Ability Score Generation

[lylsyly]

So our tables normal thing is 1d4+1d6+8 for a range of 10 to 18.
Don't like what you rolled you can do a 32 point buy (somewhat rare).

We are considering an array of 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 .....

We understand that it's not at all game breaking but is it going to screw with encounter balance or anything else at early levels?

Further Info: We already do level up ability score increases in the following way:

L4 +2 to any one ability score
L8 +2 to any two ability scores
L12 + 2 to any three ability scores
L16 + 2 to any four ability scores
L20 + 2 to any five ability scores
(Not stackable at the same level)

Yeah, it's a rip of the VOP feat ;-) but we've been using it in conjunction with the 1d4+1d6+8 thing since around the time 4e came out and it's probably not the strangest thing we do compared to your average group.

[ChaosStar]

So our tables normal thing is 1d4+1d6+8 for a range of 10 to 18.
Don't like what you rolled you can do a 32 point buy (somewhat rare).

Mine does 4d6 reroll 1s or 1d20 reroll 1s and 2s.

[Vaern]

The first character I ever rolled up ended up with a starting array of 18/18/18/17/17/16. Starting with a stronger array than what is normally recommended will make you stronger overall in a consistent and predictable way; giving a character a free 18 is strong, but not as unbalancing as what pure RNG has the potential of doing. At any rate, having a character who's overall just a bit better at everything in general isn't likely to be terribly game breaking.
If anything is going to be broken early game, it's going to be two-handed fighters and barbarians at levels 1-3. They're already able to point buy 18 str at most tables, half orc for 20, great sword for strength and a half, power attack to erase 1-2 HD enemies from existence. Your tweaks to starting ability scores aren't going to change that or break anything else in a meaningful way.
As for ability points at level up, that might be a bit more of an issue... Or not. It really depends on what your goals are with it. I guess it'll make save DCs scale much better with character level, making spells that allow for saving throws much more viable. It'll let martials hit harder and more consistently, especially those with 3/4 BAB (I'm looking at you, monk). Makes multiclassing more viable when you don't have to worry about MAD. It's reasonable for high-power games, but maybe not for a table that really likes the challenge that comes with slower paced advancement.

[One Step Two]

For the last few years I have been trying to encourage my players to use point-buy more and more, but being generous with 34-38 points, but they still grumble at times.
For the times they really resist it demanding a little RNG in their builds (who knows why sometimes), I let the players roll 4d6 re-rolling 1's, however I enter each players' rolls one at a time into a 6 x 6 grid, which generates 14 different stat lines. I pick out the best* two lines from those generated and offer them from players to pick from, that way they're all relatively balanced with one another, without having a massive variance or advantage over anyone else.

*Best as being defined the stat lines I feel appropriate to the power level of the game I want to run. If there's a line with three 18's and three 16's, I sure as heck wont let them use it. I generally pick out two lines, one that helps uphold MAD characters, and one that has a significant drawback but shines for SAD characters. The "Best" stat lines are usually within a point or two's difference, which usually favors MAD characters, so there might be a stat line which has majority of positive modifiers (stats in the 12-16 range), and the other would have one or two positive modifiers that are with an accompanying negative or +0, such has having two or three 17's or 18's, but saddled with 9's and 10's.

[sreservoir]

Well, for context, "typical" results from six rolls of 1d4+1d6+8 is approximately 17/15/14/14/13/11 or so (https://anydice.com/program/1e048) (a 41 PB array), with about a quarter of characters having an 18. So if you're comfortable with the power level of your games currently, a fixed 18/16/14/12/10/8 is probably not going to change much aside.

It does increase SAD viability and and penalize extreme MAD a bit more.

[AnimeTheCat]

So, the ability scores you generate are only super important if the game you're playing in makes them important. It depends on how the game feels to the players more than anything. If your table runs 3d6 in order, but the DM understands this will lead to a swingy power spectrum and tailors the game to the power level appropriate to the party, it can have the same effect as a table that runs 99 point buy and the the DM ramps the crap out of every goblin, kobold, and orc so that the power level is appropriate to the party.

