Did rolling for stats ever give you a character you despised or loved?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

For the first 5e campaign I was in, and still am, the DM had us roll 4D6, drop the lowest, and that was your stat going down the sheet. Then we rolled for things like height and weight and I think even race!

The results were sort of a blessing in disguise for me. From the 3.5 days and Badlur's Gate I always picked some combination of Ranger / Fighter. This time I ended up with a Dex and Charisma based 5'1" elf female and I picked Bard because it just seemed even more different than Sorcerer and the Warlock mechanics seemed strange.

In hindsight the lack of strength I could have worked around with a fighter but the 5'1" charismatic elf just made me think of a prettier tiny Logolas lol. I was bummed!

Inspired by Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars while driving to daycare I thunk up a backstory which the DM has used a couple times for plot hooks though which make up for my poor role playing lol. Between elven snootiness, the backstory and their long long life compared to humans though I get some witty, for me anyways, banter though.

For the longest time my character has held her own in combat. Thanks to getting possessed by some ghost or spirit I even got to try some PVP w/o upsetting the party and level 3 Bards do ok until your opponents grapple you up and cluelessly waterboard you unconscious to get rid of the spirit lol. The last two or three sessions at levels 6 and 7 I feel like she is even kicking some bad guy butt and upsetting the DM with Counterspell and Polymorph!

Any of you all have similar stories of rolled characters you didn't think would work out which did? Or 4D6, drop the lowest, stats you just couldn't make work? Or parties where everyone rolled the same Wisdom based character?

[ImproperJustice]

For what it’s worth, Gary Guygax was once interviewed and asked about the whole roll stats in order concept.

He was quick to point out that he never wrote it that way in the rules and that he was suprised people inferred that as the primary method.

I think his response was something to the effect of how it would be impossible to create effective characters or some such.....

That being said.

I have had fun playing Traveler which used an incredibly random character set up, and in some versions you could die in character creation as you biild your history / back story.

I like one character generated using this method so much (a simple space vagabond), that I later imported him to D&D, Savage Worlds, Rifts, and even a supers game.

[Lance Tankmen]

I DM and have people roll 4d6 remove the lowest but place where ever they want. But they also pick race and class before hand as that's how the book paints it. I've had a few people when they came to roll up their first character say they were gonna play paladin or monk if they rolled well but then I had to stop em and say no you pick your class first. So without rolling yet it sort of influences some people's choices. Another guy for the first group I ever DMed for he thought he could roll without me being there. Sure enough he had like 3 18s a 16 a 15 and a 14. Told him to reroll then found out he rolled 6 times n picked the best... the next character had a 18 and the lowest was a 7. He "retired" cause clerics aren't fun. But yeah otherwise nothing major with people rolling

[Ganymede]

I rolled an abysmal character back in 1e, with his worst stat being a 6 in dexterity.

Thankfully, that birthed Durable Slowstone, one if my most memorable characters.

[Avonar]

Not only can rolling give you higher stats, it can also give you lower ones which can be just as fun. I was playing a Ranger from a forest clan who ended up with 5 charisma. Infiltrating an auction made for an interesting time.

[Lombra]

The only problem I had is that all other players rolled way better than me, my character is on the averagely unoptimized side while others' got ther 20s in their primary start relatively early. The wizard started with 20 int and the sorcerer with 19 charisma (post racial obviously) while the rogue had a normal 16, but since I wanted to play a shadow monk tiefling (my bad for not wanting to play a wood elf I suppose >_>), I ended up starting with 14/14 in wisdom and dexterity, and 12 in constitution. Needless to say that I feel like an average joe compared to the others.

On the plus side the dice rolled in game favor lots of shenanigans for my character.

[JellyPooga]

One character that comes to mind for me is from a 1ed WHFRP game I was involved in.

The initial chatacter concept was for a herbalist/hermit type dude that was aiming at becoming a druid. A thinker, not a fighter. The stats rolled and this guy turned out to be strong as an ox and twice as tough. I played him as a Beorn-like character; a gentle giant with a old head on young shoulders, but a terrible wrath should he become angry. It was a great experience being guided down a different path than I originally conceived.

