rolling a character

[yilduz]

How do you roll stats for characters? If you're a DM, how do you have your players roll?

I just like to see what people most often use, and if there are any interesting house rules.

[Glimbur]

I usually point buy.

[Olo Demonsbane]

We aim for overpowered characters...I as a DM have a tendency to optimize the opposition too much.

Roll 4d6 8 times. Erase the 2 lowest scores. You may move up to three points around.

[RagnaroksChosen]

My games used to be
4d6 drop the lowest place where you want but the problem with that is i found players to be way unbalanced... so i started using point buy.

ususaly 32 though ocasionaly 35-40

[Anyr]

Never. I always use a method such as point buy to make sure that each player has the same level of attribute power (assuming proper stat placement, at least). Rolling stats just has too much potential for inequality between characters for me to use it.

[EarFall]

32 point buy, typically...

[Claudius Maximus]

I do the following: Roll 4d6, drop the lowest result. We do this 7 times and take the best 6. I have no justification for this. We've always done it this way, so it has stuck.

[RTGoodman]

For 3.x, I've done it several different ways. I kinda like point buy, but some of my groups hate it. I've used it occasionally, though.

Otherwise, I like to have every player roll the normal 4d6 best three and generate six stats. Then, the players vote on one person's set to be the "party array." That way, it has the randomness of rolling, but everyone's on equal footing. Of course, I also get to use that array for important NPCs and BBEG, so they don't want it to be TOO good... :smallamused:

For one particularly overpowered game a while back, we tried doing 10+1d8 for each stat. I rolled a Half-Orc Monk that had 20 Str, 18 Wis, 17 Dex, and it was pretty fun. Wouldn't do that for a long-term game, though.


For 4E, I just use the normal point-buy/array system. It's what it's designed for, and it works best.

[Glyde]

4d6, add up the three highest dice. You can roll 7 times and get rid of the one you don't want to put into a stat (8 if using Creativity from a homebrew setting of mine). The only reroll is if you reroll the entire set, and you must take the new set.

I am, of course, fairly lenient to terrible rolls (Doesn't happen often with this method). It depends on the situation and the campaign.

[RS14]

I mostly use point buy. When I actually roll, I like to roll stats normally, but keep a point-buy target in mind. I then select random stats with the d6 and add or subtract from them as necessary to approach that target value.

I wrote a script to do this automatically, but seem to have lost it.

[monty]

Usually 32 point buy. A system I've considered is 3d6 (keep 2) +6, but I haven't actually tried it yet.

[Starscream]

I like point buy as well, usually 32-40 depending on the power level I'm going for.

The group I'm DMing at the moment rolled up their characters before I got there, so they did the 4d6 thing. The results were pretty fair though, so no complaints.

[Deepblue706]

In a PbP environment, it seems everyone loves very high-powered games. So, to ensure everyone gets a strong character, I usually do a high point buy (32-36pts) instead of doing a whole bunch of rolling. Because, nobody is going to be satisfied with their first set, and saying "Roll a million times" as a standard will make people feel like they're cheating.

If I'm playing a real game (generally with four players or so), it's 4d6, drop lowest, six times. People with less than an overall +5 may opt to reroll. To those who get above that yet aren't satisfied, I say "Stop being a ninny and just play".

[Cedrass]

My group used to roll 4d6 8 times, and the Dm would usually give away a 16/17/18 if your stats weren't good enough (Which meant having two stats under 13).

Now we're back to point-buy 25 or 27, depends. It's a nice change of pace.

[Sinfire Titan]

3d6+6, drop lowest, no stats below 10 (so reroll until it equals or exceeds 10). I play where the characters are actual exemplars of their races and classes. Enemies use a variant of the Elite Array.

PbP, I often use a 43 point buy.

[lsfreak]

High-powered. 4d6, reroll all 1's and 2's until they are something better, roll 3 possible sets of stats. Drop the lowest and choose from the best of the 3 sets. Lowest stat for me is usually 14, with 2 17s or 18s being normal.

[monty]

Also, one of my DMs just goes with 18/16/14/14/12/10, no rolling or points.

