More on Ability Scores

[Stix]

Recently, I introduced the option of rolling statistics. For those of you who've chosen their stats instead, this may seem like a less tempting option, being likely to offer fewer stat points. You'll notice that, as of right now, you have some die rolls posted in your board regardless.

I had planned to make this a surprise, but in considering, I'd rather just make it known: each stat set that you pass up in determining ability scores becomes an adversarial NPC.

The methods break down as follows:


Method I: 3d6

Method II: 3d6 twice or 3d6 arrange

Method III: 4d6

Method IV: 4d6 twice or 4d6 arrange

Method V: 5d6

Method VI: 5d6 twice or 5d6 arrange

Method VII
89 [16] or 88 [16x2]

Method VIII
87 [16x3] or 86 [17]

Method IX
85 [17x2] or 84 [17x3]

Method X
83 [18 or 18/01 Str] or 82 [18x2 or 18/51 Str]

Method XI
81 [18x3 or 18/76 Str] or 80 [19 or 18/00 Str]

Method XII
79 [19x2 or 19 Str] or 78 [19x2]


If the end result chosen is method twelve, yes, the character has up to two ability scores at 19, but he also has eleven people who set out to make his life more difficult (if not end it).

Does anyone have any questions?

[Shadow]

So we're redoing our stats with the rolling system now?

'Cause then I either have to COMPLETELY redo my character or give him an entire party out to jam a hose up his rear. Considering that the former is also a massive nightmare for you, I may opt with that one...

EDIT: Or, option three, scrap my character now and make a whole new one. Again, decent option because it also makes you suffer while I do ^_^

[Stix]

You don't have to use the die rolls, but every stat set you turn down will be an antagonist.

Let's say I want an aasimar ranger. I don't get the stats I was hoping for on any of the six die roll methods. I can instead go on to option seven (two 16s, total of 88 points), and set myself up with the following stats:

Str 13
Dex 16
Con 16
Int 15
Wis 15
Cha 13

Now I've got the ability scores I wanted, but I have six antagonists to show for it (granted, they have crappier scores, but still, that's six people gunning for me). Maybe I got the promotion they were after. Maybe they gambled against me and lost an enormous sum of money. If you have ideas about antagonists who might creep up from your past, I'm certainly open to them.

I'd been setting this up anyway, I just figured it might be a better idea to give people a clue (and since you'd obviously see your own die rolls, now you have an idea of your adversaries' capabilities).

[Shadow]

So that's a yes on doing this to our current character? Because again, I will have a full damned party out for my head. It's that or I completely redo things or make a new char, and either one will remove me from any sort of participation for well over a month, during which time I may attempt to give you conniption fits via questions and ideas for making me go back over everything a second time. As interesting as this sounds, and as much as I'll happily do this for each character I make in the future, but... yes, I feel like complaining here.

Hmm, or I could design the NPCs that are after me... yes, yes that's interesting...

[Stix]

This is actually something I was already doing behind the scenes without telling anybody. You don't have to rewrite your stats or change a single thing. However, if you do want to use a set of stats that you rolled instead of selected, you may.

In some cases, the dice are lucky and you may end up with even better stats. In more cases, the die rolls will give you nothing resembling your current character. Some people may opt to go with a lesser stat set in the interest of having fewer enemies, and that's fine. (I'm a realist, and I expect that very few will go this route, in the interest of having both a more powerful character and a more convoluted story. That's fine too.)

To reiterate: nothing is being changed, I'm just publicizing what I was already doing and providing you a little foreknowledge about your enemies. The antagonists will have the stats you rejected and earn XP at the same rate that you do, but may be of any possible race/class/faction combination.

Your enemies don't have to know about each other (unless you inadvertently bring them to one another's attention) -- they're no more organized than you, and they don't follow you everywhere to kill you. Just because you have nine enemies doesn't mean that you've got a band of assassins, a Harmonium patrol, and a trio of Ysgardian berserkers hounding your every step. But it might mean that there's a piked-off spellslinger who used to be one of your fellow students, and was frequently overlooked because you were the promising one.

[Shadow]

Okay, I think I get it... you were already rolling up enemies for us, but now we get the option of changing our stats to stem the flow of bad guys?

Guess I should stop complaining then =P

[TheGratefulNed]

For the two different options on Methods II, IV and VI...can we roll 6 sets (of 3, 4, or 5 as appropriate) and decide then whether to keep them in order and reroll or to arrange what we got? Or do we have to decide before rolling which option we want to use?

[exile]

Quick question from the peanut gallery - can we rearrange the stats or do we have to take them as they are? If for instance my spell slinger received not only the strength of a bull, but the brains of one as well, could I swap those numbers out?

[Stix]

Jul 1, 2009 15:48:32 GMT -5 Shadow said:

Okay, I think I get it... you were already rolling up enemies for us, but now we get the option of changing our stats to stem the flow of bad guys?

You are correct, sir. You also get a little advance warning about the capabilities of the people you've got to watch out for.

Jul 1, 2009 16:53:17 GMT -5 TheGratefulNed said:

For the two different options on Methods II, IV and VI...can we roll 6 sets (of 3, 4, or 5 as appropriate) and decide then whether to keep them in order and reroll or to arrange what we got? Or do we have to decide before rolling which option we want to use?

The rules on the roll have to be determined first. "Method II-A" or "Method IV-B", for example, should be in the subject line.

Note: some of you know this already, but for those who don't or have forgotten... the dice code can only handle so many iterations per page. You'll want a new thread for each die roll method.

Jul 1, 2009 21:26:39 GMT -5 exile said:

Quick question from the peanut gallery - can we rearrange the stats or do we have to take them as they are? If for instance my spell slinger received not only the strength of a bull, but the brains of one as well, could I swap those numbers out?

The odd-numbered methods are "take what you get" -- the die rolls are in order. For the even-numbered methods, you may choose to either roll twice for each ability score and take them in order, or to roll six ability scores and arrange them as you please.

For dual-class characters especially, die rolls may end with no possible way to create the character you already have. If that's the case, you're under no obligation to change anything.

[artemis]

Who doesn't want a whole gang of people wanting to kill them? HA! HA! I say bring it! No, I recant that.....let's just see how the dice fall shall we?