[Uzgul]

I play at an open table with a strange way of rolling. First you create a complete character at lv 3. Then you roll for stats in order.
I got a Lizardfolk Spore Druid with 11 con and 12 wis, but 18 str. Picked up a shield and went into melee with my bite attack. Spore Druid gives me enough Temp HP to survive. At level 4 I picked tavern brawler.

Now I have a alien minded Spore Druid, who bites his enemies to death while poisoning them with spores. Or grappling them and then dragging them through the edge of Spike Growth.

Pretty sure I would have never played this character with point buy.

That's why I love rolling for stats in order. You often end up with interesting characters or builds, that you hadn't considered otherwise.

[Davrix]

I DM and have people roll 4d6 remove the lowest but place where ever they want. But they also pick race and class before hand as that's how the book paints it. I've had a few people when they came to roll up their first character say they were gonna play paladin or monk if they rolled well but then I had to stop em and say no you pick your class first. So without rolling yet it sort of influences some people's choices. Another guy for the first group I ever DMed for he thought he could roll without me being there. Sure enough he had like 3 18s a 16 a 15 and a 14. Told him to reroll then found out he rolled 6 times n picked the best... the next character had a 18 and the lowest was a 7. He "retired" cause clerics aren't fun. But yeah otherwise nothing major with people rolling

Sort of why I don't like this method of picking the class and race first before you choose and roll stats. All to often you can get something that you just don't find fun to play and thats just not fun as a game. The guy who cheese his best of 6 arrays is silly and yea nope.

Something I've tried recently at a table was letting players pick their race first and then rolling 4D6 in order, dropping the lowest and switching one pair of abilities. (or you can just do them in any order up to you) Then let them pick a class. It takes people a little out of their comfort zone and sometimes you don't know what your going to get until that array is sitting before you. It also makes more organic sense to me as. you are Born as something, your life and natural talents determines your ability scores and then you seek out your calling in life. I also do put the stipulation before the table that anyone who rolls super high or super low might get things tweaked unless the whole party is on board with one guy sort of being Hercules or the party cripple with super high int. This just comes into effect depending on the table. I have really good Friends so when one of us doesn't roll well or gets super good roles we tend to just go with ti for the lark. Once again, about having the fun.

[Naanomi]

In 2e, my longest played character was a wizard who rolled for stats and rolled very high and very low stats. I forget the exact list but it was something like 6/9/16/18/4/5; I was a runaway princess pretentious pampered b****, who would happily blow you up if you crossed her, then complain about the mess your corpse made on her shoes... and I loved the character. Not sure the stats really made the character, but it was a lot of fun either way.

[Lance Tankmen]

Sort of why I don't like this method of picking the class and race first before you choose and roll stats. All to often you can get something that you just don't find fun to play and thats just not fun as a game. The guy who cheese his best of 6 arrays is silly and yea nope.




Yeah the guy who cheesed his array was the same who was bummed at low rolls and the only person out of 25 to be upset by a 7 in a stat others have been fine, though 2 with a group of 8 i play with of friends on leave didn't want to roll and though i don't allow standard array to avoid an argument with a friend i let him have it, but he was a Rollplayer so i didnt care so much.

[randomodo]

I once rolled a character that had four 18s (this was back in first edition days when we didn't have fancy point-buys and you had to walk uphill in the snow both ways to the dungeon,) I immediately crossed out the scores and started over, because I knew what I would do if I was running a game and someone showed up claiming they had rolled four 18s...

The character I rolled immediately thereafter had nothing higher than 14. Played a dwarf fighter, who was a lot of fun.

[Protato]

For a game that's been planned for months from now, a friend of mine rolled a character with a -3 in Con and decided they wanted to RP their character (Lore Bard Half-Elf Noble) as a sickly young noble trying to prove he can succeed in spite of illnesses. My character, a Human Noble Cavalier, is likely going to be some sort of bodyguard/retainer to them because of both his characterization and his subclass features.

[Tanarii]

For what it’s worth, Gary Guygax was once interviewed and asked about the whole roll stats in order concept.

He was quick to point out that he never wrote it that way in the rules and that he was suprised people inferred that as the primary method.

