This is my 5e array. It seems like a lot but to be honest, it balances out with the way I plan and run encounters. Everyone has a better time when players don't feel weak and I can make threats that are bigger than a few locals can handle. The whole game feels better.
Roll x keep y blah blah. Nope. It gets too confusing and too hard to verify online or to balance. I just made an array so good no one will cheat (or can) but everyone will know I want them to be excellent at some things, good at others, and still have need of allies who might be better than them at a few.
I keep random generation for other games and editions. In DnD 5e, I just let them have a great character with enough room to grow, and be able to take Feats instead of ASI.
This one was done with 3d6 - But you could use 4d6 - drop the lowest. They can pick any row/column of stats they want, even the diagonal rows. I rolled pretty crappy on this one.
I typically use that same array method, but instead of picking a column, I allow them to choose the best # of each row, but they need to keep it in order of ST/Dx/Cn/In/Wi/Ch. Using this array as an example, the player would have come out with the following stats:
Points buy definitely is at about the right spot - you get characters that have a couple of decent bonuses, with potential weakness too, which creates a better character for play.
Also, rolling for stats, you risk the situation where someone just gets horrific rolls and someone else gets all the luck, then you have a cleric with 17 strength, because they put both their 18s into wisdom and con and they're a way better fighter than the actual fighter, who got a high roll of 15, which they put into strength. Yes, it's unlikely, but random numbers are just that.
Horrific rolls are easily solvable. You can just allow them to re-roll the whole stack if they get a certain level of crap. Example - "3 rolls under 10", or "no rolls over 12" means auto-reroll.
We have done the 4d6 reroll 1s method for our current campaigns.
I have however been making NPCs using a more powerful array of 16 15 14 13 12 10 and have felt it make strong characters but not overly so. Was even thinking of allowing once you set stats to allow an option where you can subtract 2 from a stat to gain a 1 pt increase somewhere.
Points buy definitely is at about the right spot - you get characters that have a couple of decent bonuses, with potential weakness too, which creates a better character for play.
Also, rolling for stats, you risk the situation where someone just gets horrific rolls and someone else gets all the luck, then you have a cleric with 17 strength, because they put both their 18s into wisdom and con and they're a way better fighter than the actual fighter, who got a high roll of 15, which they put into strength. Yes, it's unlikely, but random numbers are just that.
Horrific rolls are easily solvable. You can just allow them to re-roll the whole stack if they get a certain level of crap. Example - "3 rolls under 10", or "no rolls over 12" means auto-reroll.
Alternatively, you can solve horrible rolls by saying, "You chose to roll, you accept the consequences." *evil grin*
Points buy definitely is at about the right spot - you get characters that have a couple of decent bonuses, with potential weakness too, which creates a better character for play.
Also, rolling for stats, you risk the situation where someone just gets horrific rolls and someone else gets all the luck, then you have a cleric with 17 strength, because they put both their 18s into wisdom and con and they're a way better fighter than the actual fighter, who got a high roll of 15, which they put into strength. Yes, it's unlikely, but random numbers are just that.
Horrific rolls are easily solvable. You can just allow them to re-roll the whole stack if they get a certain level of crap. Example - "3 rolls under 10", or "no rolls over 12" means auto-reroll.
Alternatively, you can solve horrible rolls by saying, "You chose to roll, you accept the consequences." *evil grin*
Assuming you were given the option. I've had games where we asked to use point buy, were told we had to buy, my wife rolled awfully and it was still "too bad accept the consequences". Don't be that guy.
4d6, drop low roll. Arrange them how you want. Usually I say all of your bonuses added together have to be a positive number (zero does not count as positive) and/or you need one score at or above a 14. (I feel like that was a 3e rule, maybe?) Anything less and I assume that guy decided to go be a farmer. It does help, in a meta-game way, to show how exceptional PCs are. Even the help of an extra dice can generate at or below average scores a lot of the time.
2. role 6 D20's and keep the score on the die... if it is a natural 1 then you have to manually override the score and make it a 1 and same goes with natural 20's
it is a high risk high reward type of deal but I think it adds a lot more fun then the 4D6
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“Games give you a chance to excel, and if you're playing in good company you don't even mind if you lose because you had the enjoyment of the company during the course of the game.” ― Gary Gygax
In my group, I like to play on the low-end of the power curve. So they have 21 points to split. All attributes start at 8, and they can only pass 15 with racial bonuses.
