) as variants. "Four [U]alternatives[/U] are offered for player characters:" Method I is the famous 4d6k1 that became widespread, but these were variant methods. So in context and at the time, it's more accurate to say that there was a baseline of 3d6 in order, but AD&D was providing numerous recommended alternatives. You often will see a schism between people who played OD&D and transitioned to AD&D (using 3d6 in order) and those who started with AD&D. [/QUOTE]

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