I think his response was something to the effect of how it would be impossible to create effective characters or some such.....In AD&D, he wrote six rolling methods in the DMG (and none in the PHB). Only one of the six is 3d6 in order, and you do it twelve times and pick one.

Method 1 is 4d6b3 arrange as desired.


I once rolled a character that had four 18s (this was back in first edition days when we didn't have fancy point-buys and you had to walk uphill in the snow both ways to the dungeon,) I immediately crossed out the scores and started over, because I knew what I would do if I was running a game and someone showed up claiming they had rolled four 18s...Even with 4d6 that's hard to pull off.
(I no longer read character build threads that start with the great stats they rolled. They're rarely believable numbers.)

[Naanomi]

Even with 4d6 that's hard to pull off.
(I no longer read character build threads that start with the great stats they rolled. They're rarely believable numbers.)
Ive played a lot of DnD over the years, and I think I’ve only rolled 3 total 18s on a played character total... though I did have a GM who let us roll D20s for Stats and I had a 20 Comliness from it

[FreddyNoNose]

For what it’s worth, Gary Guygax was once interviewed and asked about the whole roll stats in order concept.

He was quick to point out that he never wrote it that way in the rules and that he was suprised people inferred that as the primary method.

I think his response was something to the effect of how it would be impossible to create effective characters or some such.....

That being said.

I have had fun playing Traveler which used an incredibly random character set up, and in some versions you could die in character creation as you biild your history / back story.

I like one character generated using this method so much (a simple space vagabond), that I later imported him to D&D, Savage Worlds, Rifts, and even a supers game.
I liked to see some proof of this. I have been in his game before with pregen characters and never heard him make such a comment. Sounds like total BS to me.

[Daithi]

We cheat. We roll 3d6 then optionally roll 1d6 and add it to the total. You can then keep rolling 1d6 and adding to the total, but if you go over 18 your final score is an 8. This gives pretty powerful characters on average for everyone (most scores 15-18 with an 8 or two).

But to answer your question -- yes, I've had characters I didn't like because their stats sucked. On the other hand, I've had one character that was phenomenal because of rolled stats.

[Contrast]

I liked to see some proof of this. I have been in his game before with pregen characters and never heard him make such a comment. Sounds like total BS to me.


in 1972 we all rolled 3d6, but later when AD&D made the stats more meaningful, players would keep rolling until they got more viable numbers, so then we switched to various systems--roll seven or eight times with 3d6 and keep the six best totals or roll d4d and throw out the lowest die.

After all, the object of the game is to have fun, and weak PCs aren't much fun for most players. Even fine role-players want characters with at least one or two redeming stats...

Link (http://grognardia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/thats-how-i-roll.html) - link to the actual quote from the article seems to be dead unfortunately. I make no comment as to the reliability of the source linked, just googled :smalltongue:

[Kane0]

I once made a warforged for a game, rolled stats straight down. Only decent stats were dex and int, but we already had a wizard so i made him a scouty archer EK.
Totally not optimal but hella fun until he died a gruesome death scouting ahead.

[Droodicus]

Played a face character once who despite really good dice mods failed every social roll required to make. Landed the group in some super sketchy positions. It was fun. Ended up role playing him as super handsome but incredibly arrogant.

[thoroughlyS]

Link (http://grognardia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/thats-how-i-roll.html) - link to the actual quote from the article seems to be dead unfortunately. I make no comment as to the reliability of the source linked, just googled :smalltongue:

https://web.archive.org/web/20121007193639/http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/71486-gary-gygax-q-part-v-3.html#post1272927

I found it in the Wayback Machine.

[KorvinStarmast]

I DM and have people roll 4d6 remove the lowest but place where ever they want. That's the default method in the book.
You generate your character’s six ability scores
randomly. Roll four 6-sided dice and record the total of the highest three dice on a piece of scratch paper. Do this five more times, so that you have six numbers. {snip standard array} Now take your six numbers and write each number beside one of your character’s six abilities to assign scores to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
Afterward, make any changes to your ability scores as a result of your race choice. It's how we did it in the first four games I played.

