New way of rolling stats

[Aeromyre]

I'd like to know what you guys think, in the past to quickly generate scores for important NPCs i would roll a d4+14, d6+12, d8+10, d10+8, d10+8 and a d12+6 to determine stats. I think it makes the stats generally really high. So what if instead of this i rolled 6 d12s and add 6 to each roll. The rolls will averages to 12.5.

Yeah i know alot of you will say just use the traditional methods, i don't care, thats not what I'm asking. No "Exceptional" Character should really ever have a stat bellow 7. It would make him really difficult to function.

Give me your thoughts.

[Critical]

Use point buy.

Bam, problem solved.

[Grogmir]

Use point buy.

Bam, problem solved.

This...

Seriously - as a DM its hard enough to keep the players balanced - the single most important step towards this is the 1st session and using Point Buy.

[Theodoxus]

Not to disparage your hard work, but why not just use point buy? It guarantees you won't have any exceptional characters below 8 starting.

Or a hybrid system of a slightly lower PB with a d4 or d6 added to each stat.

Just saying...

[Rothen]

When I need to quickly stat out an NPC as a DM, I often use the elite array or the non-elite array described in the DMG.

I think it's way more efficient than rolling. Remember: by using a simple system with only one die roll per stat, you're increasing the chance of getting either a marginally low or high number.

[Aeromyre]

Not to disparage your hard work, but why not just use point buy? It guarantees you won't have any exceptional characters below 8 starting.

Or a hybrid system of a slightly lower PB with a d4 or d6 added to each stat.

Just saying...

I've never heard of point buy i'm assuming characters have a certain amount of points to spend and high level stats cost more? so getting an 18 would cost like 16 points?

Edit: Oh wow i looked it up...that was a great guess!
But yeah this is pretty good, thanks guys

[Whammydill]

I use 32 pt buy for tier 1-3 and let 4-6(lol) use 5d6b3. This of course runs into multiclassing potential for abuse but.... usually we know what path we want to take with our characters and if you are going to cross the threshold you just take 32pt buy to begin with. Still working out the kinks.

[Draz74]

Remember: by using a simple system with only one die roll per stat, you're increasing the chance of getting either a marginally low or high number.

This.

By the method you're proposing, an 18 is just as common as a 14 or a 15. You've annihilated the entire "bell curve distribution" concept. That grates on my aesthetics of verisimilitude.

[Milskidasith]

I use 32 pt buy for tier 1-3 and let 4-6(lol) use 5d6b3. This of course runs into multiclassing potential for abuse but.... usually we know what path we want to take with our characters and if you are going to cross the threshold you just take 32pt buy to begin with. Still working out the kinks.

You do know that 5d6b3 averages out to 32 PB, right? Neither of those options is inherently stronger than the other.

At least, I'm pretty sure it averages out to 32; I could be wrong, and it could be that it averages out to 32 excluding odd numbers, I haven't checked the math in forever.

[Whammydill]

You do know that 5d6b3 averages out to 32 PB, right? Neither of those options is inherently stronger than the other.

At least, I'm pretty sure it averages out to 32; I could be wrong, and it could be that it averages out to 32 excluding odd numbers, I haven't checked the math in forever.

That could be, I don't know though. I think it just gives the players incentive to run 4-6 because they can get really awesome scores with 5d6b3. If they get sucky scores they can relegate to 32pt buy, since they only get one set for the 5d6b3.

[Aeromyre]

This.

By the method you're proposing, an 18 is just as common as a 14 or a 15. You've annihilated the entire "bell curve distribution" concept. That grates on my aesthetics of verisimilitude.

That's ok, because i make sure their stats average to 13 and they may never have two stats above 17

[Another_Poet]

And here's a handy tool to do it for you.

[Snake-Aes]

At that point it's better to use an arbitrary array of scores. Peasant, Veteran, Elite.

[Aeromyre]

And here's a handy tool to do it for you.

Thanks Poet You rock

[QuantumSteve]

Point Buy is best.

Although 2d6 + 6 is ok. (or 4d4+4)

[Critical]

(or 4d4+4)

Uh, so you can get a 20 from this?

