I ran the numbers on a lot of different stat rolling methods a few months ago but since then I've thought of a new way that should be very balanced and involve the whole group. Everyone roll up 6 stats (using your preferred method) and combine all the rolls in one list. Example-
player 1 rolls- 12 15 16 14 13 11
player 2 rolls- 17 14 14 9 14 15
player 3 rolls- 12 14 9 13 18 14
player 4 rolls- 15 8 8 11 6 11
list-
12 15 16 14 13 11 17 14 14 9 14 15 12 14 9 13 18 14 15 8 8 11 6 11
Now players take turns selecting the stats for their pc from the list. Who goes first? Roll init for it or go with whoever had the highest stat roll. In this case, player 3 goes first because he rolled an 18. Now the trick to this is that the stats picked have to be in order and the same exact 6 numbers can't be picked twice. So considering everyone wants that juicy 18, they might pick stats like this-
player 1 picks- 18 14 15 8 8 11 fighter
player 2 picks- 13 18 14 15 8 8 rogue
player 3 picks- 14 9 13 18 14 15 mage
player 4 picks- 12 14 9 13 18 14 cleric
This way everyone gets a really good chance at decent scores that are in line with everyone else's scores and the results still produce interesting, organic-feeling characters.
That's pretty interesting - although it would create mass bloodshed at my table. Maybe I have the players do it and see who stabs who with a d4?
ReplyDelete:)
- Ark
If doing this creates bloodshed at your table, I'd love to see what your group did if you made them create characters for WFRP or HackMaster. Or, heaven forbid, Traveller where you can die in character creation. ;)
DeleteThat's a very interesting technique. I love to see something like this where someone is really "thinking outside the box". Very ingenious.
ReplyDeleteBut, to play Devil's Advocate, imagine a series like: ...3 3 3 3 18 14 14 8 8 8 ... where the rest of the rolls are all low. The fighter would be looking pretty good, the thief would be weak but a playable trapfinder/lockpicker, but the wizard/cleric would be in real trouble. Granted it is an extreme example, but it is a possible outcome where different characters would be drastically superior/inferior to one another.
I'd think that even if your group was rolling strict 3d6 stats, you'd still end up with playable stats in there somewhere. And the bigger your group, the better the odds.
DeleteIt's very similar to an old method where each player rolls six groups of stats, arranges them in a table, and then picks a line of stats to use from that table. The disadvantage of that is that each player has to roll 36 times. The group rolling duplicates this method but without all the excess rolling.
Very cool idea.
ReplyDeleteI had an idea here the players all roll and just pick a from all sets rolled up (so if one guy gets a great set, everyone benefits) but this is really ingenious.
17 14 14 9 14 15 looks pretty damn playable too.
or 15 16 14 13 11 17 would make a good paladin :)
DeleteI saw that array as well and would use it for the fighter if not playing AD&D.
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