Q: Favourite Char Generation?

[Sigurd]

There are all sorts of ways of rolling stats or assigning them by various point buy methods.

What are People's favourite Player Character generation practices?

What works well for players and parties as a scheme to generate numbers. I'm thinking of the whole party not just you're personal character.


Sigurd

[Tailz Silver Paws]

I like to use use: Roll 4D6 drop the lowest (sometimes I'll also let players reroll 1's). Allocate the rolled totals to the stat of the players choice.

[Oberoten]

7 point point buy system.
100 point buy system.
1d100, reroll if below 15
2d10+20 ...

All depending on the system of course.
( Arm, Gurps, MERP, Warhammer)

[Culdraug]

D100 Drop 20 and below...Rolemaster of course

As for that other system.... well six sets of 4 dropping the lowest is good enough.

Either way, always allow the player to decide where the numbers go.

[richvalle]

I used 30 or 32 point buy for our WLD game and will probably use something similar in the future. It lets you create what you want and keeps things even.

I have one player that will, literally, fill a sheet of paper front and back with sets of rolled dice and then pick the best one. If you tried to force him to play with only rolling once, if he didn't like the numbers I'm sure he would kill the character off quickly so he can try again. Really... whats the point?

I was just talking about this with a friend. The player in ? claims he wants a chance to get something good but that is not true. He HAS to have something above average and super or its no fun for him.

Setting point buy lets everyone start on the same 'level'. While, in DnD, stats somewhat stop mattering at high levels, at low levels the diff between a +0 and +3 is large.

rv

[Culdraug]

On the one hand I agree with your player.


He HAS to have something above average and super or its no fun for him.
As my old DM used to say "common folk don't go adventuring".

But I also agree with the point that the party needs to be balanced. If the player simply wont comply with the rules, and he is a jerk anyway. Kill him off and dont invite him back. If he is a decent person, just doesnt want to be common folk, perhaps allow the rest of the party to role the same way or find ways to challenge him.

[richvalle]

A 32 point buy is hardly 'common folk'. :)

I just don't like one player having 18, 18, 17, 15, 14, 14 and another 15, 14, 12, 10, 8, 8 because the first guy spent an hour rolling up a page full of numbers.

Not that I'm saying my way is 'best'. I've played with roll 4d6 drop lowest before and I'd do it again. But heck, I'll play anything. I'm even giving Ars Magica a try. :P

I saw one guy who says roll 4d6 drop lowest 12 times and pick the best 6. I'd say if you do that you have to keep your first set of rolls... not rolling this a bunch of times and pick the best.

rv

[mr_h]

Points Like the designers (25-32) pts
We have a small group, so people need to be able to do a lil more (right now three players. We even use gestalt characters). I also like the points cause everyones on even ground and can customize accordingly.

In my Top Secret SI game, you have the option of using points (275, it's on a 1-100 scale), or rolling. If you roll and your point total is under 275, you get to bring it up to 275. You have a chance of getting higher stats, but you can't customize it nearly as much as you might like with the rolling.

[tdwyer11b]

Using a dice server like the one from Irony Games, lets the players roll up stats out of FG and keeps em honest. I'm not to big of a fan of point buy. If I want stats higher than ususal than I use 2d6+6.

[Griogre]

Personally, as a DM I find point buy generates boring characters but I would say it is currently the most popular with players in online games. On the net, if you don't use the irony dice server then it is simpler to use a point buy. For my Rappan Athuk game I have the characters use a 25 point buy; after all, RA is suppose to be tough.

As a player I like to roll dice: the 4d6 drop one works pretty well with the re-roll allowed per the rules. I find a 32 point buy bores me at low levels, the characters are too good and things too easy. I played in a game which used the elite (old default) array and I found it interesting. It encourages players to play something other than human. However you may find some who don't like it because of the 8 stat.

[Wraith]

Points Like the designers (25-32) pts
I use 28 points I think it gives just enough power with out making the characters overwhelming. I think rolling stats is uneven, and unfair. A person could roll 16's and 17's while another person plays with 12's and 13's. Then the party wonders why that character is always getting killed.

[kalmarjan]

I use 32 point buy myself. In the end, it really does not matter, as even the player with all 18s will find a challenge in my campaign.

<grin>

Sandeman

[favashi]

I use 4d6 dop lowest, but repeating total values =< 7 ...

[Zacchaeus]

I think, since this thread is 9 years old, that it has run it's course so I'll close it off.