[HMS Invincible]

Choose one: Roll 4d6 and drop lowest.
Standard array.
Once you choose an option, you can't go back.
This is for 4th ed but I've realized that at my level, player skill will matter way more than anything their character sheets lets them do. Also, I can just adjust the encounter so that it's always challengeing for everybody.

[V'icternus]

I always roll 4d6 then drop the lowest. (And then assign them wherever I want)

When I DM, I let my players either do this, or use the basic point-buy (Or an array, but since all are possible with the point-buy, there's not much different).

I always preffered rolling myself, though, because it kinda fits with the idea of D&D. (As in: You're screwed if you don't roll well)

[Sallera]

Well, the current game I'm DMing was the first for almost everyone, so I let the players pick the power level, and they chose high, so it was fairly forgiving. Over the course of the campaign, it's evolved into the (rather excessively convoluted) 4d6, reroll 1s, drop lowest, reroll all if no stat at least 15 method. <<;; If we ever start a new campaign, I'm going back to 4d6 drop lowest for reasons of simplicity. (I'd use point buy, but my players are fond of using rolls wherever possible, and I don't really mind.)

[Quietus]

My group rolls 4d6b3, then chooses whether to keep that set. We can either keep it and move 2 points around, or we can reroll. If we reroll, we can move one point as we like, or reroll. If we reroll for this third set, we have to stick with it. Rerolls due to poor scores don't count.

Next time I run a game, however, I'm going to let players just pick their scores, but if they pick an obscenely good line of scores, they need to justify it with an extremely good backstory.

[tcrudisi]

I play 4e exclusively now, so I have my players just use the regular point buy. However, the other guy who occasionaly DM's uses the "pick your own stats, nothing too outrageous method." We have discovered this means, "three 18's and three 16's before modifiers" is the accepted maximum. Yeah, he likes a bit more powerful characters.

When I, as a player, am supposed to roll my stats, I do what any good player would do: I beg to be allowed to use point buy. Those d6's hate me when it comes to rolling a character. I'll usually get a 14 as my highest and a 5 as my lowest (on 4d6) (with something like 14, 11, 11, 10, 7, 5 as my average with 4d6, take 3). If the DM doesn't allow me to use point buy, I go to one of my two friends who consistently roll extremely well. This usually means I get something akin to 18, 18, 17, 16, 16, 9. Yeah, it might be cheating, but I feel better knowing that their dice are better than mine. :-P

[ghost_warlock]

The last time I played in a non-PbP game that we rolled for stats, one guy ended up with 3 18's, a 17, and two 15's. Everyone else was so annoyed with their terribad rolls the the DM just told everyone to use his rolls! :smallbiggrin:

I always use point buy for my games, usually ranging from 32-40 for 3.5, although I've adopted the 4e point buy method and will be using that from now on for my 3e games.

For the 4e game I'm currently running, I went with a 23-point buy. It's just so much more satisfying for some reason. Someday, when my players and I are familar enough with the system to take off the kid gloves, I'll probably ramp the point buy up to 25 and start the campaign with a boss fight against a lvl 4 or 5 solo. :smallsmile:

[Remmirath]

4d6, drop the lowest, re-roll if it's too awful. I really can't stand point buy or arrays.
Although if we're doing a very high level game (as we are now) it's just pick your stats, on the assumption that the character probably would've made it that far in the first place if they didn't have good stats.

[rayne_dragon]

If I want a heroic party, which I usually do, I have players roll 4d6 drop lowest, arrange to taste. I'm also fond of having average characters with 3d6 arranged to taste, with the option of rerolling one score (if they don't use it making their character they can use it as a once ever reroll during the game). Point buys and arrays are for non-D&D games in my opinion.

As a player I started with 3d6 in order, with the option of dropping 2 points from a score to raise a different score by 1. I also had a game where I rolled d20 for physical ability scores and wound up with a cleric with 20 strength and 18 Con (and 9 wisdom).

My most recent 4th edition game is d10+8, re-roll all your scores until you get a set that makes you happy. I actually took poor strength and con because I wanted a more traditional weak and frail wizard.