They can allocate only 18 points if they want to start with a feat at level 1.
They also roll for hp on level 1.
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“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.” ― Bram Stoker, Dracula
I used to be an ass about it and not let anyone roll for stats. I figured 5e had so many opportunities for stat increase (unlike old ad&d days) that it just made sense and kept everything fair.
After a while I got to thinking... my biggest problem with rolling stats is that Player 1 would have god stats while player 3 had some total fecal matter for his.
Now I have all players roll a set of stats using 4d6(drop). Then I let them all discuss who's array they all want to use, and they can arrange them however they want. This way, the balance issue is only between the players and the system (easily fixed by me) and not between each other.
I like this. My players liked this. And I believe it's how my next campaign will be as well.
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...cryptographic randomness!
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18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, before racial mods.
This is my 5e array. It seems like a lot but to be honest, it balances out with the way I plan and run encounters. Everyone has a better time when players don't feel weak and I can make threats that are bigger than a few locals can handle. The whole game feels better.
Roll x keep y blah blah. Nope. It gets too confusing and too hard to verify online or to balance. I just made an array so good no one will cheat (or can) but everyone will know I want them to be excellent at some things, good at others, and still have need of allies who might be better than them at a few.
I keep random generation for other games and editions. In DnD 5e, I just let them have a great character with enough room to grow, and be able to take Feats instead of ASI.
I typically use that same array method, but instead of picking a column, I allow them to choose the best # of each row, but they need to keep it in order of ST/Dx/Cn/In/Wi/Ch. Using this array as an example, the player would have come out with the following stats:
St: 13, Dx: 15, Con: 13, Int: 13, Wis: 16, Cha: 13
Each player would roll their own array in the moment - basically 3d6, six times for each stat.
Horrific rolls are easily solvable. You can just allow them to re-roll the whole stack if they get a certain level of crap. Example - "3 rolls under 10", or "no rolls over 12" means auto-reroll.
We have done the 4d6 reroll 1s method for our current campaigns.
I have however been making NPCs using a more powerful array of 16 15 14 13 12 10 and have felt it make strong characters but not overly so. Was even thinking of allowing once you set stats to allow an option where you can subtract 2 from a stat to gain a 1 pt increase somewhere.
Alternatively, you can solve horrible rolls by saying, "You chose to roll, you accept the consequences." *evil grin*
Assuming you were given the option. I've had games where we asked to use point buy, were told we had to buy, my wife rolled awfully and it was still "too bad accept the consequences". Don't be that guy.
4d6, drop low roll. Arrange them how you want. Usually I say all of your bonuses added together have to be a positive number (zero does not count as positive) and/or you need one score at or above a 14. (I feel like that was a 3e rule, maybe?) Anything less and I assume that guy decided to go be a farmer. It does help, in a meta-game way, to show how exceptional PCs are. Even the help of an extra dice can generate at or below average scores a lot of the time.
I give my players a choice...
1. 4d6 and drop the lowest and do that 6 times
OR my homebrew rule
2. role 6 D20's and keep the score on the die... if it is a natural 1 then you have to manually override the score and make it a 1 and same goes with natural 20's
it is a high risk high reward type of deal but I think it adds a lot more fun then the 4D6
“Games give you a chance to excel, and if you're playing in good company you don't even mind if you lose because you had the enjoyment of the company during the course of the game.” ― Gary Gygax
In my group, I like to play on the low-end of the power curve. So they have 21 points to split. All attributes start at 8, and they can only pass 15 with racial bonuses.
They can allocate only 18 points if they want to start with a feat at level 1.
They also roll for hp on level 1.
“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air.”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula
I used to be an ass about it and not let anyone roll for stats. I figured 5e had so many opportunities for stat increase (unlike old ad&d days) that it just made sense and kept everything fair.
After a while I got to thinking... my biggest problem with rolling stats is that Player 1 would have god stats while player 3 had some total fecal matter for his.
Now I have all players roll a set of stats using 4d6(drop).
Then I let them all discuss who's array they all want to use, and they can arrange them however they want.
This way, the balance issue is only between the players and the system (easily fixed by me) and not between each other.
I like this. My players liked this. And I believe it's how my next campaign will be as well.
...cryptographic randomness!