What are the weirdest ways to roll up stats?

[that_one_kobold]

It's pretty much how it sounds, what are some of the more wacky ways of generating an array? A couple rules: A) keep it balanced. I would say max power is what you could get from 4d6 drop the lowest. B) Bonus points if you don't use d6s!

[Naanomi]

I had a GM in 2e allow d20s straight down the line, or 18d6 place them however you want

[Grod_The_Giant]

One I've seen proposed and liked was "everyone rolls a set of 6 stats (however you like-- 3d6, 4d6b3, whatever) and puts them in an array. The DM rolls extra, until you have a 6x6 array of values. Everyone then picks a row, column, or diagonal; those are your stats. (In order optional)." That way you get the variability of rolling stats without screwing over the one guy who rolled really well/badly.

[imanidiot]

Roll 24d6 and assign 3 dice to each stat.

For something without d6, roll 3d4+6 for each stat.

The first method tends to produce characters with multiple 18s and multiple dump stats. The second just bumps the average stat up to 13-14

[ad_hoc]

I like using cards.

Shuffle up the 2-6s of a deck of cards and deal out 6 piles of 3.

If you like you can take out a 2 and a 6 or two 4s to keep the sum even across all players.

[Afrodactyl]

We've done straight d20s before which was pretty rough.

We've also done each player rolling one lot of 4d6 and dropping lowest, and then collabing all the results together (we have six players and a DM usually), and use that as our standard array

[ORione]

We each got a pool of 20-something d6s. We divided these dice among the stats, and rolled that many dice for each stat. Then we added the best three to get that stat.

So for example, I wanted high wisdom, so I assigned 12 dice to wisdom. Two of them came up as six, and at least one came up as five, so my wisdom was 17.
Meanwhile, I only assigned three dice to dexterity. Those three dice rolled well, and my dexterity was also 17.

[JNAProductions]

20d1bX, where X is the desired stat number.

Guaranteed results! :P

[Theodoxus]

I'm using this currently:

Ability Score Generation

Scores are generated using a d4 or a d6 depending on race and class choices. Instead of typical attributes between 3 and 20, we’ll be generating the modifiers only. Your class determines the number of dice you roll for each attribute. Your race might modify the die or provide a bonus to the final roll. Regardless of the result, the range of attributes is =1 to +5. If you end up with lower than -1, adjust to -1; if you end up with higher than +5, adjust to +5.
If you can roll multiple dice, you keep the single highest result.
For the d6, a roll of 1 equals -1; 2 equals 0; 3 equals +1; 4 equals +2; 5 equals +3 and 6 equals +4. For the d4, each roll corresponds to its true value.

Class Attributes:

Spoiler

Show

Cleric
Str: 2d6 Dex: 2d6 Con: 2d6 Int: 1d6 Wis: 3d6 Cha: 2d6
Fighter
Str: 3d6 Dex: 3d6 Con: 3d6 Int: 1d6 Wis: 1d6 Cha: 1d6
Rogue
Str: 1d6 Dex: 3d6 Con: 2d6 Int: 2d6 Wis: 2d6 Cha: 2d6
Sorcerer
Str: 1d6 Dex: 3d6 Con: 3d6 Int: 1d6 Wis: 1d6 Cha: 3d6
Wizard
Str: 1d6 Dex: 2d6 Con: 2d6 Int: 3d6 Wis: 2d6 Cha: 2d6

Race Modifications:

Any race that provides a +2 bonus to a stat, instead has that stat changed to a d4. A +1 bonus remains a +1 bonus.

[ETA: I don't use the monstrous humanoids for Volo's, but I would suggest that if you have something with -2 to an attribute, to use a "d4-2" for the roll, resulting in a -1 to +2 range.]

In the past, we've used Grod's example - everyone rolls stats, everyone decides which array we'll all use; it's like randomized Standard Array for the party.

Another, non-d6 generation method I've toyed with, but not actually used yet, is using the average of 4d20D1 (standard rounding). This makes getting 1,2,19 and 20 super unlikely, and has the built in bell curve like using 6's, with just a touch more math, for those who enjoy that sort of thing.