The best character I ever rolled in a D&D game, numbers wise, was a 1e Ranger with an 18 strength. Only time I ever rolled an 18 for a stat that I can remember. I then rolled percentile strength and got a 98. (He had a 16 Con).

Best Rolls Ever.
As to Gary's remarks, I agree with him about rules lawyers. 3.5 era rules lawyers, in college, is what drove my son from the game. As he said to me (paraphrase): "when you were DM, Dad, we played. In college, they spent most of the session arguing about rules. It was no fun."

[Miz_Liz]

I'm currently playing a druid who rolled absolute crap in everything except her wisdom. tens and twelves, 5 charisma, but 20 wisdom. I thought it would be hell but she's actually been a blast to rp so far. I just have to rely a bit more on the other players outside of combat. Low stats are so much fun.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

I've never liked rolling for stats, especially with DMs that play "gotcha" by forcing you to pick your class, etc beforehand. No, I've never enjoyed a character more due to having less​ influence over their competence

[Arial Black]

....DMs that play "gotcha" by forcing you to pick your class, etc beforehand.

It's the wrong way to simulate the thing they are trying to simulate:realistic interactions between the things that the individual character can control/influence about their own lives, and the things they have no control over.

To achieve that end, the players should choose their PC's race and background first (because no-one gets to choose the circumstances of their own birth), then roll for stats, in order (so you might or might not be suited to follow in your father's profession, etc.), and then choose your class, because people already know their aptitudes/weaknesses by the time they have to choose a career path.

[DaveOfTheDead]

I had a tiefling druid who didn't last very long (nat 1s during death saves are a bitch) and he had nothing higher than 14.

Currently I'm playing a human barbarian with 17 in strength and constitution, 16 in dex. His lowest stat is a 9 in intelligence. I play him very knowledgeable in combat but not so much in social encounters. He's very fun because he's also now a warlock.

I'm also playing a halfling monk on Roll20 and started with a 19 dex (after racial bonuses). Now at level 4 I am more dexterous than the rogue and more charismatic than the warlock. Possibly more wise than the cleric? I'm very acrobatic in my combat descriptions (mainly because the DM isn't) and will also stealth with the rogue.

[Sariel Vailo]

Amaryllis Goodbarrel champion gwm. Halfling stout
Rolled stats as d20 is what you were stuck with for stats.
18.19.18.19.20.20.18.19
Blessed by the halfling god of luck

[Tanarii]

It's the wrong way to simulate the thing they are trying to simulate:realistic interactions between the things that the individual character can control/influence about their own lives, and the things they have no control over.

To achieve that end, the players should choose their PC's race and background first (because no-one gets to choose the circumstances of their own birth), then roll for stats, in order (so you might or might not be suited to follow in your father's profession, etc.), and then choose your class, because people already know their aptitudes/weaknesses by the time they have to choose a career path.
Agreed. The PHB order of race, class, roll, background isn't a problem because the rolling isn't in order. If it were, it should definitely be race, roll, then class/background.

[Arial Black]

Agreed. The PHB order of race, class, roll, background isn't a problem because the rolling isn't in order. If it were, it should definitely be race, roll, then class/background.

I would put background before rolling for stats, but I wouldn't object to the other way.

The problem is that some backgrounds are most likely out of your control. Who would choose to be an urchin? And wouldn't everyone choose to be a noble?

Other backgrounds seem more like career choices though. Shall I join the army and become a soldier? It's hard to envision this a beyond your control.

What about Acolyte? Are you an acolyte because you were left on the temple steps as a baby and raised in the temple (no control), or did you chose to take holy orders after your education (control)?

[Tanarii]

I would put background before rolling for stats, but I wouldn't object to the other way.Sure, but thats the order the PHB descibes them in.


The problem is that some backgrounds are most likely out of your control. Who would choose to be an urchin? And wouldn't everyone choose to be a noble?point. Of course, its possible thwt a noble was born an urchin. Background is just a rough sketch of history, not a backstory.

Both Race and Background before rolling in order can totally work IMO. About the only suck I can think of there is HA wearers with stealth skill.

