Point Buy. Why 27?

[Tiadoppler]

Has anyone else played/run a campaign using point buy character creation, but a different number of points to start with? My campaign is using a 32 point character creation, with an extended point buy chart. I've also been curious about running a 20 point campaign. What would a campaign be like, if the PCs were a lot closer to "normal people" than "heroes of legend"?

(Bold is the default chart)

6: -2
7: -1
8: 0
9: 1
10: 2
11: 3
12: 4
13: 5
14: 7
15: 9
16: 12
17: 15
18: 19

Anything I should watch out for? I like the way higher point buys allow people to explore more MAD characters without feeling that they must optimize a specific way. Then again, my players aren't straight-up optimizing monsters, and they usually build themed characters rather than following class/feat guides.

[hymer]

Anything I should watch out for?
I've run 5e games (and I am currently running one) where the stats are a little stronger than point buy allows. It's fine. PCs are slightly more capable and durable, but in the end the cap is 20.
Stronger stats also allow them to multiclass a mite easier, though few are interested.

[MaxWilson]

Has anyone else played/run a campaign using point buy character creation, but a different number of points to start with? My campaign is using a 32 point character creation, with an extended point buy chart. I've also been curious about running a 20 point campaign. What would a campaign be like, if the PCs were a lot closer to "normal people" than "heroes of legend"?

Honestly that sounds more interesting than regular point buy. I typically avoid point buy as boring and samey, but I'd play in this campaign for the change of pace.

[clash]

I typically run it at 30 using this extended chart:
8 0
9 1
10 2
11 3
12 4
13 5
14 7
15 9
16 11
17 13
18 15

Worked pretty good, but I also allow the choice between point-buy and rolling, so there is that.

[Tanarii]

Because it is an optional rule designed to roughly match dice rolling or standard array, which are the default rules.

[MaxWilson]

Because it is an optional rule designed to roughly match dice rolling or standard array, which are the default rules.

In fact it is designed to be slightly weaker than rolling, perhaps to make it more likely that rolling stats is emotionally satisfying.

[Tanarii]

In fact it is designed to be slightly weaker than rolling, perhaps to make it more likely that rolling stats is emotionally satisfying.
Agreed its marginally weaker. But it should be. Not because of emotional yadda yadda. But because a sure thing has added value, which makes up for being a little bit less than the rolling average result.

[Kyrinthic]

If you increase the points, but then give costs for 16-18 stats, you wont see so much a variety of new more rounded characters, you are more likely to see the same sort of characters, but with a higher primary stat. It might even be worse (30 is only 3 more points, but the cost of an 18 is 6 more points than the cost of a 15).

Now if that is what you want, fine, it makes feats much more reasonable to purchase and secondary stats raised with the ASIs and such. Just be sure you know what you are looking for.

I would suggest at the least keeping 18 off the list (with 17 being the highest purchasable), so that the +1 stat races and +2 stat races still get to the same number breakpoints (or you will be likely to see more 'classic' combos of races with +2 to a primary stat than you do with the normal point buy).

If I were inclined to do something like this, I would go with 35, and extend 16 for 12 and 17 for 16 points. Or just use the existing max of 15 and give them 30-32 points. The former would be more capable at their forte, the latter more well rounded. Either would feel heroic.

Overall it will depend on your group how it works, but I suggest building out at least half a dozen stat arrays with the new numbers, with a focus on trying to cheese the system, before using it.

[MaxWilson]

Agreed its marginally weaker. But it should be. Not because of emotional yadda yadda. But because a sure thing has added value, which makes up for being a little bit less than the rolling average result.

Yes, and for the fact that rolling is more likely to give you odd stats which, under vanilla 5E rules, are essentially pointless. (IMG odd stats give an extra +1 on ability checks but not on savings throws/attack rolls/spell DC, specifically so that e.g. Dex 13 feels different than Dex 12.)

[Asmotherion]

My standard is either rolling for stats or standard point buy (27). I however go point by point.

Downtime activities give you the option to train an Ability Score (rolling d20+relevant ability mod at the end of the training, The DC being your next higher ability score.). A success gives you a progression on a percentage bar, 100 meaning you get to the next level of that ability. Neglecting using that ability, or doing things harmful to it can cause an ability to fall (an example being drinking too often and constitution). You can invest in activities that negate each other (smoking wile walking a mile per day negate each other for example).

In this example, ASIs can only be used for Feats. Abilities cap at 20 by this way as normal, unless something allows them to go above.

It's an optional rule I invented. It gives good RP. The fighter will be doing push aps, and Running around, the wizard reading a ton of non-magical books and the bard or sorcerer making friends and perhaps flirting around town during downtime. It will take time for the reward of this to kick in (100 times, perhaps less if we're playing a bigger time-skip), but it's worth their wile.

[GlenSmash!]

Yes, and for the fact that rolling is more likely to give you odd stats which, under vanilla 5E rules, are essentially pointless. (IMG odd stats give an extra +1 on ability checks but not on savings throws/attack rolls/spell DC, specifically so that e.g. Dex 13 feels different than Dex 12.)

All those odd scores are just to tempt you to play a non variant human :smallwink:

[MaxWilson]

All those odd scores are just to tempt you to play a non variant human :smallwink:

So you can turn all of your even scores into odd scores and vice versa? :-) You've got only a 1.5% chance of having all odd scores before racial bonuses.

Besides, +1 to four tertiary stats is not likely to be more valuable than a feat.

[GlenSmash!]

So you can turn all of your even scores into odd scores and vice versa? :-) You've got only a 1.5% chance of having all odd scores before racial bonuses.

Besides, +1 to four tertiary stats is not likely to be more valuable than a feat.

Yup, hence the winky face.

I have actually use the Standard human to get the most out of a point buy for a really MAD concept. It's nice for 15, 13, 13, 13, 11, 8 or 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 10.

Weirdly i find I miss the extra a skill proficiency more than the feat sometimes.

[Lonely Tylenol]

It’s 27 because the average of 4d6, drop lowest, is roughly 12.5. 27 point buy gives you three 12s and three 13s, which is an average of 12.5. (Of course, you can buy stats up to 15, if you accept diminishing returns.)

27 is picked to skew towards the average of the rolled method. If it were meant to emulate 3d6, it’d be 15 point buy (three 10s, three 11s).