Quote from: Wrath of God on December 22, 2021, 11:28:21 AM
It would be thrice as fast otherwise.

If you want fast, then just use a stat array.  You can randomly determine where the 15, and the 8 (and all the rest) go.

I mean turnover rate would be thrice as fast with pure 3d6

For my games it's not a hard/fast rule. I run AD&D 2e. I want to know my player's. Like my brother likes a challenge but doesn't want an incompetent character (what you define as incompetent is up to you). I like my player's to feel like their characters are a cut above. If I had a standard it's 4d6 seven times. Drop the lowest rolled then assign as desired. I also allow the rule from the rules cyclopedia of adjusting ability scores (especially if they really want a fighter type with exceptional strength and have the points to spend from somewhere else).

Quote from: Svenhelgrim on December 22, 2021, 11:27:30 AM

Quote from: S'mon on December 21, 2021, 03:39:21 PM
I'm playing a BFRPG game where it's 3d6 in order, but you can reroll if stats total under 70 or net mods are negative. This seems to work very well in making viable but interesting PCs, who tend to cluster in the bit-above-average range.

Lamentations of the Flame Princess recommends re-rolling if the total bonuses of your stats do not add up to +1.  This seems like the most effective method since every character has at least one good trait to make up for any bad ones.

It is also surprising considering the high turnover rate of LOTFP's adventurers.

That's effectively how the point trade method in B/X works. There are very few 3d6 in order stat arrays that can't be nudged to a +1 somewhere.

And high stats are usually correlated with high turnover rates, because while high stats let take on more foes at once, or more powerful foes, it's doesn't make you proportionally tougher like leveling does. More powerful, but more fragile or more on the edge.

Quote from: Chris24601 on December 20, 2021, 04:59:01 AM
I did 3d6 in order once right in front of the DM; Str 17, Int 13, Wis 14, Dex 18, Con 17, Cha 16. Human Fighter who got a 9 on his starting HD for 12 hp. I don't remember the exact number but got close to max starting gold so had an AC 0 (chain+shield+dex).

Everyone else rolled like crap. They went through several PCs each before they got anywhere close while my character advanced in level. They weren't having fun and I wasn't having fun because they weren't having fun.

Experiences like that are why I never play systems with random stat generation anymore. Arrays or Point Buy make character creation smoother and puts all the players on the same field as a starting point. At least that's been my experience.

Requirements before one rolls for stats:
1. Don't be a whiny bitch.

Addendum: a GM who doesn't ask for too many rolls also helps a lot.


Those numbers are astronomically good.

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on December 22, 2021, 06:13:36 PM

Quote from: Chris24601 on December 20, 2021, 04:59:01 AM
I did 3d6 in order once right in front of the DM; Str 17, Int 13, Wis 14, Dex 18, Con 17, Cha 16. Human Fighter who got a 9 on his starting HD for 12 hp. I don't remember the exact number but got close to max starting gold so had an AC 0 (chain+shield+dex).

Everyone else rolled like crap. They went through several PCs each before they got anywhere close while my character advanced in level. They weren't having fun and I wasn't having fun because they weren't having fun.

Experiences like that are why I never play systems with random stat generation anymore. Arrays or Point Buy make character creation smoother and puts all the players on the same field as a starting point. At least that's been my experience.

Requirements before one rolls for stats:
1. Don't be a whiny bitch.

Addendum: a GM who doesn't ask for too many rolls also helps a lot.


Those numbers are astronomically good.

I'm aware. It was my one-in-a-million PC and I've never matched that in rolling again ever; though to be fair, outside of Palladium, I also haven't touched a system that uses random roll as its default in thirty years.

3D6 down the line.

Otherwise, farting with extra dice, switching around and various mods is some half-baked midway between random and point buy so if we're going random, let's do Random with a capital R.

If you have a table who can't handle low scores, just roll 2D6+6 and be done with it. In most OSR games, they will have plenty of 13s providing them the false security of a +1 bonus.

Quote from: Chris24601 on December 20, 2021, 04:59:01 AM

I did 3d6 in order once right in front of the DM; Str 17, Int 13, Wis 14, Dex 18, Con 17, Cha 16. Human Fighter who got a 9 on his starting HD for 12 hp. I don't remember the exact number but got close to max starting gold so had an AC 0 (chain+shield+dex).

Everyone else rolled like crap. They went through several PCs each before they got anywhere close while my character advanced in level. They weren't having fun and I wasn't having fun because they weren't having fun.

Experiences like that are why I never play systems with random stat generation anymore. Arrays or Point Buy make character creation smoother and puts all the players on the same field as a starting point. At least that's been my experience.

Dude, that sounds awesome. I'd have so much fun.

Quote from: S'mon on December 21, 2021, 03:39:21 PM
I'm playing a BFRPG game where it's 3d6 in order, but you can reroll if stats total under 70 or net mods are negative. This seems to work very well in making viable but interesting PCs, who tend to cluster in the bit-above-average range.

Rolling 2 or 3 characters with the straight 3d6 down the line method and picking the one that most fits what you want to play works.

Quote from: Jam The MF on December 08, 2021, 11:45:07 PM
Just curious what the membership prefers.

It's worth pointing out that the OP was not really meant to be a discussion of what method is "best". There is no universal "best", there is only the method(s) that a given player feels suits their RPG goals best.

For some people, for what they seek to get out of RPGs, a strict system may fit them best. That doesn't suit me, but my goals don't have to be the same as others'.

For D&D, historically I played mostly 2E, and did 4d6 drop lowest 7 times, drop lowest total, then arrange, and that worked well for us. I never played 3E or 4E, except the online/computer versions (NWN, NWN2, D&DO, Neverwinter), and those are all point buy systems. I'm now playing 5E, and 5E tends to exalt PCs, so the 4d6 drop lowest doesn't make me as happy in the long run.

I think 3d6 reroll 1s is preferable for my goals in 5E, but YMMV. I will say, however that I would always want players to arrange their rolls as they please.

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on December 22, 2021, 06:13:36 PM
Requirements before one rolls for stats:
1. Don't be a whiny bitch.

Life, aka those odd hours between gaming, is best enhanced by avoiding all flavors of the whiny bitch.

Our group uses 4d6 drop lowest, arrange as you like.  Seems to work for us.