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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Akunin" data-source="post: 104474" data-attributes="member: 15">I can think of two reasons right off the top of my head why it's NOT the best option:  You'll start with 6 Hit Points (only Wizards and Sorcerers will have less than you) and you'll have a +0 BAB.  For Feats and Prestige Classes requiring a minimum BAB, you've just delayed getting them by at least one level.I think you're exaggerating here, or at least I hope you are.  I don't think 99.9% of players would lose a minute of sleep over a thing like that.  I don't blamy your player a bit - if he wanted the 32 skill points, he probably would've taken Rogue at first level.Part of the design philosophy of 3e is that you have to make 'Hard Choices'.  Oftentimes, to gain a benefit, a sacrifice has to be made.  Do I take a level of Fighter and get access ot Specialization, or do I increase Rogue and get another die of Sneak Attack damage?  Do I raise my Cleric level and get access to Fourth-Level spells, or do I add a level of Barbarian to up my Hit Points and fighting skill?  You can't have it both ways.But by swapping them around, you've retroactively changed your character's history.  Maybe that low-leveled Sorcerer had a few close calls and near-death experiences, so he took Toughness to help keep himself alive.  It makes no sense to swap that out at a later level so he can get more Hit Points from a more powerful version of the Feat.  You're not just "optimizing" the character, you're changing some of the fundamental events in his development.Mathematically impure results?  It's not math, and it's not science.  It's a game.  A simulation of fantasy adventures.  Your character is much, much more than stats on a sheet of paper.  I think you're reading much to far into the importance of the numbers that comprise your PC.I don't think the system needs to be created, at all.  When I sit down to make a character, I try to envision what I want that character to be like at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.  I think about what sort of abilities, skills, and Feats I want to develop, and what classes I'd like to take.  It only takes a few minutes, and it helps greatly in building the character concept, and these "goals" give roleplay hooks for the character.  I think many other players do the same or something similar.  Sure, it makes the going tough when you decide to wait for a higher level to take a Feat or class level that would benefit you now, but you always get something else in return for the things you pass up.Not inconsistencies.  Hard Choices.  You can't have everything, so you have to pick and choose when developing a character.  Sometimes, this means sub-optimal Feat and Skill picks.  It's just a part of the game.</blockquote>

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