I have two alternative ways of dice rolling. 

The first is simple. Roll 4d6 and drop the lowest dice as usual............but after you have done this 6 times for your stats, you can add +2 to any score (but the adjusted total cannot be more than 17) and you must also subtract two from another score. The total numbers are the same, but they peak more where you want them to be good and are poorer in a less important stat.

The second method is more complicated, but again is likely to give you at least one or two good rolls. Here is how it works. Roll 3d6. That is your first score. If that score is less than 16 add a dice to the next roll (and only keep the highest three dice). If you roll a 16 or more, you drop back to three dice on the next roll and so on.
For example:
roll 1) 1,4,5 =10  (it is less than 16 so add a dice next roll)
roll 2) 1,3,3,5 = 11 (again, less than 16 so add a dice)
roll 3 ) 2,4,5,5,6 = 16 (total is 16 or more so you drop to 3d6 next turn)
roll 4) 1,3,4 = 8 (add a dice next roll)
roll 5 ) 2,3,5,6 = 14 (add a dice roll next roll)
roll 6 ) 1,2,5,6,6 = 17 
So you get 8, 10 11, 14, 16, 17. A very nice score to play with. Because you keep adding dice if you roll on the low side, you can usually get one or two good scores which helps to give you a viable score for character creation.

Quote from Chillearth >>

I have two alternative ways of dice rolling. 

The first is simple. Roll 4d6 and drop the lowest dice as usual............but after you have done this 6 times for your stats, you can add +2 to any score (but the adjusted total cannot be more than 17) and you must also subtract two from another score. The total numbers are the same, but they peak more where you want them to be good and are poorer in a less important stat.

The second method is more complicated, but again is likely to give you at least one or two good rolls. Here is how it works. Roll 3d6. That is your first score. If that score is less than 16 add a dice to the next roll (and only keep the highest three dice). If you roll a 16 or more, you drop back to three dice on the next roll and so on.
For example:
roll 1) 1,4,5 =10  (it is less than 16 so add a dice next roll)
roll 2) 1,3,3,5 = 11 (again, less than 16 so add a dice)
roll 3 ) 2,4,5,5,6 = 16 (total is 16 or more so you drop to 3d6 next turn)
roll 4) 1,3,4 = 8 (add a dice next roll)
roll 5 ) 2,3,5,6 = 14 (add a dice roll next roll)
roll 6 ) 1,2,5,6,6 = 17 
So you get 8, 10 11, 14, 16, 17. A very nice score to play with. Because you keep adding dice if you roll on the low side, you can usually get one or two good scores which helps to give you a viable score for character creation.

 Do you allow adding 1 to 1 score and 1 to another score?  And/Or dropping 1 from 1 score and 1 from another score?

We are talking about my first rolling option. I wouldn't allow your first suggestion as I think it might allow too many good scores. Your second option is not bad at all, though I like a character that has at least one bad stat. If a player pressed me on the second option, I'd be willing to talk about it - situationally, I might allow it.

Epic Roles:

4d6, re-roll 1s, drop the lowest. Then, if your Ability Score Modifiers are less than 8 in total, re-roll the whole set.

The double boost at the stat increase sounds fun.  Kinda a fun idea, could be used with a low stat start to make the characters just better than average , have that extra growth to make them into heroes.

I normally recommend the point buy system, or standard array. But, for those that really want to roll ... I recommend the following roll: (6 times)

3d8 drop the highest + 2d4 keep the highest + 2.

In short, standard 3d8, but I wanted to curb the high rolls.

Mostly 10 through 14 ... with only 1/3 of the rolls being low (8-9) or high (15-17).
If they still can't break 15+, they can switch back to standard array; As point buy is now off the table. What? They wanted to gamble. (~1 in 4 chance to get 15+)

Rough stats:
4%   to get < 8. (crit fail)
16% to get 8 or 9
56% it will be between 10 to 14. (Usually 11 or 12)
18% to get 15, 16, or 17.
6% chance to get 18 or higher. (crit success)
~0% = 5, 21, or 22. (Near impossible ... Good for them!)

