Rolling stats ?

weasel fierce · Post by **weasel fierce** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:58 pm

The book recommends 3D6, arrange to taste. Im sure grognards do 3D6 in order (if you're truly old school, your Referee rolls for you )

I've thought of something like the 4D6 drop lowest, but rolled in order. Rolling stats in order tends to result in characters that you wouldnt normally see (the charming fighter or the strong wizard), and give a bit more variety and challenge.

What do people do ?

Combat_Kyle · Post by **Combat_Kyle** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:06 pm

Mine is a little complicated, but here it is:

Ability Scores

Standard 3d6 rolled six times is used. However each player rolls 3 sets of stats. For example Jeff rolls his three sets of stats and they turn out as so:

Set 1 Rolls Set 2 Rolls Set 3 Rolls

9 14 12

13 11 15

11 9 9

7 7 13

14 16 10

10 8 11

Jeff can choose any one of these three sets. He has to choose the set in its entirety, (no mix-matching of best scores). Lets say that Jeff chooses set three. Jeff now adds four points to his attributes as desires. He can raise one stat by four or four by one, or any combination thereof. Jeff may not raise any stat higher than 18 unless a racial modifier increases it to 19. Lets say that Jeff wants to dived his four points as so

Set 3 Rolls Jeffs attributes for his character now look like this:

12+1 =13

15+1 =16

9 9

13+2+ 15

10 10

11 11

Jeff now has 3 Attributes that give his character a positive modifier, he can now arrange them to taste, and if he wishes he can place that 15 in an attribute that will receive a racial modifier that boosts it to 16. This method of attribute creation seems complicated at first, but allows for more powerful characters and more customization of attributes.
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johns · Post by **johns** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:05 pm

Robert Fisher's Classic D&D site had a method whereby players roll 36d6 and then assign three dice to each attribute.

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:59 pm

I do 4d6, drop the lowest, but allow the player to switch out his die rolls for a standard score package if he hates a particular die roll. It's an all or nothing deal though.

On my site, I have a genetic character generation system that uses different die rolls depending on whether the attribute being rolled for is dominant, average, or recessive.
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Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:19 am

Players, at least all the ones I have ever GMed, like high stats. So I give it to them. Besides, I lilke my NPC's and monsters to have high stats. Average and low stats are fro the "common" folk!

Here is how I give them high stats, then later modified by my "stat training" rules I have mentioned elsewhere. 4d6, re-roll 1's and 2's until 3 is the lowest number on the dice, keep 3.

So average stat in my game is a 15.

Of course with the Prime system, I am finding stat bonuses to be far less important in the success of your character. In fact, it is smarter to put your high stats in non-prime attributes.

The One and All · Post by **The One and All** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:38 am

Treebore wrote:
Of course with the Prime system, I am finding stat bonuses to be far less important in the success of your character. In fact, it is smarter to put your high stats in non-prime attributes.

Umm.. I never saw it this way.. but it makes sense though..

But is all depends how your CK wants you to RP your stats..

moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:42 pm

Hi, I mentioned this in another thread but:

Like most of you who replied... I use 4d6 and drop the lowest one EXCEPT if it is a 1. This gives a range of 4-19 and the reason I do this is because I view characters as heroes and a bit more extraordinary compared to even the heartiest of commoner.

Naturally, I allow the rolls to be arranged as per the player's discretion.

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Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 6:40 am

The One and All wrote:
Umm.. I never saw it this way.. but it makes sense though..

But is all depends how your CK wants you to RP your stats..

Very true. CK rules trump every other conideration.

ZeornWarlock · Post by **ZeornWarlock** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:17 am

For my players they either do it as in the PH or they do it with my following custom method...

1d6 +7 So this way, no one gets a 3 lol, and this keeps the power gamers at a fine distance!
Whatever method they chose, I also let them train their stats like this...

Without a trainer, a score of 11 would cost 110 XP. (10XP/stat.) (They can upgrade only once per/session.) It would cost another 120 for a stat of 12 and so on...

Or with a trainer, a score of 11 would cost half XP. (5XP/Stat) But will cost gold at 20gp/stat. (Once per/session.)

However there are some requirements to this...

First you can improve a stat until there are no more penalties. Second you can improve your prime stats to a bonus of +2, no matter how high it already is. EX: a 12 all the way up to a 16 (12 = 0 while 16 = +2 and so on...)

The rest stay as they are.
ZW.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 2:28 pm

I use 2d2, drop the highest.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 2:43 pm

serleran wrote:
I use 2d2, drop the highest.

Dude. Hardcore old school.

Hell Yeah.

angelius · Post by **angelius** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 3:57 pm

My PCs would be jealous, I thought I was being easy with my 3d6 and you get to choose where that goes.

My PCs would kill for a 4d6 drop the lowest.
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seskis281 · Post by **seskis281** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:17 pm

POWER! POWER!

Roll 2d20, add a template of +3, +6, +2 etc. depending on the Half-Dragon you play....

Oh crap, channeled a poster or two from enworld threads... sorry.
In all seriousness, I like the 4d6 drop lowest set, and then add 4 (like Kyle does)

I also think I'll give future players a "standard attribute" point system option if they prefer not to roll - 72 base points (that's 12 each), then they can move around but can only go as high as 16 or as low as 8 before racial modifiers - gives them the option of being "in control" of the all-around design but leaves the classic stats-roll as the process by which someone could get an 18.