[danpit2991]

5d4 straight down ....it can be epic

[SkylarkR6]

Roll 3d6 36 times and place them in a 6x6 array. You can pick any row or column as long as the total of your stats does not exceed 80.

[TIPOT]

There was a dragon magazine article which gave rules for distributing stats via a weird tarot reading using a three dragon ante deck. It was pretty fun.

[Greywander]

I'm just gonna drop this here.

One of the methods from the link above that I found interesting, but haven't gotten a chance to use yet, is called the "organic method".

Roll six times recording in order using the best 3 of 4d6. Re-roll any one ability score taking the best of the two. Then switch any two scores.

In a strange way I like this. It is the method I have now settled on for use for any Old School-style campaign I'll run - though I will still continue to look for another method and ultimately bow to the players desires if they hate it. As I see it, it would likely allow the elimination of at least one low score, possibly even replacing it with a very high one, or perhaps merely improving a mediocre score a bit. It's the score switch that I like, enabling some customization of the results so that a character need not be saddled with a low score where it's most needed, but then challenging the player with a character who is almost always going to have notable imperfections, yet not generally "gimping" the character or making it unplayable. Such characters will be qualified for their job, but often not ideally qualified.

Since 3E eliminated the class and race qualifications this method now enables what Method I in second edition (the "Iron Man" method) must have been intended to do - challenge the players with characters that need to be taken as-is, warts and all, and exercise the imagination to account for and overcome their inadequacies. Even if players came to me and floored me by asking for a really hardcore campaign this is almost certainly the method I'd use rather than Iron Man. But given a reasonable DM who allows a few re-rolls of overly-average characters it will produce fine results and seems to me to be the best compromise of all possible stat-generation methods - for Old School approaches to the game.

There once was a time where the 1E/2E perspective about maintaining balance had me convinced that players shouldn't have complete control over their characters creation in ways that I now consider almost fascist. Though I never inflicted it upon any players I secretly held the belief that the only proper way to roll up characters was the Iron Man method (3d6, in order, six times). Only after 3E had been out for a while did I really embrace the notion that, as somebody once put it and convinced me otherwise, "It is not a crime for PC's to be good at something," and start to rethink the very fundamental reasoning behind character generation methods.

To me it seems like this method strikes the right balance between randomness that makes for more interesting characters that are unexpectedly good or bad at something you wouldn't expect (like a wizard with a Strength of 17), and providing players with a limited degree of control to insure that their primary ability scores for their class aren't garbage.

Bonus points if you have them pick their class first, then roll ability scores.

[UrielAwakened]

I like the idea of everyone rolling 4d6, drop lowest, in order from Str to Cha, and then each getting a bonus feat to start.

Then each player can trade their stats freely with the other players, including using their bonus feat as a bargaining chip.

Say you've got a 17 Str but an 8 Con, maybe someone else will trade you their 16 Con if you also throw in your 14 Wis for their 8 Wis.

[UrielAwakened]

Another idea: Blackjack stats.

You get dealt six hands of blackjack. You can keep hitting each hand as much as you want, but if you go over 21 that stat is an 8 instead.

I guess if you want to be slightly more balanced you could do anything higher than 18 becomes an 8 instead.

[Christian]

One of the methods from the link above that I found interesting, but haven't gotten a chance to use yet, is called the "organic method".
Roll six times recording in order using the best 3 of 4d6. Re-roll any one ability score taking the best of the two. Then switch any two scores.

I have been using this for years, going back to 3.0, and never fell out of love with it. If the player has a class in mind to play, they can guarantee that their best roll goes into their prime requisite, or that the lowest goes into their dump stat of choice, but never both. The single re-roll makes it unlikely they'll get any really, really bad rolls; or, if they want, they can spend that on a higher stat if their worst roll happened to end up in a good dump stat. Lots of options and choices, and yet very few cookie-cutter characters like you seem to get with point-buy systems.

[Knaight]

You have 6 bonus dice. Assign these to attributes however you see fit, with each attribute having to have an integer number of dice of at least -1. Then roll (3+bonus dice)d6k3 for each attribute. If you assigned a -1, roll 4d6 and keep the worst three.