So 2-16 plus 1-4 plus 2.  Seems convoluted but it does give the possibility of an extremely high starting stat with exceptional rolls.

Agreed. There's a fair bit of work involved.
I wanted to keep it between 3-5 dice, with 1 or 2 rules (drop high, keep high). But wanted to reward the the player that is risking stat rolling. The impressive numbers are like rolling nat 20s. How many are you actually going to get?

Ex:
3d8     +   2d4   + 2
8, 3, 6 +   3, 1    + 2   = 14
(Just swapped an 8 for a 3.)

By dropping the highest d8, it drops a large portion of the overall total. Making it difficult to reliably get high numbers. (Just waiting for karma to kick in and a player rolls four 20+ stats)
While the 2d4 plus 2, instead of using 2d6, allows more reliable medium boost. As rolling nothing but low numbers will simply kill the mood.

Still allowing a crippling 5, 6, or 7; to spice things up. Providing a humbling weakness, for a DM to poke at. Hopefully encouraging character growth and team play.

Out of 200 test rolls, I lucked out with two 21s, but never a 20, or 22.
I did see the odd 17 or 18, and did get a single 19.
Overall, my test got a lot of "above average" characters, with a single 15+ stat. With exceptions resulting in "only 13 or less" or a rare "multiple 15+".

I think it would be a good option for short campaigns, but if used for along campaign, it would be difficult to completely over shadow other players.

Why you trying to make it so complicated?

The reward for rolling is the chance to get good stats.

Ability scores: 15 11 16 10 15 14

Quote from Wysperra >>

Why you trying to make it so complicated?

The reward for rolling is the chance to get good stats.

Ability scores: 15 11 16 10 15 14

 
Nice array. Let’s see how I do: Ability scores: 11 15 16 11 6 13🤞

I think we maybe both rolled clerics. I’ma go standard human for across the board +1s. How ‘bout you?

Quote from IamSposta >>

I think we maybe both rolled clerics. I’ma go standard human for across the board +1s. How ‘bout you?

 Just reminds me of an npc I rolled up. No stat higher than 12, nothing lower than 10.

Quote from IamSposta >>

I think we maybe both rolled clerics. I’ma go standard human for across the board +1s. How ‘bout you?

 Maybe Monk as I rolled three pretty good stats and with the +1 to everything they become very good.

2d6+1d10, max 18. roll characters until you either have one with 2 15s or one 18. up to two swaps to accomodate class. Basically only the standard races (we tend to chose variant humans or custom lineage humans a lot - we play in a humanocentric world generally)

Quote from Wysperra >>

Why you trying to make it so complicated?

The reward for rolling is the chance to get good stats.

Ability scores: 15 11 16 10 15 14

 You got lucky with three 15+ stats, and no low numbers.

The reason, it's a tad bit complicated, is to reduce the number of rerolls, and a focus on above "average". I've seen too many character rolls with four stats above 16, and many times a player would give up on their character, because they got nothing but bad rolls.

An early post mentioned the whole point on different roll types to either roll high stats or focus a range of stats. Even though I focused on 9 through 15, I never wanted to lock the player into a set range. So I left the full range hoping players would work the extreme rolls into their character development. It's more for a challenge for the player that wants to create a character on the spot, with a bit of randomness, to affect their character development.. (Ex: past injury, trauma, or out right ego striving for perfection)

Quote from IamSposta >>

Quote from Wysperra >>

Why you trying to make it so complicated?

The reward for rolling is the chance to get good stats.

Ability scores: 15 11 16 10 15 14

 
Nice array. Let’s see how I do: Ability scores: 13 12 13 11 17 9🤞

 That's a result I would be happy with. That little extra with the 17.

Quote from Wysperra >>

Quote from IamSposta >>

I think we maybe both rolled clerics. I’ma go standard human for across the board +1s. How ‘bout you?

 Maybe Monk as I rolled three pretty good stats and with the +1 to everything they become very good.

