D&D 5E Group Stat Rolling

[ro]

Many players like rolling for their ability scores because they can get higher scores than through point buy. However, DMS frequently find that all player miraculously overcome the laws of probability and have better than average arrays. Rolling with the DM present mitigates this, but problems can still arise when some players roll average or great stats, and others roll poor stats, leaving the party unbalanced. Here is a new way to address this.

Group Stat Rolling

Every player rolls 4d6 drop lowest six times as normal to create six scores. No re-rolling is allowed. These scores are not recorded on the players' character sheets.
One player or the DM records all of the scores rolled for the whole group and orders them least to greatest.
The scores are distributed in one of the following ways:
1) The DM and players work together to distribute the rolled scores across all the characters in the group.
2) The players take turns choosing their scores, alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise around the table, with the players at the ends making two choices in a row as with placing settlements in Settlers of Catan.

The DM or a player should also average all the rolled scores. When a new character is added (such as after character death or when a new player joins the table), the new character's scores should be made to match this average.

Group stat rolling would keep the party balanced and also start the game off with player teamwork, the foundation of great D&D!

 

[Oofta]

Why not just give out more points for point buy and allow people to buy above a 15? Or come up with a new set of balanced arrays and have people choose from it?

Maybe I'm just missing your point, this just seems like a complex way to generate an array.

 

[Ganymede81]

Those were my thoughts as well.

This looks like a big machination designed to iron out some of the randomness/swinginess of rolling stats. If you want the higher average stats of rolling without the randomness, why not just let your players use an elite starting array or an enhanced point buy?

 

[Yama Dai O]

This inspired me. In some hypothetical future game, I will make each player roll one ability score until we have six. This will be the array all PCs will be using for that campaign. They will forever blame the player who rolled that 6, setting them up against each other from the very start. Divide and conquer!

(No, I'm not entirely serious.)

 

[TwoSix]

Maybe I'm just missing your point, this just seems like a complex way to generate an array.

I think the missing point is the social aspect. Maybe you forgo grabbing the highest stat because you're playing a class that doesn't need as high of a score. Or maybe you take a 12 instead of a 13 because another player wants to multiclass. That sort of thing.

 

[Ganymede81]

I think the missing point is the social aspect. Maybe you forgo grabbing the highest stat because you're playing a class that doesn't need as high of a score. Or maybe you take a 12 instead of a 13 because another player wants to multiclass. That sort of thing.

If communal decision-making were the point, there would be no need to implement a bouncing back-and-forth draft for the scores. You'd just pick the scores as a committee.

 

[TwoSix]

If communal decision-making were the point, there would be no need to implement a bouncing back-and-forth draft for the scores. You'd just pick the scores as a committee.

You could do that as well, I imagine. It depends on the social dynamics of the group. The snake draft just helps formalize the structure, and helps ensure that the choices for your character are ultimately yours.

 

[ro]

If communal decision-making were the point, there would be no need to implement a bouncing back-and-forth draft for the scores. You'd just pick the scores as a committee.

You could do that as well, I imagine. It depends on the social dynamics of the group. The snake draft just helps formalize the structure, and helps ensure that the choices for your character are ultimately yours.

Right on both counts. Picking by committee works for some groups, especially those who know each other better and don't have dominating personalities, whereas the snake draft gives a similar balance and group feel, but with structure for groups that don't know each other well or have less-assertive/quiet players who would otherwise not participate/get run over. Two sides of the same coin of group party-building.

This sort of thing could also be helpful for new players who don't fully understand what stats are for and how to place them wisely. There is both input from other group members and discussion and examples to follow, but still individual choice. Brand New Guy can say, "Oh, that guy over there who is good at this game chose a high number for Dex. I wonder why? Maybe I should, too."

 

[Tony Vargas]

Group Stat Rolling

Or you could just use an array, it's likely to get pretty close to that (maybe a little better overall), or a 'bidding' or 'draft' chargen system...

The players take turns choosing their scores, alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise around the table, with the players at the ends making two choices in a row as with placing settlements in Settlers of Catan.

Yeah, like that. Whether the stats are random or not, it could work fine.

 

[Yunru]

Between the table, roll in order 6 times (so six sets of scores).
Make a 6x6 grid with these.
Players may choose any row or column, forwards or backwards, but they can't otherwise reorder the scores.