Adjusted Point Buy

[Galithar]

I'm playing around with some adjusted point-buy numbers and wanted some feedback on what the playground would think of this at their table.

My current favorite is one that increases power levels just slightly. I like giving my players just a touch more in the realm of starting attributes so that they feel more comfortable with taking early feats. I'm sure that you could get the same results by just giving a few more points, and adding my higher score possibilities, but for some reason I like starting at the 0 modifier and working your way up or down from there. I've also toyed around with lowering the minimum you can drop to with an additional 1 point for each score drop.

This is a 21 point buy system, where anything lower then 10 costs negative points.



Score
Cost
Score
Cost


8
-2
13
3


9
-1
14
5


10
0
15
7


11
1
16
9


12
2
17
12



This gives a Min/Max of:
17 17 10 10 9 8

A High/Low of:
16 16 16 8 8 8

An average of:
14 14 13 13 13 12

And my personal 'Elite' array of:
16 14 13 12 12 10

Now I know the base game isn't designed to have +4 modifiers from level 1, which it's possible to have 2 under this system if you really want to min/max your build, though you then have two -1's and two 0's. So obviously by using this I'll prepare for slightly higher modifiers.

The only array that I am worried about it that you can do 17 16 10 10 10 10. lined up with racial bonuses that could be two 18's with no negatives at level 1. Would it be better to increase the cost of a 16/17 or remove the 17 from the table completely?

What would you think of this system if a DM asked you to use it, and what are some other modified point-buys that people have used and worked well for them (what was the intent of the modification and did it have the desired effect)

[djreynolds]

If your table likes this. I think its good

I will often roll a standard array, and often with disastrous results... an 18,16,15,13,12,12 was one of them. I have never rolled so good for myself

But its okay. I will often give out max HP, just because 4 of 6 for a wizard is 66% and 7 of 12 for a barbarian is 58%... not fair IMO.

As long as the table is okay. And remember players may often join later and just give them your standard array or your point buy

[Zhorn]

As a player I would enjoy it, and like djreynolds says if it makes your table happy (players and DM) then all is good.

Being said, I'm probably going to enjoy my character a bit less if they didn't have at least some weakness to counterbalance the increase in power.
Now while I personally prefer rolling for stats, I offer my tables an adjusted point buy also, but not of my own design.



Score
Cost
Score
Cost
Score
Cost
Score
Cost


18
19
17
15
16
12
15
9


14
7
13
5
12
4
11
3


10
2
9
1
8
0
7
-1


6
-2
5
-4
4
-6
3
-9



It the default values for the expanded range in the Chicken Dinner Point Buy Calculator (http://chicken-dinner.com/5e/5e-point-buy.html).
Same overall design intent in that it lets players get their main stats up high enough to allow the freedom of feats, but counterbalances it with more drastic weaknesses on other areas.
Cost for scores 8-15 and total available points are still inline with the PHB, so players aiming for a reasonable middle of the road build are still within the intended game design.

[bendking]

I really like standard point buy with an additional floating point. Simple, and gives just that little ounce of power that feels good (starting with 18, or balancing out some other uneven stat of yours).
Also, I wouldn't say the game wasn't designed to have characters start with +4 in a stat. After all, rolling stats is an option, and it's not that rare to get 16 with rolling. In fact you have a ~13% chance of rolling 16 or higher on each stat, and a 56.76% chance to have at least one stat be 16 or higher.

[CheddarChampion]

I think OP's system could work. If you're worried about two 18's and four 10's, you can ask your players 'please make well rounded characters' or otherwise code the system further: 'two +4's isn't valid, make a different stat allocation.'

Personally I like 32 point buy with the option to get a 16 for 12 points but only if the chosen race doesn't get a +2 bonus to that same ability score. That way your half-orc wizards can start with 16 Int and your gnome barbarians can start with 16 Str.

[deljzc]

It's all personal opinion, but I don't mind the PC's at my table being stronger than that to start.

[SirGraystone]

In my campaigns I gave my players 30 points instead of 27, and let them start as high as 16 before the race bonus. (Which let some race start with a 18), the cost of 16 is 3 more points then 15.

[Aidamis]

Your system sounds like a fun alternative!

Though in my experience GMs made addendums to existing rules rather than overhaul the system like you did.

Playing in a game with 32 points point-buy. Nothing too crazy has happened yet.

I've also heard of GMs allowing to buy a 16 for twelve points, which in my books is fair enough given how depleted you become in other areas.

As a GM I was also considering a Legend of the Five Ring approach where points could also serve to buy perks/feats and taking negative perks/feats/quirks yielded some positive points.

Therefore you might end up with a Dwarf Fighter with 18 Str/Con at level 1, but the character will have a lousy sense of direction and a phobia of spears. If all of the players are on board, this can make for a fun game, though in L5R too optimizers exist, and they usually take some "light" deficiency like a foreigner name and a phobia of bows for a character who is melee-oriented anyways :)

[Pex]

The game is designed to have a +5 modifier at level one since dice rolling is the default. Be lucky enough to roll an 18 and put it in a score and race combo that gives it +2.

Never apologize for allowing an 18 at first level. It is absolutely fine. Nothing wrong with it. The game does not fall apart into an unplayable mess of garbage just because a 1st level character has an 18.