"The point of rolling is to get something I wouldn't think to do normally. I like building characters, and like having new things to solve."
Question: what would you think of
Roll 4d6, discard lowest, add remainder. If total is greater than 15, discard score and roll over.
If you truly arent interested in 4d6 to get stats higher thsn point buy (which maxes out at 15) , would you accept a rule from dm that said you cant roll higher than a 15?
Point Buy also minimizes at 8, so if you're trying to emulate point buy, would the "no roll higher than 15" rule also come with a second rule which says "no roll lower than 6"?
No problem. You want variation, then roll 4d6 and then remove the HIGHEST. That will give you the precise same amount of customizing, RP, or whatever you want as the method you support.
So it's an either/or thing now?
There all kinds of people who tell me about how 4d6 allows for all kinds of variation and customizing options and RP opportunities compared to the fair and balanced methods of creating a char. Those same people grow very quiet when I suggest that the 4d6 method, but removing the highest, provides them all things that 4d6 remove the lowest does.
4d6 drop lowest results in an average of a little over 12, with 13 your most common number. Something that is not great, but still on the lower end of playable and means with standard deviations you are likely to see something playable for your primary stat. 4d6 drop highest puts your most common number at an 8 - the lowest possible score on point buy. That makes it extremely likely someone ends up with unplayable stats and no playable primary attribute.
Sure, it gives you random stats - but it gives you statistically unplayable stats, likely even eclipsed by standard array. Mathematically your idea is not a very good one. It does not add anything 4d6 drop lowest does not already do, and does the same thing in a way that is statistically terrible for players.
"4d6 drop lowest puts your most common number at an 8"
Uhm, i dont think so.
Your statistical average is.somewhere around 12 or 13.
Also, rolling 6 times means you have average high score of 16. If you roll 4d6 drop lowest and repeat six times, your highest ability scroe, out of all six scores, on average, is a 16.
Thats on average. And you do have a smaller chance of your highest score being a 17. I think its like 30%. And you have like a sliver of a chance (5% i think) of your highest star being an 18.
"4d6 drop lowest puts your most common number at an 8"
Uhm, i dont think so.
As is obvious from context, that was supposed to be “highest” and sleep deprivation/habit of writing the more common system took over. I have since corrected the post. The numbers are, however, correct - 4d6 drop highest gives you a mode of 8, and an average of 8.76, and standard deviation a bit over 2. That does not lend itself to a viable stat spread.
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Point Buy also minimizes at 8, so if you're trying to emulate point buy, would the "no roll higher than 15" rule also come with a second rule which says "no roll lower than 6"?
4d6 drop lowest results in an average of a little over 12, with 13 your most common number. Something that is not great, but still on the lower end of playable and means with standard deviations you are likely to see something playable for your primary stat. 4d6 drop highest puts your most common number at an 8 - the lowest possible score on point buy. That makes it extremely likely someone ends up with unplayable stats and no playable primary attribute.
Sure, it gives you random stats - but it gives you statistically unplayable stats, likely even eclipsed by standard array. Mathematically your idea is not a very good one. It does not add anything 4d6 drop lowest does not already do, and does the same thing in a way that is statistically terrible for players.
"4d6 drop lowest puts your most common number at an 8"
Uhm, i dont think so.
Your statistical average is.somewhere around 12 or 13.
Also, rolling 6 times means you have average high score of 16. If you roll 4d6 drop lowest and repeat six times, your highest ability scroe, out of all six scores, on average, is a 16.
Thats on average. And you do have a smaller chance of your highest score being a 17. I think its like 30%. And you have like a sliver of a chance (5% i think) of your highest star being an 18.
As is obvious from context, that was supposed to be “highest” and sleep deprivation/habit of writing the more common system took over. I have since corrected the post. The numbers are, however, correct - 4d6 drop highest gives you a mode of 8, and an average of 8.76, and standard deviation a bit over 2. That does not lend itself to a viable stat spread.