D&D 5E How do you handle randomly rolling for stats

[Osgood]

Whenever we roll stats, I always have a couple of players that get boned. I like to keep things even, so I've tried this a few times. I give them the choice, whatever the majority decides, we go with (and I am the tiebreaker): they can either go with standard point buy or a shared set of rolled stats, arranged however they like. Each player rolls one stat (4d6, drop the lowest). Since I have six players, we get the full set. If I'm feeling especially generous, I will roll a secret stat myself, and if they really get something terrible, they can trade for what I have, but they have to take it sight unseen--so they could be trading a 6 for a 4!

 

[Maxperson]

My players like to play heroes, so this is how we do it. The players pick two stats to roll 5d6-2L, two stats to roll 4d6-L, and two stats to roll 3d6 straight up.

The 5d6-2L tends to go in the main stats for the class. Barbarians commonly see strength and con for instance. The 4d6-L go in important to the character for some reason stats. And the 3d6 are the "dump" stats. However, since it's all randomly rolled, I've seen "dump" stats of 17 or 18, and 5d6-2L stats of 8 or 9. After the stats are rolled they get to make one swap of stats. That way if really bad luck strikes and the 5d6-2L roll is bad, they can swap a better number in from one of the other stats.

After all the above is done, if the players stat total doesn't add up to 78, they get to roll 1d6 for each point under 78 they rolled and add +1 to that stat. Stats are numbered in order 1 to 6 with strength at the top and charisma at the bottom. An added point cannot bring a stat above 18 and if that would happen, the 1d6 is re-rolled until an appropriate stat is indicated.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I once rolled again (the DM told me so) after rolling my very bad array. I rolled a very good array...
I chose the bad one... in a two player campaign... I did not regret it.

Actually I love my character and I proved that the game is very good at allowing badly rolled characters still contribute very well...

... if the DM does not make the mistake and randomly increasing AC of monsters, because they look so low... (which I did during the D&Dnext playtest and my DM did at the start of our).

The game makes sense guys.

And since I made that experience with my character, I don't worry anymore.

 

[nevin]

(This post started out as an aside to a reply to the following post but I decided there would be better chances of a discussion in a new thread)


Whenever the DM offers you a choice of chargen method, ask yourself - what are my chances of "gaming the DM"

For example, I don't think it is too uncommon for a DM to "reasonably" say "choose either random rolling or the default array; you have to keep what you rolled but if you're super unhappy with the results you can resort to the default array instead."

Are you aware this very likely results in a significantly higher average than if the DM just stated "everybody starts with the default array, full stop."

That is because you simply roll - if you roll great (or at the very least "interesting") you keep that result. Otherwise you plead, whine or bully your DM into allowing you to switch to the default array.

Thus making the default array approximate the mathematical floor of results rather than the average.

---

The proper way of giving out this choice would instead be (this is just one example to illustrate my point out of many):

Choose either random rolling or the default array. If you don't like your random rolls, you can instead choose the following array: 15, 13, 12, 10, 8, 6

That is, the "fallback" array is less generous than the array you're initially allowed to choose.

(It's obviously important you tell this to the players before they make a choice. Otherwise they're likely going to try to cajole you into allowing them to keep the default array, or make a re-roll, or whatever)

Also important: This fallback array shouldn't be merely a cosmetic downgrade either, like an array such as 15, 14, 13, 10, 8, 6 where you get to keep the only numbers that matter, the top 2 or arguably top 3. In my example above, I intentionally only retain the top 1 number; everything else is downgraded and your lowest stat is now a mechanically impactful weakness)

We usually do 4d6 and you can reroll if you don't like em. But you can't go back. Not that being said If someone's stat's really suck I'll bump em up to par with other players. It's not fun to have unluck follow every move you make from day one.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

My players like to play heroes, so this is how we do it. The players pick two stats to roll 5d6-2L, two stats to roll 4d6-L, and two stats to roll 3d6 straight up.

The 5d6-2L tends to go in the main stats for the class. Barbarians commonly see strength and con for instance. The 4d6-L go in important to the character for some reason stats. And the 3d6 are the "dump" stats. However, since it's all randomly rolled, I've seen "dump" stats of 17 or 18, and 5d6-2L stats of 8 or 9. After the stats are rolled they get to make one swap of stats. That way if really bad luck strikes and the 5d6-2L roll is bad, they can swap a better number in from one of the other stats.

After all the above is done, if the players stat total doesn't add up to 78, they get to roll 1d6 for each point under 78 they rolled and add +1 to that stat. Stats are numbered in order 1 to 6 with strength at the top and charisma at the bottom. An added point cannot bring a stat above 18 and if that would happen, the 1d6 is re-rolled until an appropriate stat is indicated.

I like your method. But for 5e I decided to go with 4+3d6 drop lowest. Or 3d6 replace lowest die (even if it is higher) with a 4. I don't want players to start with a natural 20.

 

[Horwath]

point buy but with 32 pts.
15 is still the max, but it cuts down on dump stats.