If you want to use things out of the box, straight from the DMG and Monster Manuals, I suggest that you just use the rules provided to you in the DMG and not mess with them. In general, by the way that the elite array vs non-elite array is balanced and with the players scaled to the elite array (on average), there is less emphasis on the attributes that have been generated, and more emphasis on careful utilization of resources. In the late game, it becomes a game of "do I have the minimum necessary for X" and, that's about it. It's not a perfect system, but it is a system and it does function under most circumstances. While it does suck as a wizard to only have a 14 int at the start of the game, you're not dead on arrival. A strength 8 fighter does suck too, but again, the -1 to hit and damage is not a game ender (or if you've got the dex for it, just go ranged or finesse). Your attributes effect things in such a small way that nearly everything is more important than them, and the only thing you're really looking for is minimums and break points.

TL;DR - Do whatever you want at your table that promotes fun, and attribute scores are less important than the emphasis you're giving them.

[Crake]

My personal favourite rolling method is rolling 24d6, dropping the lowest 6, and arranging the dice into groups of 3 however you like for your ability scores

[AnimeTheCat]

My personal favourite rolling method is rolling 24d6, dropping the lowest 6, and arranging the dice into groups of 3 however you like for your ability scores

That sounds both hilarious and like point buy with extra steps lol :smallsmile:

[Buufreak]

My personal favourite rolling method is rolling 24d6, dropping the lowest 6, and arranging the dice into groups of 3 however you like for your ability scores

Had a friend run his first ever game with this method. It led me to be a massive hp wall by level 5 that refused to die and would taunt/debuff as he waded through battles. Good times.

[lylsyly]

I appreciate all the input folks. Gonna run with it next game.

[GrayDeath]

That Array seems doable.

Only thing I would male sure is which Races you allow, as a guaranteed 18 combined with a Race giving say +4 to it will (early game, as always when talking Ability pts) a stronlgy boosted start.

In case its still wanted:

We use 3 different methods.

Ben, our "most of the time" DM lets us roll 4D6 keep 3, 7 times, drop the lowest, as well as reroll any rolls resutling in 9 or less OR allowing us to decide directly after a roll to reroll it and take the better twice (can result in lower non rerollable alter on).

He tends however to be rather generous regarding aquiring Books +x and ability boosting templates in game.



My preferred Roll variant is 2D6+6, 7 times,drop lowest, where one odd stat can have one subtracted and added to another odd stat.
This is adapted as follows if we start past Level 8 or we know its a High Power game (if both is the case I usually simply go by Pointbuy 36pts with one free 18 to save effort unless we have more than one "But rolling stats is a must!!" player^^):
Roll 2D6+7 7 times, drop lowest. If this results in a 19, drop to 18 and increase all Scores below 14 by 1.
granted, only used that version twice so far, but it didnt produce insane Chars any more than using 4D6K3 in Row with Paul, our resident Luck magnet (he actually rolled 18, 15, 18, 12, 16, 18 in row for a "Stats determine class" Game....poor sod palyed a Paladin^^).



And if my brother runs, we all get one guaranteed 18, one guaranteed 10, and roll 5 *4D6, drop lowest for the rest.
For whatever reason he insists that Characters without a clear Ability weaknesses are "Dull"...

[lylsyly]

My preferred Roll variant is 2D6+6, 7 times,drop lowest, where one odd stat can have one subtracted and added to another odd stat.

This is adapted as follows if we start past Level 8 or we know its a High Power game (if both is the case I usually simply go by Pointbuy 36pts with one free 18 to save effort unless we have more than one "But rolling stats is a must!!" player^^):
Roll 2D6+7 7 times, drop lowest. If this results in a 19, drop to 18 and increase all Scores below 14 by 1.
granted, only used that version twice so far, but it didnt produce insane Chars any more than using 4D6K3 in Row with Paul, our resident Luck magnet (he actually rolled 18, 15, 18, 12, 16, 18 in row for a "Stats determine class" Game....poor sod palyed a Paladin^^).

LOL, we've had a few triple 18s in our time. The six of us have been together for a loooong time. The baby of the group has been with us since '98. Three of us go back to OD&D. Over the years we have done a LOT of houseruling ;-).