D&D 5E Working on a point-buy Class system!

[manduck]

This reminds me a bit of a third party source book for 3E called Buy the Numbers. It took all the class features of every class and assigned xp costs to them. So when players earned xp, they could spend it as they wanted and do some customization. It even included costs for buying attack bonuses, save bonuses and defense. If you can track it down, it may help you out. I know it's for an older edition, though perhaps seeing how someone else assigned value to class featurs could help you with what you're setting out to do.

Though a bit of a warning for you, our group tried this out and found that people ususally just defaulted to building the class or multi-class they like to play anyway. It's anecdotal, I know. Just be aware that some players may just use the points to build the class they like anyway. Which means your hard work may go unused.

 

[dave2008]

This reminds me a bit of a third party source book for 3E called Buy the Numbers. It took all the class features of every class and assigned xp costs to them. So when players earned xp, they could spend it as they wanted and do some customization.

You can get "By the Numbers" by Spencer Cooley on RPG Now as a free download. I just downloaded it - thank you for the suggestion.

 

[Slit518]

Those are some good ideas, referencing that one book.

It could then give me some potential insight into what I am trying to accomplish.

And for caster levels, perhaps I could do spells in several groups instead of per spell level?

So for example natural progression from spells level 1-3 = 10 points

Spells from level 4-6 = 15 points

Spells from level 7-9 = 20 points

Cantrips = 5 points

How does that sound?

 

[FrogReaver]

cant be done. Dnd is balanced around packages and being forced to spend points/xp on lower level abilities you may not necessarily want.

I am working on a point-buy class system. However, I am not quite sure what point values everything should be worth.

I will upload a PDF version of what I have so far, if anyone wants to take a look at it. And for any of you "crunchers" out there, if you want to guage the appropriate point values for said class features, go ahead.

View attachment 82798

 

[Pickles III]

Your model is incoherent at the moment as it does not mention levels. Getting a second attack at 5th level is worth far more than one at 20th level. In fact paying any points for abilities after level 13 or so would be pointless IME.

As Horwarth say you need to gain points per level not get them all up front.

 

[Slit518]

Your model is incoherent at the moment as it does not mention levels. Getting a second attack at 5th level is worth far more than one at 20th level. In fact paying any points for abilities after level 13 or so would be pointless IME.

As Horwarth say you need to gain points per level not get them all up front.

Yes, when I originally made the rules, I had caster levels in mind, and foolishly thought it was a good idea to buy them all upfront as opposed to buying the caster levels at a natural progression.

And of course there would be more points as you leveled up.

I think a good idea would be to lower the starting points to 20-25, and have points per level be 5, with the ability to carry unused points over to a later levels.

 

[dave2008]

cant be done. Dnd is balanced around packages and being forced to spend points/xp on lower level abilities you may not necessarily want.

You could probably handled that through requirements and prerequisites. Possibly combined with some features or traits bundled with others