Rolling stats: 3d6 in fixed order. Granting a boon as a prize?

[Blas_de_Lezo]

I'm giving my players the old school option of rolling 3d6 in fixed order (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha) for his abilities score, in addition to the PHB options. Of course, they're not fools and no sane player would choose this option (a melancholist maybe). Do you think giving a character generated this way some kind of boon (such as a magic item) could balance it?. They will start at 6th level. Any other ideas?

[Strifer]

You could also let them roll 2d6 1d8 in order, might persuade them. What I usually do is have a lower limit (must have an combined total of XX number or reroll) it makes your players feel more satisfied about their character.

[MrBig]

What are you trying to accomplish by providing a straight 3d6-in-order option?

It’s clearly a vastly inferior option to a standard 27 point buy.

3d6 averages 10.5

Point buy average array is (13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12), which means an average stat of 12.5.

In addition, the ‘in-order’ requirement means that they probably can’t pick the class they want, and are forced into whatever the stats are.

So, what are you trying to accomplish?

[polymphus]

Let them roll before everything else -- before race and class. It then becomes a challenge to make the stat block work, rather than "lol my wizard sucks now". I'm not sure whether that was the plan all along, but I've seen DMs run it the other way and it's a mess.

[Cybren]

What are you trying to accomplish by providing a straight 3d6-in-order option?

It’s clearly a vastly inferior option to a standard 27 point buy.

3d6 averages 10.5

Point buy average array is (13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12), which means an average stat of 12.5.

In addition, the ‘in-order’ requirement means that they probably can’t pick the class they want, and are forced into whatever the stats are.

So, what are you trying to accomplish?

One would guess what OP is trying to accomplish is running a 3d6 down the line game.

[Nidgit]

How about adding the vuman racial benefits on top of whatever race they pick? Two extra +1s, an extra skill and a feat could nicely offset things. And if the player's pre-racial stats total less than, say, 70, they get a Rare item of their choice as starting equipment.

[Byke]

From personal experience at a couple of tables....it's a mess.

- Unless you witness every roll...there will be cheating
- There will be someone who legitimately get lucky and get ridiculous stats and will outshine everyone else.
- Kamikaze character...character whose stats force them into a role they dislike, will just keep killing off their character until they roll what is needed to play what they want
- There will be someone who gets unlucky and will hate his character and just not show up anymore

Could go on and on....Unless you have buy in from everyone I would avoid it.

Something we did try was everyone rolled one stat...and all of the player used the same pool of rolled stats. This minimizes the Hero or Zero characters.

[Sigreid]

From personal experience at a couple of tables....it's a mess.

- Unless you witness every roll...there will be cheating
- There will be someone who legitimately get lucky and get ridiculous stats and will outshine everyone else.
- Kamikaze character...character whose stats force them into a role they dislike, will just keep killing off their character until they roll what is needed to play what they want
- There will be someone who gets unlucky and will hate his character and just not show up anymore

Could go on and on....Unless you have buy in from everyone I would avoid it.

Something we did try was everyone rolled one stat...and all of the player used the same pool of rolled stats. This minimizes the Hero or Zero characters.

The OP was very clear that he is thinking of offering this as an option to his players for anyone who wanted to do it for the entertainment value and a boon of some kind to level the playing field a bit. This reminds me of one of the old Ultima games where you could start as a Shepard class, which was clearly inferior to every other option but started with one of the most powerful weapons in the game.

[Breashios]

Our group has had success combining a 3d6 straight down roll with 8 points for point buy to raise any stat up to a maximum of 15.

Simulates you were born one way and then as you grew up you either built upon your strengths or worked to improve areas you were lacking.

Imagine the book nerd who either keeps increasing Int or because he got bullied all the time, worked out to improve his Strength and Con.

While no one complained about the player who rolled high, it did make creating encounters difficult balance-wise. You might want to cap stats at 15 or 16 and then give them an extra point for the point buy of lowest stats for each point lost above that when they roll a 17 or 18.

We pick race before the rolls, but class is chosen last.

[LaserFace]

I once did a kill-dungeon with 3d6 stat generation, and it was hilarious.

I'd recommend that if you're going to do it, you get the whole group in on it. Sure, some of them might luckily get higher scores than someone using a stronger PHB alternative, but they can just as well expect their highest stat to be an 11. There really isn't a good magic item to compensate for something like that; my guess is it will be too weak or too strong. You'd have to tailor-make it to the individual, and then what? Can that character ever lose that magical item (and immediately get crippled)? Does the magic item just effectively make them an average party member (then what did you really accomplish)?

I think if you're going to consider 3d6 down the line, fully embrace it.

[KorvinStarmast]

If you are going to roll 3d6 top to bottom, then I suggest you consider using the original game's "I can trade wis for str" as well. That was part of the 3d6 in order. (From Men and Magic page 10).

Clerics can use strength on a 3 for 1 basis in their prime requisite area (wisdom), for purposes of gaining experience only. Translation: you can trade 3 str points for 1 Wis point

Both fighters and Clerics can use it in their prime requisite areas (strength and wisdom respectively) on a 2 for 1 basis. Trade two int for 1 Wis or 1 Str.
And you could trade 3 wis for 1 str, or 2 wis for 1 int.

The scheme in BECMI was roughly the same, but a lot clearer and more easily understood. (Don't have the text in front of me)

---------------------------

Since this edition has play mechanics based on all stats, you could simply offer any "2 for 1" or 3 for 1" trade for people to adjust stats after the roll.

This is what we often did in OD&D.

Roll 3d6 in order. DM's usually allowed one re-roll. (one 3d6) to replace a bad roll. Worked fine.

As to the boon: I suggest that you offer two free feats to humans, and one free feat to all other than human, if they go 3d6 in order. (That roll of 3 to constitution is a good sign to let that character wander off into the sunset ... )

[Davrix]

As others have said, make sure the whole table is behind this before you do it.

Some suggestions that might make this easier to bare.

Have them roll 4D6 in order as you wish, dropping the low. have them re-roll if they don't have at least two 15's or greater in the array. This still might lead to some really wonky high and low stats on some but you will probably incure less cheating because they will feel like the character wont suck at some things

If that seems like its to powerful have them Roll 3D6 in order but must have at least X number in X stats your choice on the limit

The other thing is yes most definitely have them roll before they select race or character or this will be a huge mess.

[SirSlicksAlot]

My current table did this idea sort of. He offered as an alternate to the normal method 3d6 down the line and you get an extra feat. Afterwards you could pick one stat to re-roll as (4d6 re-roll 1s pick highest 3). I think allowing it as an option is fine if the players agree beforehand.

[the secret fire]

I would suggest that if you want an old-school feel with highly randomized stats, you allow the players the following options:

1) One stat at 18 (before racial mods), everything else 3d6 in order
2) Two stats at 16 (before racial mods), everything else 3d6 in order
3) Three stats at 14 (before racial mods), everything else 3d6 in order

- any stat rolled below 8 is raised to an 8

This should be enough to let the players play the classes they want (including MAD classes) while creating a certain "work with what you've got" dynamic and rediscovering the stat diversity which existed in OD&D (a wizard with 15 STR?! Cool! Muscle wizards are fun!). Yes, it allows SAD classes to potentially start with a 20 in their primary stat, but this is balanced by the distinct possibility of having a bunch of crappy secondary stats (a wizard with 8 CON?! Yikes!).

[GreyBlack]

2d6+6. That's probably the best that they can hope for.