 
👍

I think for me if doing 2 sets of 4d6 drop the lowest, don't give a stat block they can be happy with just use standard array.  If you still want the players to have higher stats you give them a couple to distribute.

I am of the opinion that, unless the player wants low/average stats, heros should be HEROS - so I tell my players to roll til they get a set with nothing lower than a 9 and at least 3 scores of 13+.  That also gives them the basic stats needed to multiclass which most of my players ( and I) do regularly. It also opens up possibilities in feat taking for characters  other than fighters.

IMO, before coming up with all sorts convoluted ways for rolling stats, we should decide what are we even trying to achieve. Consider:

1. Power level - what should the average stat be?

2. Player control - how much should the player be able to change their stats, min/max, etc.

3. Randomness - how much luck factory into the stats.

There are some tradeoffs between those parameters, but for the most part you can decide where each of them should be. There is no universally correct answer - whatever works for your table and your campaign. But actually, let me add -

0. Simplicity - sure, you only roll stats once per character, but it doesn't mean you should bog down this process with endless rolls, rerolls and computations.

Simplicity also have tradeoffs with the other properties, but I would argue you should always choose the simplest possibly that suits your needs.

4d6  drop lowest, standard array and point buy all have the same power level (with average stat of 12 - 12.5 before applying recial improvemens), with rolling opting for high randomness, point buy opting for high player control, and standard array gives up both for the sake of simplicity.

Here are few suggestions you might use:

1. Different power level, high simplicity - use an alternative set array, e.g. (10, 12, 14, 15, 16) (higher power), (12, 14, 16, 17, 18) (epic) or (8, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14) (underpowered).

2. Different power level, high player control - use point buy with different number of points, possibly allow buying a score of 16 for 12 points and 17 for 15 points.

3. Same power level, high player control, some randomness - use point buy, but roll for the number of points 2d6+20 (the average is still 27).

4. Higher power level, high randomness - roll 2d6+6 (average 13, minimum 8, maximum 18), roll 5d6 drop lowest two (average ~15, min 3 - extremely unlikely, max 18)

5. Same power level, high randomness, lower player control - 4d6 drop lowest, roll for each stat independently.

6. Very high randomness - roll 1d20, reroll any result of 1-3 (average 12).

Quote from LotemNS >>

IMO, before coming up with all sorts convoluted ways for rolling stats, we should decide what are we even trying to achieve. Consider:

1. Power level - what should the average stat be?

2. Player control - how much should the player be able to change their stats, min/max, etc.

3. Randomness - how much luck factory into the stats.

There are some tradeoffs between those parameters, but for the most part you can decide where each of them should be. There is no universally correct answer - whatever works for your table and your campaign. But actually, let me add -

0. Simplicity - sure, you only roll stats once per character, but it doesn't mean you should bog down this process with endless rolls, rerolls and computations.

Simplicity also have tradeoffs with the other properties, but I would argue you should always choose the simplest possibly that suits your needs.

4d6  drop lowest, standard array and point buy all have the same power level (with average stat of 12 - 12.5 before applying recial improvemens), with rolling opting for high randomness, point buy opting for high player control, and standard array gives up both for the sake of simplicity.

Here are few suggestions you might use:

1. Different power level, high simplicity - use an alternative set array, e.g. (10, 12, 14, 15, 16) (higher power), (12, 14, 16, 17, 18) (epic) or (8, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14) (underpowered).

2. Different power level, high player control - use point buy with different number of points, possibly allow buying a score of 16 for 12 points and 17 for 15 points.

3. Same power level, high player control, some randomness - use point buy, but roll for the number of points 2d6+20 (the average is still 27).

4. Higher power level, high randomness - roll 2d6+6 (average 13, minimum 8, maximum 18), roll 5d6 drop lowest two (average ~15, min 3 - extremely unlikely, max 18)

5. Same power level, high randomness, lower player control - 4d6 drop lowest, roll for each stat independently.

6. Very high randomness - roll 1d20, reroll any result of 1-3 (average 12).

 That captures a lot of what drives different sta rolling style.  Control, consistency, power level