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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Planetar

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    Default [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    It's been a while since we've done one of these, so let's roll it out again. Sadly the poll function on GitP has long since gone the way of the dodo, so if we want a vote it has to be the old-fashioned way.

    Using the categories at the start of the 3.5 DMG, which one of these does your group usually start with?

    1. Low-powered - 22 point buy or less, or 3d6.

    2. Standard - 25 to 28 point buy, or 4d6.

    3. High-powered - 32 point buy, or 4d6 and roll several times, taking the best. (If you use 4d6 but are allowed to reroll a couple of times if you get scores you don't like, pick this category).

    4. Very high-powered - 33-40 point buy, 5d6 ability generation, or anything equivalent.

    5. Off the scale - 41+ point buy, or any method that generates that or more on average.

    If you're not sure what the normal is for your group, take your current character, figure out what the point buy total for their stats would have been, and use that.

    - Saph
    Last edited by Saph; 2008-12-29 at 09:07 AM.
    I'm the author of the Alex Verus series of urban fantasy novels. Fated is the first, and the final book in the series, Risen, is out as of December 2021. For updates, check my blog!

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Tormsskull's Avatar

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Standard. If one character ends up rolling very poorly I'll usually boost them up to have stats comparable to the lowest roller.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    standard: 28 points or 4d6 keep 3.

    choose which you prefer and generate that way, if you roll low tough luck
    (exception: extremely low rolls are allowed to restart character creation with 4d6 or 28 points, extremely low is defined as having a total stat bonus of +2 or less)
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  4. - Top - End - #4
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    PirateCaptain

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    I do standard as well. If the players want to roll below the standard array, I'll let them use standard.
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  5. - Top - End - #5
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Standard to high-powered both for my own games and in most PbP I've joined. I have been in games using higher (5d6b3), but not lower.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Titan in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    My preferred method is either "Very High Powered" or "Off the Scale," though I never bothered to do the math and check. These characters are supposed to be heroes, so I want the upper range of their abilities to be pretty high. (Difficulty of foes is adjusted accordingly, of course. )

    One free 18.
    Roll d8+10, five times. Reroll ones once. (If it comes up a one the second time, it was meant to be). Arrange the stats as you like.

    (EDIT: Did the math, it's definitely Off the Scale.)
    Last edited by Telonius; 2008-12-29 at 12:03 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Our DM does a 72 point buy. Each point of attribute equals 1 point. I guess it is an alright, but relatively bland system.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Titan in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    32 point buy. It makes the players feel above-average. Of course, I use 32 point buy for their enemies, too.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    I use Standard or High-Powered dice rolls. I personally can't stand point-buy (no idea why, it just always makes me grind my teeth), so I always have players roll for their dice:

    4d6, best 3. Reroll 1's. Roll three complete stat blocks, take your favorite.

    All that I say applies only to myself. You author your own actions and choices. I cannot and will not be responsible for you, nor are you for me, regardless of situation or circumstance.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    currently 37 point-buy because the rolls were very high. When a player asked if he could point-buy instead of rolling, I calculated the rolls and the lowest was a 37....

    Now any new character has 37pb
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    Ogre in the Playground
     
    xPANCAKEx's Avatar

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    standard 4d6b3

    i like the random chance and im not a munchkin out to powergame. I'll take the results as they roll and play round it. Sometimes disadvantages can be fun to play out... keeps you on your toes and keeps you thinking
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  12. - Top - End - #12
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    3d6 or 4d6, for 4d6 two sets.
    Last edited by Assassin89; 2008-12-29 at 11:07 AM.
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  13. - Top - End - #13
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    We usually go with anywhere between 28 and 34 point buy. Haven't used dice for stats in ages.
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  14. - Top - End - #14
    Colossus in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Never dice. Players are supposed to start even. We've used everything from 25-60pb (yes, really). We use 32 and 28 mostly.
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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Telonius's Avatar

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eldariel View Post
    Players are supposed to start even.
    I know I already answered, but I do think that this is an important point to consider regardless of what method you use. The players at the least ought to be aware of the consequences of the stat generation choice, and (ideally) be okay with those consequences.

    With a very random stat generation, there is going to be the chance of one player being much more or less powerful than the others. If the players can handle this, great; if not, not so great. On the other hand, point buy gives you a sure thing that's statistically balanced - which can take away the thrill of victory of an excellent stat roll (along with the agony of defeat when those three ones come up), as well as potentially screwing MAD classes that might benefit from a lucky stat roll.

    (My own method tries to split the difference, guaranteeing that all characters will get at least one thing that they're really good at).

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    RedSorcererGirl

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Quote Originally Posted by Saph View Post
    1. Low-powered - 22 point buy or less, or 3d6.

    2. Standard - 25 to 28 point buy, or 4d6.

    3. High-powered - 32 point buy, or 4d6 and roll several times, taking the best. (If you use 4d6 but are allowed to reroll a couple of times if you get scores you don't like, pick this category).

    4. Very high-powered - 33-40 point buy, 5d6 ability generation, or anything equivalent.

    5. Off the scale - 41+ point buy, or any method that generates that or more on average.
    Never less than 36. 40 is average. One DM who's running a pair of campaigns goes "off the scale," with 45 (SW Saga) and 50 (3.5). The 50 is a bit much for my liking. Saga at 45 is okay, we're all jedi (who have monk-like MAD.)