Just a thought anyway. 8)

John
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weasel fierce · Post by **weasel fierce** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:19 pm

Seskis, thats not a bad idea. I may just try something like that.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:23 pm

I had a system (lost it when the ezHack happened and the old CKG forum was destroyed) that used priorities, much like the FASA system found in games like Mech Warrior and Shadowrun. It did attributes, race, class, equipment (starting wealth), and something else... I'll have to see if I can't find it on a CD somewhere. Anyway, the basics: apply a letter, like A to a category, making it the "most important" to your character. Then, depending on the priority, it gave you what you used to generate the scores, so, for example, the A priority in Physical stats might be 4d6-L (re-reroll 1s), but a C (average priority) would be something like 3d6. The purpose was to work alongside my classless system, but having lost the original version of the priority system, I had to rebuild the classless thing so it'd make sense to people.

ChaosImp · Post by **ChaosImp** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:46 am

We just roll 18d6 and arrange them among the six stats. i thought at first you would get a lot of high scores but it actually works out pretty even.

IMP

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 1:22 pm

I allow my players to roll 3 different sets using 3d6. No mixing and matching between the sets, choose the set you like best.

Tried once using 2d6 + 6 for each stat (someone said it gave a slightly higher avergae) and the results were obscene enough I retired that idea quickly (I sat there as my wife rolled up a characte with an 18, two 17's and two 16's and a 13) Thats just crazy.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 3:24 pm

DangerDwarf wrote:
I allow my players to roll 3 different sets using 3d6. No mixing and matching between the sets, choose the set you like best.

Tried once using 2d6 + 6 for each stat (someone said it gave a slightly higher avergae) and the results were obscene enough I retired that idea quickly (I sat there as my wife rolled up a characte with an 18, two 17's and two 16's and a 13) Thats just crazy.

Well, then I am crazy. My method is crazy enough that I see characters like that rolled fairly regularly. I figure they just studied hard and worked out like a dog.

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 3:25 pm

She bucked the average, since the average should be a 13. It's not crazy that she rolled well, unless of course the dice were loaded.

EDIT: Shut off smilies.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 3:39 pm

Traveller wrote:
She bucked the average, since the average should be a 13. It's not crazy that she rolled well, unless of course the dice were loaded.

You are correct, the rest of the players rolled using the same method and had more "normal" results, just a little higher average then usual in my games. But still...an 18 and two 17's...

I'm just jealous none of my characters have been that badass.

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:49 pm

It is a slightly higher average, which is why current iterations of the Basic Role Playing system by Chaosium use 2d6+6 for several attributes.

Here's your averages:

3d6 = 10.5 (round up to 11)

4d6, drop lowest = 12.25 (round down to 12)

2d6+6 = 13

In regards to my own work, which I mentioned on page 1, here are the averages in regards to the die rolls on that little article.

1d6+12 = 15.5 (round up to 16)

2d6+6 = 13

3d4 = 7.5 (round up to 8)

It was much worse in the older version of the article, as I had the 3d4 die roll be 1d6+2, which led to an average of 5.5 (round up to 6), which I discovered to be really punishing. I debated doing 1d6+6 (average 9.5, round up to 10), which would in fact make the averages symmetrical between the three different die rolls, but I chose 3d4 in the article because while there is a five point difference in the averages instead of three, 1d6+6 would ensure that no one ever got less than a 7, and I felt that the entire system needed to cover from 3 to 18.

I think you were simply jealous that your wife rolled the high scores and you didn't.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:04 pm

Traveller wrote:
I think you were simply jealous that your wife rolled the high scores and you didn't.

Damn skippy I was. Best I ever actually rolled was a 2nd edition thief who had an 18 dex and a 16 cha (yay...) the rest of his stats were....well....average or less then average. And I thought he RAWKED!!!

Thanks for breaking down the averages though, pretty insightful.

babbage · Post by **babbage** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:53 am

During my 3e period (known as the 'Dark Ages' to some), we used the point-buy for a high-powered campaign. Since then, with the 'Renaissance Period' I have gone back to an old, tried-and-tested, been-using-it-since-1e formula.

4d6, drop the lowest, arranged to suit, 2 x 16s or higher (or lower if you want).

My point is that the players have to be happy and to be able to choose. Otherwise they won't play. Some players like a challenge, but that was when we had the time.

Anyway... that was (and is) how we do it.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:35 pm

I've always used plain old "3d6 six times, stick 'em where you like". However, for a particularly challenging campaign I must say that 2d6+6 may prove popular. I certainly like the look of it.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 11:24 pm

Okay, I'm going to quit being jealous of people who roll good. I rolled up a dwarven fighter (3d6, arrange as desired) and ended up with a 17 strength and constitution (17 con after the +1 racial adjust). None of the other stats are very noteworthy, but none give negatives either. One of best sets I personally have ever rolled.

Its a shame I'm always CK though. Oh well, he could have been cool.

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:06 am

Keep those stats for a NPC.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:10 am

Yeah. As the one who is 99.99999% of the time who CK's/DM's/GM's whatever, from time to time I like to roll up a character, give him a background, buy his gear all that other stuff. I have a notebook I keep the completed characters in. Sometimes I get to use them as a player. Most of the time I end up thumbing through the notebook later and end up using them as NPC's in the campaign.

Maliki · Post by **Maliki** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:29 am

My last campaign I used the 2d6+6, put them where you want them. I had one player that was a bit overpowered, but the other 5 where not so bad. A little above average, but that comes with being heroes. (At least IMC)
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Omote · Post by **Omote** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:40 pm

I use good ole' 3d6, arrange to taste. However I let players roll up 3 to 6 sets of stats and pick the one they want.

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james_austintx · Post by **james_austintx** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:08 pm

Anyone ever used the UA method?

I guess that method is better if you have stat min's to get into classes.
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