[nedz]

Elite/Standard array is FASTER.
All the standard monsters in the various MMs use this method.
Its probably the best spend of 24 points, and is the modal distribution for 4d6b3
But I use it because its balanced and FASTER.

[sofawall]

Apparently 4d6b3, when you take out the rolls that the PHB says are too low to be playable comes out to about a 30 PB.

[Mystic Muse]

Elite/Standard array is FASTER.
All the standard monsters in the various MMs use this method.
Its probably the best spend of 24 points, and is the modal distribution for 4d6b3
But I use it because its balanced and FASTER.

And makes casters a much better option than melee.

They already are but this just makes the gap bigger.

At least, if I'm thinking of the correct array.

[Draz74]

Apparently 4d6b3, when you take out the rolls that the PHB says are too low to be playable comes out to about a 30 PB.

The best two studies I've seen done on this determined that 4d6b3 is about a 29-point buy. (One study said "between 28 and 29 PB," the other "between 29 and 30 PB.")

[nedz]

And makes casters a much better option than melee.

They already are but this just makes the gap bigger.

At least, if I'm thinking of the correct array.

How so ?
Highest stat in Elite Array is a 15, for an SAD caster with any kind of point buy you start with an 18

[Mystic Muse]

How so ?
Highest stat in Elite Array is a 15, for an SAD caster with any kind of point buy you start with an 18

Yes, but that's assuming you have point buy as an option. High point buys/stats help the MAD melee classes much more than the SAD casting classes. What's the stat distribution for the elite array again? 15 for the highest and ten for the lowest? Doesn't that kind of screw over the MAD classes?

[QuantumSteve]

Uh, so you can get a 20 from this?

Yes. 4d4+4 is actually the rolling convention used in the AD&D Dark Sun Campaign Setting, but I find it also produces good scores for a high powered 3.x game.

[nedz]

Elite Array [15,14,13,12,10,8]

[Fax Celestis]

Yes. 4d4+4 is actually the rolling convention used in the AD&D Dark Sun Campaign Setting, but I find it also produces good scores for a high powered 3.x game.

No it's not. Dark Sun uses 5d4 with a 4d4+4 variant. I prefer 5d4 myself.

[The Cat Goddess]

For base, I prefer 3d6 re-roll 1s.

If a character has to join the party after level 5, I allow 2d6+1d8 re-roll 1s.

If a character has to join the party after level 10, I allow 1d6+2d8 re-roll 1s.

If a character has to join the party after level 15, I allow 3d8 re-roll 1s.

We also have a house-rule that says the lowest number of hit-points you can get on a level is your Con Modifier or the maximum die roll, whichever is lower. So a Wizard with a Con of 20 would always get 9 hitpoints per level (5 from Con, 4 from maximum die roll) while a Paladin with a Con of 20 would get a minimum of 10 hitpoints per level and a maximum of 15 hitpoints per level.

Of course, this leads to "Let me borrow your +6 Con Necklace, I'm going to level today!"

[mrcarter11]

Ok, not to slow this down.. But what is SAD and MAD?

[Mystic Muse]

Ok, not to slow this down.. But what is SAD and MAD?

Single ability dependancy and multiple ability dependancy. Wizards are SAD because all they really need is intelligence. Monks are MAD because they need strength, Wisdom, Dexterity and Constitution

EDIT:WHOO! Triple ninja!

[Fax Celestis]

Ok, not to slow this down.. But what is SAD and MAD?

Single Attribute Dependency and Multiple Attribute Dependency. SAD classes are ones like the Wizard who run pretty much everything they're going to do off of one attribute: in this case, a wizard's spells are all based upon his INT, and he is not expected to be a combatant so he can deprioritize STR and CON, and to a lesser extent DEX. Meanwhile, take the poor monk: they need STR to hit, DEX for AC, CON for HP (being primarily a combatant), and WIS to run their class features.

[nedz]

Ok, not to slow this down.. But what is SAD and MAD?

SAD = Single Attribute Dependant
eg Wizard with Int
MAD = Multiple Attribute Dependant
eg Monk with Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, well maybe not Con but it helps

Ed: Ninja'd but it is a little odd that we all chose the same classes as examples.
Monks need Int for Skill Points BTW