Starting array

[Officer Joy]

So I might DM next month and I wonder if my idea for the starting abilities is okay.

I personally find giving everyone the same starting array boring, and letting everyone throw too random, and point-buy too limiting/too min-maxy

So I made 8 starting arrays and will let the throw a d8 to see which they get before they choose their race.


1. 15 15 13 13 11 11
+2 +2 +1 +1 0 0

2. 15 15 15 12 11 10
+2 +2 +2 +1 0 0

3. 16 14 13 12 10 10
+3 +2 +1 +1 +0 +0

4. 16 15 13 12 10 9
+3 +2 +1 +1 +0 -1

5. 16 16 13 13 9 8
+3 +3 +1 +1 -1 -1

6. 17 15 14 11 8 8
+3 +2 +2 +0 -1 -1

7. 17 16 13 10 9 8
+3 +3 +1 +0 -1 -1

8. 18 14 11 11 10 7
+4 +2 +0 +0 +0 -2



Is it a workable idea?
Are they balanced?

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Frankly, I would say this has some problems.

Firstly, while they all add up to about the same Pb total*, the total modifiers vary quite greatly. For example, a character using array 3 is flat out superior to a character using array 1 or 4. While they will even out at later levels, but I'd say getting screwed by the dice is a much larger problem at low levels anyway.

Secondly, your roll may punish you for picking a certain race or class. For example, array 8 screws over the more MAD classes (and anyone whose character concept does not include the words `monomaniacal obsessive`), such as Paladins or Monks, while the arrays heavy on odd or even numbers reward and punish certain race choices.

Frankly, I don't see any great advantage to this over rolling or point buy - you have the same randomness and early-game imbalance as rolling, and can easily end up with characters far more lopsided than point buy (remember, by-the-book point buy in 5e does not allow scores above 15, so you have to diversify to some extent).

If you're set on this system, consider allowing players to choose which array to use.

*Using the 1d8.blogspot pb calculator (http://1d8.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/point-buy-calculator-for-d-next-5e.html), which extrapolates to scores above 15, I get totals of 33ish for all arrays, assuming a score of 7 to be worth -1 points.

[Officer Joy]

Maybe you have a point in letting everyone just choose the array they want.