Me and my friend group has played a few short and casual campaigns recently but now i'm starting to make a more serious campaign and wonder how you roll stats. Earlier we have just rolled a d20 but i have also seen the roll 4d6 thing so i just wonder what you think is better.
Mathematically, 4d6 drop lowest is superior. Your average stat is something like 12.3. The deviation within the rolls is also lower - you will typically end up with a clustered stat spread, with some higher numbers, some lower numbers, and a lot in the middle.
The average for 1d20 is 10.5, but, because you are not using multiple dice, the results will be far more inconsistent. It is much more likely to end up with a character that has a bunch of really high or really low stats, resulting in characters that are all over the place. This can easily result in huge power disparities between players or even completely unusable characters.
I do not think there is any real question about it - 4d6 drop lowest is a vastly superior method.
It depend what is expected for the campaign in terms of stats. I've been in campaigns where ability scores generation was 4d6 drop lowest , 3d6 reroll 1, 3d6 and other variations.
I've seen a suggestion that your roll six sets, then you take any line of six (you could take the top row, left hand column, diagonal, right hand column, etc), then the next player etc. You can't take a line already taken. It could be interesting, but I could see a hierarchy of stats forming though.
Personally, in campaigns with people that.I know and trust me, I roll 4d6 and keep the three best. If I'm doing a one-shot with people not so close to me (or joining their campaign), I'll do Point-Buy so I can prove my entire build and show I'm not cheating. I've never been asked about cheating...but it's just something I like to do.
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We've done 2d6 + 6 in the past as well, to make sure you have at least half decent characters (lowest possible is a 8, but can go up to a 18 as normal), however, this does tend to skew stats higher. It works if that's the kind of game you're going for, but we've moved away from roll in general now. Now we typically do an 'expanded' array (17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8), so you still get a couple of good stats, but still have the weaker side of things too.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I've seen a suggestion that your roll six sets, then you take any line of six (you could take the top row, left hand column, diagonal, right hand column, etc), then the next player etc. You can't take a line already taken. It could be interesting, but I could see a hierarchy of stats forming though.
Personally, in campaigns with people that.I know and trust me, I roll 4d6 and keep the three best. If I'm doing a one-shot with people not so close to me (or joining their campaign), I'll do Point-Buy so I can prove my entire build and show I'm not cheating. I've never been asked about cheating...but it's just something I like to do.
I have never played in a game where the DM lets you pick between rolling or taking point buy.
My current campaign, we did 4d5+3, drop the lowest d5. Gives a minimum stat of 6 while compressing the bell curve but not changing it too much. Yes, you're a twice as likely to get an 18, but it is still not all that likely. A similar approach is to do 4d6, drop the lowest, and treat any 1's as 2's, but the bell curve is slightly more weighted towards the low end (very, very slightly) and I find it more fun to pull out the d5s that no one ever uses. Of course, you can always roll d10s and halve them, but it just isn't the same as using the literally odd dice.
This idea came from having the d5's combined with decades of watching people roll 4d6, drop lowest, and toss aside the set because it had two scores lower than 9. My players don't mind playing with stat flaws, but having two negative modifiers doesn't feel heroic.
My current campaign, we did 4d5+3, drop the lowest d5. Gives a minimum stat of 6 while compressing the bell curve but not changing it too much. Yes, you're a twice as likely to get an 18, but it is still not all that likely. A similar approach is to do 4d6, drop the lowest, and treat any 1's as 2's, but the bell curve is slightly more weighted towards the low end (very, very slightly) and I find it more fun to pull out the d5s that no one ever uses. Of course, you can always roll d10s and halve them, but it just isn't the same as using the literally odd dice.
This idea came from having the d5's combined with decades of watching people roll 4d6, drop lowest, and toss aside the set because it had two scores lower than 9. My players don't mind playing with stat flaws, but having two negative modifiers doesn't feel heroic.
I had D&D Beyond once give me all negatives. The biggest issue with rolling for stats usually comes up with determining how someone can reroll and minimizing the need to reroll. Rolling for stats can be fine in a one shot or a game where a character is expected to die frequently. In games that are going to last 2-3+ years,
So what I've found to be fair is doing 4d6, drop the lowest. The caveat to the rule is that everyone at the table rolls in the open, we then catalog the sets of rolls and the table chooses which set they will all use. That way all players are still going in with the same stat pool, but you still have the fun of rolling click clacks. If there is a golden god type set of stat rolls, everyone gets to be a golden god. If they all spurn the rolled stats, then it's just point buy and everyone still has access to the same numbers.
So what I've found to be fair is doing 4d6, drop the lowest. The caveat to the rule is that everyone at the table rolls in the open, we then catalog the sets of rolls and the table chooses which set they will all use. That way all players are still going in with the same stat pool, but you still have the fun of rolling click clacks. If there is a golden god type set of stat rolls, everyone gets to be a golden god. If they all spurn the rolled stats, then it's just point buy and everyone still has access to the same numbers.
Me and my friend group has played a few short and casual campaigns recently but now i'm starting to make a more serious campaign and wonder how you roll stats. Earlier we have just rolled a d20 but i have also seen the roll 4d6 thing so i just wonder what you think is better.
Me and my friend group has played a few short and casual campaigns recently but now i'm starting to make a more serious campaign and wonder how you roll stats. Earlier we have just rolled a d20 but i have also seen the roll 4d6 thing so i just wonder what you think is better.
The classic 1st edition method:
4d4 reroll 1s then drop the lowest.
Umm. Has the amount of time passed since I did 1E made me forget? What page number is that on?
