Alternate Ability Score Generation by Rolling

[redkobold]

What are some alternate methods of rolled ability score generation?

I am not a fan of point buys because I just like to roll dice. I find the 3d6 method generates scores that are overall too low. With 3e+ a 12 is the equivalent of the AD&D 16 so now I find my old favorite the 4d6 drop method a little high and unbalancing overall, especially when the scores can be arranged.

I am considering allowing a player to choose race, then class and then select three abilities that can be 4d6 drop with the remaining as 3d6. The scores would not be arranged. This would help get abilities higher for the character class prime abilities and eliminate some of the min/maxing.

I guess I am looking for something with a somewhat guided randomness.

 

[redkobold]

FREAKY,
I just came across the recent post discussing the old UA method of 3d6 to 8d6 for each ability based on the class.

Anyone else developed any other methods? If not, lets see if we can come up with some proposals.

What about methods using dice other than d6?

I seem to recall some method from a 2e sourcebook for humanoids where a stat was a base number plus a die roll:
12+d8 for example

 

[Dark_Samurai]

One of my DM's likes the 3d6 + 1D8 drop lowest dice method. Is pretty good when you get 20. One way we rolled when we wanted big stats was 3d6+1d8 drop lowest and reroll 1s.

 

[ichabod]

I've calculated the odds for the following variants: d16, 2d8+2, 2d10, 3d6, 3dK (d6 with 1's counting as 6's), 3d6 reroll all ones,3d6 twice take best, d5+d6+d7, 2d6+dK, d6+2dK, d5+d6+dK+1, d4+d6+d8, 3d7, 3d8, 4d6 drop, 3d6+dK drop, 3d6+dA drop (dA is d6 numbered 2,3,3,4,4,5), 2d6+dA+dK drop, 4d6 drop twice take best, 13+5dF (dF is a fudge die, a d6 numbered -1,-1,0,0,1,1), 5d6 drop, 6d6 drop, 7d6 drop, 8d6 drop, 9d6 drop

My shrink has this strange idea that I obsess too much.

 

[SylverFlame]

I was exposed to a system over the summer that I like. The guys who taught it to me call it Devil's Deal.

What you do is roll 3d6 six times. Then, the DM rolls 3d6 six times against your numbers (first to first, second to second, etc). If the DM has four (or more) numbers higher than the related number the player rolled, the player re-rolls. If the player has four or more numbers higher, they keep the stats, and any numbers that the DM rolled higher the player keeps. For example:

Player rolls: 15, 10, 11, 16, 17, 9
DM rolls: 18, 11, 8, 9, 16, 12

In this case, the player can keep the rolls, and gets the following: 18, 11, 11, 16, 17, 12.

I like it. Oh yeah, you distribute the stats how you like, and ties count as the DM having a higher roll.

 

[D+1]

What are some alternate methods of rolled ability score generation?

Alternate methods, eh? Well, skipping over what is currently in the DMG I've got a few suggestions. Be careful what you ask for...