Personally find I rolling my stats one of the most enjoyable parts of character creation.

[Kosjsjach]

I don't know how 4e differs from 3.X when it comes to point-buy, but it's my preferred method of stat generation. I understand that dice rolls and random chance is the basis of everything D&D, but those numbers are going to be with you for as long as your character lives (which, if you invest in your characters, you want to be as long as possible). A fun concept, wicked backstory and terrific characterizations are all shot to hell if the d6's happen to dislike you at the beginning.
It also means all the PCs are balanced against each other (and if they're not, it's the players' faults :smallamused:). Giving an array to everyone accomplishes that too, but it hinders customization.

So yeah. 32 point-buy. Simple 4d6-L otherwise.

[Tempest Fennac]

When I'm DMing, I'll either tell the people playing to use Elite Array if it's just going to be a one-shot, or I'll let them roll 4d6 while dropping the lowest or use a 32 Point Buy (the PB option is available if they don't like the stats they rolled).

[Armoury99]

3d6, in order. And you just have to cope. :smallsmile:

That's my 2e/3e standard, although I do allow characters with total mods of less that +1 reroll if they want. Obviously if I want a more high-powered campagin, I'd do something different.

4e is a different principle, and I'm not quite cruel enough to use the method above. So much hangs on the bonuses that point buy is the way to go in 4e.

[ZeroNumerous]

I usually use 2d6+6 seven times, drop the lowest.

[Farlion]

My players get to distribute the following Attributes:

16
15
14
12
10
8

It's essentially like a 32 Pointbuy system, just a little more balanced (i.e. no 18).

And yes, my campaign level is set accordingly. Villagers have 10 on all attributes expect one 12 and one 8 (mostly).

Cheers,
Farlion

[B0nd07]

The group I play with has pretty much always used 4d6, re-rolling ones and dropping the lowest die. We'll sometimes re-roll terrible rolls, or if we don't like the results, but usually only once. We did do a point buy once a long time ago. 32 point, if memory serves.

[Satyr]

For Serpents and Sewers, I normally make use of three fixed settings of ability scores for Player characters. Every player chose one of the settings and distribute the scores as ever he or she wants wants.

Score one “standard”: 16, 16, 14, 14, 12 10

Score two “focused”: 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8

Score three “universalist”: 14,14, 14, 14, 14, 14

Ability modifiers per species or background trait are distributed afterwards.

Alternatively, a player may chose to roll 2d6+6 for seven times and distribute the results at will.

[AngelOmnipotent]

I usually do the standard 4d6 drop the lowest, rerolling the lowest number out of the 6 but keeping its result if you do.

For a slightly higher game I give the players an option of 8 extra point buy, or 8 extra skill points on top of that.

If I'm feeling REALLY generous, I let them roll 5d6 drop the lowest 2.

[V'icternus]

Oh, and something I forgot with my way of rolling/having my players roll.

Their total modifier cannot be +9 or higher. +8 is the highest you can go. Anything more, and you have to re-roll. Also, the lowest your total modifier can be is +4. (Otherwise, you're underpowered).

This is before Racial bonuses of course. (So in the end, in 4e, people usually have +10, or +9 if they're human)

I find it keeps the balance nicely.

[Blackjackg]

As a DM, I don't think I've ever done it the same way twice. I've used the 4d6 method (six rolls, no do-overs) once, once a modified point buy where they start at zero and have 75 points to split up, and once a 28-point buy. For my next campaign, I'll probably do a 32- or 35-point buy system, since it'll probably be relatively high-powered.

I'm also tempted to try out the "score set" method, probably with an 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8... which I guess comes out to a 38-point buy, but lacks some of the flexibility.

[shadzar]

6d4 drop the lowest and highest. 1d6 (see below)
Place in any order.

I favor this method.

You still have a chance for getting a low score, but the lowest you would get is a 4 rather than a 3.

Also removes those 17-18's. (naturally speaking)

For those still bad rolls you can add the 1d6 roll to any number of stats, none of which can exceed 18.