[Laserlight]

Our DM for upcoming Strahd campaign had each player roll a column, 4d6b3 reroll 1s, to form a 6x6 array; then any player can take any column or row, and assign any number to any stat. I happened to roll 18 17 16 16 13 10, but at least one of the other players chose to use a lower set of numbers.

I've done 2d6+6.

Oddest method, though, is an amnesiac campaign where you don't know what your stats or abilities are. The DM assigns them, you discover them through experience.

[Gardakan]

Rolling stats with loaded dice is quite weird.

Don't mind me expelling you from my table.

Also... arriving with pre-rolled stats to a table which is a session 0 is quite weird.

[Daithi]

Another idea: Blackjack stats.

You get dealt six hands of blackjack. You can keep hitting each hand as much as you want, but if you go over 21 that stat is an 8 instead.

I guess if you want to be slightly more balanced you could do anything higher than 18 becomes an 8 instead.

I like this, but I'd rather roll for it. Roll 3d6 and then have the option to keep rolling a d6 that you add to the total. If you go over 18 you busted and your ability score is an 8. This would make anything below a 13 an automatic roll of the d6. A 13 would be another roll; a 14 probably be a roll; anything 15 or higher would probably be too risky.

Maybe rolling 3d6 and using 2d4 as the roll to add to the total would give a wider range. Anything below 11 is an auto roll, but 5 is the average roll, so anything 13 or higher would be risky to reroll.

[JellyPooga]

Another idea: Blackjack stats.

You get dealt six hands of blackjack. You can keep hitting each hand as much as you want, but if you go over 21 that stat is an 8 instead.

I guess if you want to be slightly more balanced you could do anything higher than 18 becomes an 8 instead.

I really like this idea, but the chance of going bust is a little high. Perhaps using a rigged deck that doesn't have picture cards would work; taking out all those 10-value cards would reduce that "bust" chance significantly.

An optional modification, instead of lowering "bust" to anything over 18, introduce a mandatory "drop one" for any value between 18 and 21;

E.g.1 - I have 9+5+5=19 and decide to stick (duh). As I have a value between 18 and 21, I must lose one card, so I drop one of the 5's, leaving me with a final score of 14.

This would tend to give higher values, I think, but would also encourage players to push their luck a little more; with the leeway to drop a lower valued card if you get into that sweet spot of 19-21, the temptation to "hit" for another card is high.

[gr8artist]

Wierdest I've used?

Roll 2d6+5 six times, then assign the results as you see fit.

Here's one I've thought of doing, though.

Roll 4 dice (d6's), assigning the best 3 to your stats in the order they're rolled.
You can use d4's for one stat in exchange for d8's for a different stat. You may do so twice, if you want to.
No stat can begin with more than 20 before racial modifiers.

[numerek]

stat rolling alternative

[Kane0]

8 + 1d4/1d6/1d8/1d8/1d10/1d12

Pool of 4d4 + 4d6 + 4d8 + 3d10, 3d12 choose any three from your pool to roll for each stat

8d20 choose 6

1d6 for each stat (1=8, 2=10, 3=12, 4=14, 5=16, 6=18), with rerolls is you're generous

[Lonely Tylenol]

I used to use the grid method for determining stats

4d6b3, roll 9 times, arrange in a 3x3 grid in the order rolled. Columns are physical stats (Str, Dex, Con) and rows are mental stats (Int, Wis, Cha). Each roll can be applied to either the physical or mental stat on its applicable row/column, but only once.

For example, I just rolled:

17 | 13 | 10
14 | 13 | 11
17 | 05 | 11

Kind of a mixed result. I am likely to have a great Str, an average Dex, and a poor Con. This gears me towards a heavy armor user, because having a poor Con and Dex is suicide otherwise. My Str will always be at least 14, so this means I’m capable of being a Str-based character no matter what I do. From there, I basically have my choice of strong mental stat to accompany my Strength; I have a high watermark of 17 Int, 14 Wos, and 17 Cha, respectively. Probably my best bet would be an Eldritch Knight or Paladin, although a Ranger or Cleric would be fine as well. If I went Paladin, I’d probably go Mountain Dwarf, for a stat line of 19/13/13/14/13/17, and grab Resilient (Con) at 4, Heavy Armor Master at 8, bump Con/Cha the rest of the way. Dragonborn would also work, with a 19/13/11/14/13/18, take Resilient (Con) and bump Con all the way. If I went Eldritch Knight, I’d probably still go Dwarf, but the initial array would change to 19/13/13/17/14/11 (or 5 Cha, and just be the most insufferable prick ever).