• Set the clock back to at least 1978. Roll 3d6 in order for each ability. Adjustments as follows:
  Wizards +1 Int per -3 Str, +1 Int per -2 Wis
  Clerics +1 Wis per -3 Str, +1 Wis per -2 Int
  Fighters +1 Str per -2 Int, +1 Str per -3 Wis
  Halflings +1 Dex per -2 Int, +1 Dex per -3 Wis
  Dwarves +1 Con per -2 Int, +1 Con per -3 Wis
  Thieves +1 Dex per -2 Int, +1 Dex per -1 Wis
  Con and Cha cannot be altered and no ability can be lowered below 9.
• Roll 3d6 12 times, take best 6 rolls, arrange as desired.
• Roll 3d6 six times for Str keeping the best of the six. Repeat for all other abilities.
• Roll 3d6 for each ability and record in order rolled. Repeat twelve times. Keep best of the twelve attempts.
• The original Unearthed Arcana method had you pick class first, then consult a chart which told how many d6 to roll for each ability score. Roll once for each score taking best 3 of ?d6 (included rolling for Comeliness score).
• roll 3d6 once, in order, for each ability. No rearrangement. The HARDCORE method.
• Roll 3d6 for Str twice keeping the best of the two rolls. Repeat for all other abilities.
• Six rolls of 3d6 each, arranged as desired.
• Each ability starts at a minimum of 8. Roll 7d6. Add individual die results to base ability scores.
• Divide a total of 75 points among the six ability scores as desired.
• Player has a total of 24d6. He decides how many of the 24 he will roll for a given ability score (minimum of 3d6, maximum 6d6). Dice are rolled taking best 3 of ?d6 and recorded as declared.
• DM gives all players the same fixed pool of eighteen d6 die results [for example, 666655554443332211]. Players then add results however desired for scores between 3 and 18, but all dice totals must be used exactly - no leftover points. Alternatively, only 3 die results would be added to any ability score.
• Instead of a fixed pool, players each roll 18d6 randomly and combine results as desired to get stats between 3 and 18. Alternatively, each score must have 3 dice.
• Use the Elite array [15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8] and then add 3 points anywhere desired.
• roll 3d6 eight times, take best 6 rolls, arrange as desired.
• All stats have a base of 6. In order, add 1d6 to each ability. For each previous 1d6 roll subtract the total from 7. Take THOSE numbers and add where desired.
• Pick any other random generation method you like and have all players generate a character. Find the character with the highest point total. All other characters subtract their point total from that. They then get 1/2 the difference between the point totals to add to their stats.
• player rolls best 3 of 4d6 creating 36 scores and recording them in a 6x6 chart. Player then selects preferred row or column on chart to use, in order, for their ability scores.
• roll 2d6+6 six times and arrange as desired.
• Roll any preferred random method to generate first 3 scores. Second 3 scores are determined by subtracting the first three from 25. Arrange as desired.
• Roll 4d20 and take the SECOND highest of the d20 results. Repeat six times. Arrange as desired.
• Roll best 3 of 4d6, in order, for the six abilities. Subtract each ability rolled from 22 to create another character (effectively reversing the ability score distribution). Player chooses preferred of the two characters.
• You can also set up stat auctions, drafts, or lotteries.

You need more?

I guess I am looking for something with a somewhat guided randomness.

Out of all the above, I actually prefer the Organic Method from the 3.5 DMG: best 3 of 4d6, in order, for six abilities. Reroll one score taking the highest result. Then switch any two totals. I would further require that all characters have at least one score that is 15 or higher and/or bonuses totalling +3 or better though YMMV on this.

 

[ManicFuel]

Anyone else developed any other methods? If not, lets see if we can come up with some proposals.

Here's a few ideas:

** Each player assigns one ability as Primary, two as Secondary. Roll 5d6/drop for the primary, 4d6/drop for the Secondary, 3d6 for the rest. Allow an optional d6 they can add to any one ability roll before it is made. You could assign each class Primary and Secondary abilities, but it doesn't always work (finesse fighters wouldn't assign STR as primary, for example.)

** Instead of racial +2/-2, roll 6d4/drop for a +2 score, 5d4/drop for a -2 score. If you don't like the drop method, use 5d4 and 4d4, respectively. My amateur calculations show the effective bonus closer to 1.5, but it has a nice flavor to it. Maybe Ichabod can check my figures there.

** Modify the elite array scores to include a d4, so 13+d4, 12+d4, 11+d4, 10+d4, 8+d4, 6+d4. Arrange in any order.

 

[Ferret]

What about 6 +1d10, or 8 +1d8, or 2d6 +4? I can guess the first two's chance, what about the bell curve on the last?

They should all give non crippled stats that aren't overpowered.

 

[LazarusLong42]

I guess I am looking for something with a somewhat guided randomness.

Well, here's one I'd come up with. First, point buy M points worth of abilities (for a gritty game, this would be 12-15; for a normal game, 18-22; for a high-powered game, 25 or more).

Now, roll N d6s, also determined by the game's power level. (6 for low power, 9 for average, 12 for high-power.) For every 1 rolled, add a point buy point--not an ability point--to Str. For every 2, Dex, and so forth.

Example: John wants to create a Fighter, and is given 20 points of point buy to start with. He buys: Str 14 (6 pts), Dex 9 (1 pt), Con 14 (6), Int 13 (5), Wis 10 (2), Cha 8 (0).

Now, John rolls 10d6, and gets: [1 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6]

His point buy totals are now: 9, 2, 8, 7, 3, 1 -- which correspond to Str 15, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 9. He has an extra "1" and an extra "4" that he did not get to use. At the DM's discretion, John could:

(1) Re-roll those two dice;
(2) Take one bonus skill point in a Str-based skill, and one bonus skill point in an Int-based skill;
(3) Or, he loses those points altogether. Tough luck.

 

[Coredump]

We often do 4d6, drop lowest. Roll this 7 times, pick highest 6, and arrange as desired.