I've seen a suggestion that your roll six sets, then you take any line of six (you could take the top row, left hand column, diagonal, right hand column, etc), then the next player etc. You can't take a line already taken. It could be interesting, but I could see a hierarchy of stats forming though.
Personally, in campaigns with people that.I know and trust me, I roll 4d6 and keep the three best. If I'm doing a one-shot with people not so close to me (or joining their campaign), I'll do Point-Buy so I can prove my entire build and show I'm not cheating. I've never been asked about cheating...but it's just something I like to do.
I have never played in a game where the DM lets you pick between rolling or taking point buy.
When my LGS was doing one-shots, they never bothered to ask about how you got stats. Just turn up with a filled out character sheet and you're golden. In my campaigns, I'm happy for people to either Point-Buy or Standard Array. I'm also happy with rolling, but I ask them to do it with us present (so if it's high, we're all assured that it's genuine luck), so in practice that means you have to be there for session 0. I've never been in a campaign or even a game that mandated that I use any particular method of stat generation.
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Me and my friend group has played a few short and casual campaigns recently but now i'm starting to make a more serious campaign and wonder how you roll stats. Earlier we have just rolled a d20 but i have also seen the roll 4d6 thing so i just wonder what you think is better.
Mathematically, 4d6 drop lowest is superior. Your average stat is something like 12.3. The deviation within the rolls is also lower - you will typically end up with a clustered stat spread, with some higher numbers, some lower numbers, and a lot in the middle.
The average for 1d20 is 10.5, but, because you are not using multiple dice, the results will be far more inconsistent. It is much more likely to end up with a character that has a bunch of really high or really low stats, resulting in characters that are all over the place. This can easily result in huge power disparities between players or even completely unusable characters.
I do not think there is any real question about it - 4d6 drop lowest is a vastly superior method.
It depend what is expected for the campaign in terms of stats. I've been in campaigns where ability scores generation was 4d6 drop lowest , 3d6 reroll 1, 3d6 and other variations.
There is no good way to roll stats.
Roll 4d6 and drop the lowest is probably best. But I've also seen people do two sets and you get to chose one.
Either way you are always dealing with someone having really high stats and someone else who is barely playable.
Or D&D Beyond just gives you only scores below 10 (thankfully I was the DM and it was just for an NPC)
I've seen a suggestion that your roll six sets, then you take any line of six (you could take the top row, left hand column, diagonal, right hand column, etc), then the next player etc. You can't take a line already taken. It could be interesting, but I could see a hierarchy of stats forming though.
Personally, in campaigns with people that.I know and trust me, I roll 4d6 and keep the three best. If I'm doing a one-shot with people not so close to me (or joining their campaign), I'll do Point-Buy so I can prove my entire build and show I'm not cheating. I've never been asked about cheating...but it's just something I like to do.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
We've done 2d6 + 6 in the past as well, to make sure you have at least half decent characters (lowest possible is a 8, but can go up to a 18 as normal), however, this does tend to skew stats higher. It works if that's the kind of game you're going for, but we've moved away from roll in general now. Now we typically do an 'expanded' array (17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8), so you still get a couple of good stats, but still have the weaker side of things too.
The minimum for 2d6+6 would be 8?
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I know how to do maths. lol
Thanks, I've fixed it.
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CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
I have never played in a game where the DM lets you pick between rolling or taking point buy.
My current campaign, we did 4d5+3, drop the lowest d5. Gives a minimum stat of 6 while compressing the bell curve but not changing it too much. Yes, you're a twice as likely to get an 18, but it is still not all that likely. A similar approach is to do 4d6, drop the lowest, and treat any 1's as 2's, but the bell curve is slightly more weighted towards the low end (very, very slightly) and I find it more fun to pull out the d5s that no one ever uses. Of course, you can always roll d10s and halve them, but it just isn't the same as using the literally odd dice.
This idea came from having the d5's combined with decades of watching people roll 4d6, drop lowest, and toss aside the set because it had two scores lower than 9. My players don't mind playing with stat flaws, but having two negative modifiers doesn't feel heroic.
I had D&D Beyond once give me all negatives. The biggest issue with rolling for stats usually comes up with determining how someone can reroll and minimizing the need to reroll. Rolling for stats can be fine in a one shot or a game where a character is expected to die frequently. In games that are going to last 2-3+ years,
Found a fun way to roll recently. Roll 3d20, drop lowest and take the mean value of the remaining 2 rounding down.
An even better way is to roll 10d6 and drop the lowest 7. This of course assumes that you don't have 11d6 at your disposal. 🤣 (I don't like point buy)
So what I've found to be fair is doing 4d6, drop the lowest. The caveat to the rule is that everyone at the table rolls in the open, we then catalog the sets of rolls and the table chooses which set they will all use. That way all players are still going in with the same stat pool, but you still have the fun of rolling click clacks. If there is a golden god type set of stat rolls, everyone gets to be a golden god. If they all spurn the rolled stats, then it's just point buy and everyone still has access to the same numbers.
That's pretty good. 👍
The classic 1st edition method:
4d4 reroll 1s then drop the lowest.
Umm. Has the amount of time passed since I did 1E made me forget? What page number is that on?
No Gaming is Better than Bad Gaming.
the rare times ive run it ive had the players do 4d6 drop the lowest and reroll 1s, or if you roll less than a 7 reroll the whole thing
When my LGS was doing one-shots, they never bothered to ask about how you got stats. Just turn up with a filled out character sheet and you're golden. In my campaigns, I'm happy for people to either Point-Buy or Standard Array. I'm also happy with rolling, but I ask them to do it with us present (so if it's high, we're all assured that it's genuine luck), so in practice that means you have to be there for session 0. I've never been in a campaign or even a game that mandated that I use any particular method of stat generation.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.