Another example:

11 | 10 | 08
16 | 11 | 13
16 | 13 | 09

...Probably would still play a Paladin with this array. Maybe a Cleric. Either way, I won’t be very smart (16/13/13/11/11/16 for the Paladin, or 16/11/13/11/16/13 for the Cleric).

16 | 16 | 13
11 | 12 | 09
11 | 07 | 15

This is a pretty diverse array. I won’t play a Wisdom caster, unless perhaps it’s a Ranger, but otherwise the whole gamut is being represented. If I was playing this array, I would probably play a Goliath Barbarian (18/16/16/13/12/11) and relish the opportunity to pump Con and still have a good enough Dex for a good AC score, or an Arcane Trickster Rogue with an Intelligence bent (Con/Int Vuman with Observant would make a strong entry-level scout and build into a mixed threat caster/stabby fellow, with 11/16/16/18/12/11 to start), or a High Elf to similar effect, with a more Dexterity-heavy bent. Or I could just play a Rock Gnome Wizard (11/16/16/18/12/11). Or an Abyssal Tiefling Bard (11/16/14/16/12/17). &c, &c.

I have also played “2d20, three advantage, three disadvantage” before. You have to call which (between advantage and disadvantage) you use after each roll. I remember a friend taking advantage on 20/15, when I told him to take disadvantage just to be safe. His last roll was disadvantage and he rolled 20, then 1!

For funsies, I rolled:

12/5 (adv)
6/6 (dis)
9/19 (adv)
11/2 (adv)
8/20 (ouch, dis)
13/20 (dis, WHY THO)

[UrielAwakened]

I like this, but I'd rather roll for it. Roll 3d6 and then have the option to keep rolling a d6 that you add to the total. If you go over 18 you busted and your ability score is an 8. This would make anything below a 13 an automatic roll of the d6. A 13 would be another roll; a 14 probably be a roll; anything 15 or higher would probably be too risky.

Maybe rolling 3d6 and using 2d4 as the roll to add to the total would give a wider range. Anything below 11 is an auto roll, but 5 is the average roll, so anything 13 or higher would be risky to reroll.

Okay now I want to use this forever. I'd probably do 3d6, and then 2d6 after personally.

EDIT: Did some testing. It works best if you roll 2d6, then 1d6 each time after.

[Ganymede]

1d18, six times.

[Arkhios]

"Focus & Foible." Never used it myself and I don't know if it's a "real deal" from somewhere or just the creation of the people I've heard using it.

Assign an 18 and an 8 to chosen stats, then roll 1d10+7 in order for the rest.

I hear they had some really wacky characters.

[strangebloke]

"Focus & Foible." Never used it myself and I don't know if it's a "real deal" from somewhere or just the creation of the people I've heard using it.

Assign an 18 and an 8 to chosen stats, then roll 1d10+7 in order for the rest.

I hear they had some really wacky characters.

I've done this! Very fun, in my opinion. People who want to play Gishes usually get rather disapointed by this process. That said, the results of 1d10 + 7 are not that different from 4d6b3.

I used to use the grid method for determining stats

LOL that's a good way to get high stats. You're essentially doing 3[4d6b3]b1. I estimate that has an average of like 15. If you did 3[3d6]b1 then you'd end up with an average of like 13. Much more balanced, but different strokes for different folks.

[Demonslayer666]

Weirdest I've used, 3d6 in order.

I want to try a new method of generating a character, that will allow you to shoot for something you want to play class-wise, but may make you pick something different. This would of course have to get player buy-in first. Pick your race, and your background, roll 4d6 once and drop the lowest. Place your stat where you like and it cannot be changed. Continue until all your stats are completed. Pick your class. This allows the player to pick the race they want to play, and try for the class they want, but it may work out different when assigning stats.