 

[GrimCo]

Point buy 27 or standard. Having big disparity in stats is real bummer and it hinders players if they had specific concept in mind.

When we did rolled, everyone at the table rolled one set, including DM. Out of 5 sets, we take best one and all players used it. It keeps power level even and everyone has same nubers to work with.

 

[CleverNickName]

When we did rolled, everyone at the table rolled one set, including DM. Out of 5 sets, we take best one and all players used it. It keeps power level even and everyone has same nubers to work with.

That's not a bad way to do it.

 

[CapnZapp]

I use randomized point buy when I want random.

Redrick Roller

That's an interesting and very convenient site.

Spoiler: What's with all the asides...?

Liked the idea more than the implementation. Here's my Javascript for comparison:

    <script>
function roll() {
    // start with all 8s and purchase a +1 increase in one random stat until all points are used up
    let pts = 27;
    let stats = [8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8];
    let costs = [1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 99];
    let stat;
    let output = document.getElementById("output");
    while (pts > 0) {
        let cost;
        do {
            stat = Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);
            // console.log("roll " + stat);
            cost = costs[stats[stat]-8];
        } while (cost > pts);

        pts -= cost;
        stats[stat]++;
        // console.log("increase " + stat + ", pts left " + pts);
    }
    output.textContent += "STR: " + stats[0] +
                        "  CON: " + stats[1] +
                        "  DEX: " + stats[2] +
                        "  INT: " + stats[3] +
                        "  WIS: " + stats[4] +
                        "  CHA: " + stats[5] + ".\n";
}
    </script>

 

[ECMO3]

(This post started out as an aside to a reply to the following post but I decided there would be better chances of a discussion in a new thread)


Whenever the DM offers you a choice of chargen method, ask yourself - what are my chances of "gaming the DM"

For example, I don't think it is too uncommon for a DM to "reasonably" say "choose either random rolling or the default array; you have to keep what you rolled but if you're super unhappy with the results you can resort to the default array instead."

Are you aware this very likely results in a significantly higher average than if the DM just stated "everybody starts with the default array, full stop."

That is because you simply roll - if you roll great (or at the very least "interesting") you keep that result. Otherwise you plead, whine or bully your DM into allowing you to switch to the default array.

Thus making the default array approximate the mathematical floor of results rather than the average.

---

The proper way of giving out this choice would instead be (this is just one example to illustrate my point out of many):

Choose either random rolling or the default array. If you don't like your random rolls, you can instead choose the following array: 15, 13, 12, 10, 8, 6

That is, the "fallback" array is less generous than the array you're initially allowed to choose.

(It's obviously important you tell this to the players before they make a choice. Otherwise they're likely going to try to cajole you into allowing them to keep the default array, or make a re-roll, or whatever)

Also important: This fallback array shouldn't be merely a cosmetic downgrade either, like an array such as 15, 14, 13, 10, 8, 6 where you get to keep the only numbers that matter, the top 2 or arguably top 3. In my example above, I intentionally only retain the top 1 number; everything else is downgraded and your lowest stat is now a mechanically impactful weakness)

I've never had players choose the array. If I am using the RAW methods, Usually it is they choose to roll, occasionally they choose point buy.

However the most common way I do it is by rolling using an adaptation of an old official method from late 1E.

In this method players pick what class they start with at first level then they take their 6 abilities and rank them from most important to least important - so a Barbarian might pick something like this: 1. Strength, 2. Constitution, 3. Dexterity, 4. Wisdom, 5. Intelligence, 6. Charisma.

After they rank their abilities they roll them in order.
Ability #1 (most important): Roll 9d6 and save 3 highest
Ability #2: Roll 8d6 and save 3 highest
Ability #3: Roll 7d6 and save 3 highest
Ability #4: Roll 6d6 and save 3 highest
Ability #5: Roll 5d6 and save 3 highest
Ability #6 (least important): Roll 4d6 and save 3 highest.

After this you choose race and apply bonuses (I allow the Tasha's floating bonuses).

This generates very high scores overall on average, but you can't move the scores. The average score is a 16 in the primary ability before racial bonuses and it is not uncommon to have a 13+ in every ability but you can't move them, so if your Barbarian has a higher intelligence than strength, then she has a higher intelligence than strength. Rolling 9 dice for the most important ability virtually guarantees at least a 14 after the +2 for race and a 19 or 20 is relatively common.

This adds a lot of flavor to characters because it eliminates "dump stats" and the luck can give very high scores in "unimportant" abilities, while virtually assuring you have good scores in the important abilities.

For example we have a V Human player who rolled a melee fighter and after racial mods had a 16 Strength, 14 Con, 18 Intelligence and 18 Wisdom at 1st level. The Bugbear Barbarian had a 19 Strength, 18 Dex, 16 Constitution, 17 Wisdom at 1st level.

This is by far my favorite method of generating stats when I am a DM. I always play in small groups (3-4 PCs).