Regardless, anything to avoid silliness like Dragonborn/Tieflings getting disguise kits. Seemed to happen all too often whenever i tried to randomly generate race/class/background for AL.

[hex37]

Some of the characters I've gotten with stat-rolling are my all-time favorite. I've gotten a Runway-model of a Bard, who rolled out with 20 charisma at Level 1. I've also gotten ugly Wizard with terrible stats aside from their constitution and intelligence... There is a lot of potential there if you're flexible with character creation.

However, I still prefer point buy and stat/arrays. It helps stop interparty power-gap from forming. If you have a group with a bunch of high rolls and one poor guy that rolled terribly, they are gonna feel pretty pointless the whole campaign.

[Lance Tankmen]

Some of the characters I've gotten with stat-rolling are my all-time favorite. I've gotten a Runway-model of a Bard, who rolled out with 20 charisma at Level 1. I've also gotten ugly Wizard with terrible stats aside from their constitution and intelligence... There is a lot of potential there if you're flexible with character creation.

However, I still prefer point buy and stat/arrays. It helps stop interparty power-gap from forming. If you have a group with a bunch of high rolls and one poor guy that rolled terribly, they are gonna feel pretty pointless the whole campaign.

Eh maybe in older editions but i mean the argument Ive seen on here is stats and mod only increase by 5%. some people have great luck and roll nothing below a 10 for to hit or skill checks in my parties. Ive definitely had parties think the strongest was the one with the lowest stats just based on how the character hit so often and killed things but there's a side to every coin and Ive been lucky to not have someone roll a terrible character and quit playing(Ive had people roll terrible characters but they took the 15 and 15 and didnt stress about the 9,9,7,7)altogether, i don't force anyone to play at my table but people like my style and keep showing up to play.

[Draz74]

I loved my bumbling gnome cleric with a DEX of 3. Unfortunately that campaign only lasted one session ... well, perhaps it's for the best, since the rest of the party and the DM didn't love the character.

More recently, my current character concept, which I'm quite enjoying, wouldn't have worked without pretty great rolled scores across the board (16, 15, 15, 15, 14, 9).

[Arial Black]

Sure, but thats the order the PHB descibes them in.

point. Of course, its possible thwt a noble was born an urchin. Background is just a rough sketch of history, not a backstory.

Both Race and Background before rolling in order can totally work IMO. About the only suck I can think of there is HA wearers with stealth skill.

Regardless, anything to avoid silliness like Dragonborn/Tieflings getting disguise kits. Seemed to happen all too often whenever i tried to randomly generate race/class/background for AL.

By the basic, normal rules for backgrounds you can swap out skills/proficiencies, so you are never stuck with proficiency in Stealth or Disguise Kit because you can swap them out.

You choose the race/background before rolling, but the details of individual choices are made afterward. Choices like 'which two bonus skills will my half-elf choose', 'which wizard cantrip will my high elf choose', etc. are made later in character creation.

[Tanarii]

By the basic, normal rules for backgrounds you can swap out skills/proficiencies, so you are never stuck with proficiency in Stealth or Disguise Kit because you can swap them out.Lets not go there.


You choose the race/background before rolling, but the details of individual choices are made afterward. Choices like 'which two bonus skills will my half-elf choose', 'which wizard cantrip will my high elf choose', etc. are made later in character creation.Sounds like a feasible way to do it if you're rolling ability scores in order to me.

[randomodo]

In AD&D, he wrote six rolling methods in the DMG (and none in the PHB). Only one of the six is 3d6 in order, and you do it twelve times and pick one.

Method 1 is 4d6b3 arrange as desired.

Even with 4d6 that's hard to pull off.
(I no longer read character build threads that start with the great stats they rolled. They're rarely believable numbers.)

Hence why i didn't bother bringing the character to the game. The odds were laughably low of getting that good. Not like "win the lottery" low, but pretty ludicrous. But it's been a number if years since I've done anything other than point buy/standard array.

And agreed, most people who post here for advice about how to build their rolled characters do have, to put it charitably, improbable scores.

[Arial Black]

Lets not go there.

???

I'm not sure what the problem is re: swapping background proficiencies, just like the PHB says you can.

What's the issue?