Picking your stats

[nickl_2000]

Some people have talked about being allowed to pick your stats between 3-18 (before racial modifiers) for your character. If you were allowed to do this, what would you pick?

I think I would go something like 18, 15, 14, 12, 11, 8

[Wryte]

So after racial modifiers, you're either going to have +5, +3, +2, +1, +0, -1 if you're playing a SAD class, or +4, +3, +3, +1, +0, -1 for a MAD one? At 1st level?

Yeah, this is why we don't let people just decide their scores for themselves.

Seriously, this just sounds like a terrible idea. Even if I'm personally inclined not to abuse it, the moment someone else at the table does, I'm going to do so, too, because otherwise I'm just gimping myself in comparison.

[Perlywhirly]

For a “heroic” game? Before racials:
16, 15, 14, 12, 10, 10

Having an 8 means Intelligence for everyone that isn’t a Wizard or Artificer (AT and EK maybe). I don’t like the idea of being worse than a Commoner in any stat for a hero. As such, two 10s for “dump stats”. 16 as the highest means you can have a +2 race and start with a wonderful 18. Maxing a stat without an ASI feels wrong, hence the 16. 15 lets you have a +3 in your secondary stat. 14 means a MAD class is viable without feeling terrible, especially if you get spicy and start with three 16s. 12 in a non-class stat lets you get a little quirky, this is where I think we see what makes you “special”.

Feel free to change a 10 to an 8 if you don’t mind dumping Charisma or Intelligence.

[Naanomi]

Depends a bit on race and class obviously... but... (14/15); (14/15); 14; 12; 10; 8 as a spread is pretty sufficient for what I’d usually want

[CTurbo]

If I was allowed to choose my stats, I would give myself an 18 or two, and at least one if not two hard dump stats(like 4-6) and write a good fun backstory on how/why I was so amazing at something and terrible at another.

[Wizard_Lizard]

-4 +4 +4 +4 +0 +0

[Yunru]

Hmmm... Let's see...

18, definitely need one of those.
I'm going to go for another 18 I think.
You know, I really like 18s, so let's have a 3rd.
I was 18 once, so another 18.
Fifth time's the charm, 18.
Well, shouldn't break the trend now, 18.

And now to build a non-variant human Fighter and do nothing with most of those.

[hymer]

Seriously, this just sounds like a terrible idea. Even if I'm personally inclined not to abuse it, the moment someone else at the table does, I'm going to do so, too, because otherwise I'm just gimping myself in comparison.
This would be my worry, too. So I'd probably choose based on what I could agree with the other players on.

[CTurbo]

I could have a lot of fun building a 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16 (after racials) skill monkey character that is good at everything but not great at anything.

[Justin Sane]

... Am I the only one who'd pick stats depending on the character? My group uses this method, and the highest scores ever picked were 16 / 15 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 10.

[No brains]

I tired this once and for a 1st level game. It's sort of silly to have the characters outclass their enemies that early. Unless you have a super green group and want to have an 'easy mode tutorial', I would advise against it. It gets kind of silly when a PC can defeat most enemies by rolling a 1 on their damage die.

I better alternative I thought of would be for the DM to include stat books as magic treasure around level 3. Level 3 gives the PCs and monsters enough HP leeway that keeps the fights from being silly boring, but still makes the stat boosts important and useful.

[Rukelnikov]

I could have a lot of fun building a 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16 (after racials) skill monkey character that is good at everything but not great at anything.

I'd probably do something like this too

[Man_Over_Game]

I'd probably just go 18,18,15, 10, 8, 8.

I don't really care about my 4th-6th stats. Besides Saving Throws, I'm never going to use them.

[Chronos]

I'd ask the DM for more restrictions. Optimizing is only fun if you have to work for it.

[Galithar]

I feel this would work best if you have the party come up with a "Campaign Array" they choose what the highest choice is as a group so everyone is relatively even and if someone wants to do the 18 18 18 18 18 18 they have to get everyone to buy in. Then if everyone does you just adjust the campaign to be one of epic heroics on par with emergent demigods.

Or you get a more reasonable 17 16 14 12 12 10

Still an epic type start, but no one is allowed to have pre racials above those numbers. If you have one 17 you can't have two 16s. If you have 2 16s you can't have a 15 etc.

That way everyone gets to build stats to match their character, with some group agreed on restrictions.

[FabulousFizban]

nut up, roll 3d6 and apply them IN ORDER.

[nickl_2000]

nut up, roll 3d6 and apply them IN ORDER.

A real player only does 2d6 and plays with that!

[Galithar]

nut up, roll 3d6 and apply them IN ORDER.

4d6 drop the HIGHEST in order.

2d6 is just like trying to create the Avengers, but every member has to have at least 2 crippling disabilities.

[FabulousFizban]

4d6 drop the HIGHEST in order.

2d6 is just like trying to create the Avengers, but every member has to have at least 2 crippling disabilities.

so, more like creating the Doom Patrol

[Galithar]

so, more like creating the Doom Patrol

Yes! But only after removing their superhuman abilities (which would apply to an 'Avengers' based comparison too). If your best stat is a 12 you're not superhuman at anything lol

[Naanomi]

So... five moon Druids walk into a tavern and...

[Kyutaru]

So... five moon Druids walk into a tavern and...

Spam Moonfire on everything?