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Forgot to mention earlier, but the strangest method we ever used was pick your own stats. Everybody just wrote down the stats that they thought best represented the character they wanted to play. It kinda worked because nobody wanted to be the guy asking for too much. I still don't know why the cleric opted for a 15 wisdom though. He also took skill focus diplomacy without putting in any skill ranks. He wasn't a very good cleric. Or diplomat.
    If you like what I have to say, please check out my GMing Blog where I discuss writing and roleplaying in greater depth.

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Troll in the Playground
     
    RogueGuy

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Last game I'm DMing is using 24d6 reroll 1s, drop lowest 6, do the whole process over again if the total of 18 dice you have is lower than 80, then create abilities in-order. so a roll of 6-6-6-5-5-4-3-6-5... would generate a score of 18-14-14... which could then be assigned to any ability that pleases the player. Sure, it needs some math, but it gives constant high-scores with enough diversity. I'd maybe say it's very high-powered, but they're level 7 characters going into a level 9 dungeon (tomb of horrors), they need it :p

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Usually 4d6 keep the best three, reroll ones.

  20. - Top - End - #20
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    Satyr's Avatar

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Generally speaking, I normally prefer higher ability score instead of the common inflation of magical items; It's much preferable to have high stats from the very beginning and avoid the standardised ability boosters than the other way round.

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Standard 28 pb most of the time, but often (about 40% of the time) 24 pb.

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    I haven't used die rolls for this or hit points since 2nd edition. We usually go for 30 or 32 points. Everyone is happy and no one feels shafted because they no longer have to choose where to put their 3-6 score (Do I want my character concept + ridiculous frailty, bumbling clumsiness, crippling sickness, drooling stupidity, mind-boggling naivety, or wrist-slitting social ineptitude? Hmmm...tough choice. Maybe we'll just use point buy and play the characters we want to play.)

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Orc in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    In my current game, players have the choice of stat gen using cards or taking the elite array.

    The card method is
    - take 3-8 of clubs & 4-9 of hearts and shuffel them together
    - deal the cards into six sets of two
    - add up the value of each set and assign that to a stat
    this gives a total number of stat points equal to that of the elite array

    Both methods are approximatly equivalent to 25 point buy.
    (the card method may give a slightly higher point buy total, but it also gives less choice to the player)
    Last edited by Roog; 2008-12-29 at 01:23 PM.

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Orc in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Mostly High-Powered.
    But often Standard, too.

    It's been quite a while since we went lower. As for very high-powered, when we do this, it means one of two things: either it's indeed a high-powered campaign for super-heroes OR the Nerf Bat is hovering over every caster's and powergamer's head: lots of houserules, lots of banned material, low magic settings etc.
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  25. - Top - End - #25
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    I'm in love with the concept of 3d6 six times, arranging scores as necessary. The only adjustment is that you get to treat your lowest die result of the three as though it was a 6.

    It's simple, elegant, and it produces results from the playable range of 8 to 18 without making the extreme's too common. Point buy is also fun, but the amount varies depending on the needs of the campaign.

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    We tend to pretty high point values - in the Very High powered range, but we've been doing gestalt, so there's a lot of MAD.

    One campaign was done by having everyone roll their stats on 4d6, taking best three - and then looking at the point buy for it. Those below the highest point buy could add to their stats to get an equivalent point buy.

    Another was a 36 point buy. Pretty big.

    The last was a set of stats. Everybody got an 18,16,14,12,10, and 8 to distribute. Makes certain that you have one weak stat, one really strong stat, and some stuff in the middle.

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Pixie in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    The closest to what we do is Very High Powered
    The average ends up being 37 point buy, but that's because we combine dice rolling with point buy to generate characters. Everyone rolls 4d6, rerolling 1's and 2's, and then add the total to 20, and that's how many points they get to generate their character.

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Matthew's Avatar

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    Standard or Elite Array.
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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    John Campbell's Avatar

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    The game I'm currently playing in uses sum-to-85, which is ridiculous, because the original DM (who has since handed the campaign over to someone else, who is however still using that generation method for new PCs to be fair to everybody) made the fairly common mistake of conflating "being a hero" with "having ridiculous stats".

    My last character in that game worked out to, IIRC, 54 point buy. My current one isn't as bad, because he's above-average to good in everything - most of his stats are 14-16, and he has nothing higher than 16 - rather than being good to awesome in two-thirds of his stats and poor to average in the other couple, but he still works out in the lower 40s point-buy, I think.
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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Telonius's Avatar

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    Default Re: [3.5] What stat array/point buy do you play with?

    I'm pretty sure that 85 point buy 1 to 1 could get you, at most, a 56 point buy using the standard (three 18s, a 15, and two 8s), and a 38 point buy at minimum (five 14s and a 15). Splitting the difference there, you're working at about a 47 point buy under that system.

    Or, if you're using 3 as the minimum, upper range is 61 (four 18s, a 10, and a 3), for an average of 49.5 (call it 50) point buy.

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