32 Point Buy for Random T20 Ability Scores...

[Flynn]

Good morning, All,

Today I found a webpage that randomly generated ability scores for 25 Point Buy characters. Of course, I downloaded it and adjusted ever so slightly, so that it creates ability scores for D&D characters that add up to 32 Point Buy instead of 25 Point Buy.

Now, it's easy to create 32 Point Buy ability scores without knowing the numbers and doing the crunching yourself. The nice part is that if you don't like what you generate, you can always just re-generate the numbers until you get a set you like (or at least can live with), since the Point Buy value always adds up to 32, and so the characters are balanced.

http://www.geocities.com/flynnwd/downloads/32pointbuy_random_scores.html

Then, seeing how easy it was, I did the same thing for my Traveller T20 campaign. You can find this page at:

http://www.geocities.com/flynnwd/downloads/t20_32pointbuy_random_scores.html

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[stofsk]

32 seems like such a small number to spread across 8 abilities.

I guess it depends on the campaign. In a 6 ability game I usually have 30 as the point-buy total, which is apparently pretty high. Any thoughts?

 

[Flynn]

stofsk,

I arrived at my number by assuming a 28 Point Buy character for six ability scores (which gives me the numeric range I feel reflects the CT flavor I want), and then assumed 10s for the two remaining stats. Since a 10 costs 2 points, that's 28+2+2=32 points.

For my D&D game, I like higher stats for the PCs and so I use 32 Point Buy with them as well. To get that same flavor you could use the same logic as I describe above: Base for the first six, plus the points needed to get to the average stat you want for the next two stats.

In your case, the base I'd recommend for you is: 30 Base, +2 for a 10 in the seventh stat, +2 for a 10 in the eighth stat, equals 34. If you want a higher average for the remaining two stats, push that basis up a point or two.

I have played a T20 campaign with a base of 42 points (which was 32 times 8/6), and that was just too over-the-top, so I reevaluated and came up with the 32 Point Buy value for my T20 games.

As always, YMMV. If you decide on a different value for your game, save my website's page, open the html file with a text editor, and change the number 32 to whatever you want for your game. Save the file, open it in a web browser and see if you like the resulting numbers. Be sure to change the supporting text and such to reflect your modifications to the code if you are going to post your personal version to the internet, just to avoid confusion.

Enjoy,
Flynn

 

[RickA]

I assume you guys are starting with a base and giving the PC's points to spend going above the base?

Personally never used that system, as I felt the players should be able to reduce below a base for the developement of a character as well as spend to go above the base.

I believe in our game we used a 100 point buy system. It's been a while since we did character generation, but it was the same value/stat that D20 had with addition for the two new base stats.

 

[Flynn]

RickA,

100 Point Buy is not even close to the highest Point Buy method mentioned in the DMG in 3E or v3.5. However, if you are assuming that there's a point-for-point purchase and you start buying points from a base of zero, then I can see where you are coming from. (100/8=12.5 as an average stat.)

Please be aware that it's not the Point Buy method that we are referring to, and may cause confusion from those who are not aware of the differences between your method and that mentioned in the v3.5 DMG, pg 169:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">1. Standard Point Buy: All ability scores start at 8, Take 25 points to spread out among all
abilities. For ability scores of 14 or lower, you buy additional points on a 1-for-1 basis. For
ability scores higher then 14, it costs a little more (see table below). This method allows for
maximum customisation, but you should expect each PC to have at least one really good score.

Ability Score Point Costs

Ability Score ======== Point Cost
09 ============== 01
10 ============== 02
11 ============== 03
12 ============== 04
13 ============== 05
14 ============== 06
15 ============== 08
16 ============== 10
17 ============== 13
18 ============== 16
19 ============== 20
20 ============== 24
21 ============== 29
22 ============== 34

2. Nonstandard Point Buy: Use the standard point buy method except that the player has fewer or
more points for buying scores, as shown on table below,

Type of Campaign Points Allowed
Low-powered campaign 15 points
Challenging campaign 22 points
Tougher campaign 28 points
High-powered campaign 32 points</pre>[/QUOTE]Hope this helps clarify,
Flynn

 

[RickA]

Ah, the sliding scale buy system. No, I use a linear point for point method. 100 points, spend them as you will amongst your eight stats. If you want an 18, you can have an 18. You may have to take a 7 somewhere else, however.

The problem I have with the mentioned above systemis that no one has under an 8, ever.

 

[Flynn]

This only sets their initial stats. Racial adjustments, level advancement and aging all take their toll. But I see where you are coming from, and that's cool for your games. I like mine this way, but what I like isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Happy Travellin',
Flynn

 

[RickA]

Yah, there's no right way or wrong way, not trying to say there is. It's ALWAYS YMMV.

 

[stofsk]

Originally posted by RickA:
The problem I have with the mentioned above systemis that no one has under an 8, ever.

What are you talking about? This is a simple matter.

You start off with 8s in all of the abilities, but there is no reason that you can't take further penalties to a score to give you more points to spend elsewhere. It's a simple matter of rearranging the scores to suit your character concept, and thus gives you maximum customisation.

 

[Flynn]

The code in the webpage is easy enough to change. (In fact, the original page I started from assumed a base 3, and gave 6*5=30 bonus points to the base of 25 to allow scores to be generated below 8. I just wanted something that fit what I've been using for the last two years in my current T20 campaign. There's a link to the original webpage on each of my pages if you want to see how that works.)

You can easily go in to the T20 page I posted, change the code to 100 points, change the base value of each stat from eight to zero, change all values of the point buy cost array (up to 18) to one, and then save the modified page. Load it into a browser and you've got a random stat generator using RickA's method.

Hope that helps,
Flynn

 

[stofsk]

...Or we could use pen and paper.

Working out the point-buy system in your head isn't hard, though some people seem to have a problem with it I found.

 

[Flynn]

The purpose of the webpage was to provide random stats that fit the point value costs, in case someone wanted to randomly create a character's stats instead of doing the math themselves.

Most of us do it in our head, but I've met a few people in my time that just wouldn't or couldn't take the time to figure it out.

At any rate, the webpage was a fun little diversion for about two minutes, and designed for those that "just don't want to be bothered with doing the Point Buy." Fine, create your stats using those randomly generated from this page...

Enjoy,
Flynn