Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 roman Mar 02, 2007 7:09:03	I remember that Dark Sun used to use the 5d4 method for generating ability scores. (I no longer recall if it was roll for stats in order, or assign at will.) I am wondering, does anybody still use that stat-generating method in Dark Sun anymore? If not, what methods do you use for Dark Sun? Standard D&D 4d6 drop the lowest or something else?
#2 mouthymerc Mar 02, 2007 7:23:30	Personally, I like point builds, usually the Tougher or High-Powered point buys. If you like rolling stats, Option 4: The Floating Reroll might be good. Option 8: High-Powered Characters may also be a good way to go if you want stronger characters but still want the randomness of rolling.
#3 brun01 Mar 02, 2007 8:51:21	I use a custom point system, the one in DMG, but adapted to go up to 20. The next release of the Core Rules will have something about ability generation.
#4 shim Mar 02, 2007 9:38:32	We use 4d6, drop lowest. Roll in order of stats (Str, dex, con etc). Then you may reroll one stat. Then you may switch two stats. Untill now, it works fine.
#5 dirk00001 Mar 02, 2007 9:59:18	I use 4d4+4 in m game, and also give an attribute increase every even level (although you cannot increase the same attribute two times in a row; i.e. a single attribute can only be increased every 4 levels).
#6 bengeldorn Mar 02, 2007 18:47:20	If you're interested you could take a look at this table, I created. There are several variants, how you could roll attributs, and you can see how tough or weak a character could become. I personally dislike variants that allow character to have attribute scores higher than 18, because the half-giant would become IMO too powerfull and balancing a half-giant with a strength score of 26 to a 3th level human wizard is really tough IMHO. Besides, I use Dirk's "incresase attribute score at every even level" too, and I think it's a good idea, because as DM you shouldn't give away too much pisonic/magic items, and this option helps to keep the game balanced (ECL <-> CR).
#7 netherek Mar 04, 2007 13:13:06	I use Conan OGL stat increases, it uses the standard set up, plus at 10th and every 4, add one to each stat.
#8 roman Mar 04, 2007 14:28:51	I use Conan OGL stat increases, it uses the standard set up, plus at 10th and every 4, add one to each stat. Am I understanding it correctly: 4th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 8th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 10th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 12th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 16th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 20th level: +1 to ALL ability scores Is it +1 to all ability scores or to one of your choice as per normal D&D rules? Also, is it +1 at level 20, or +2 (both from +1 every 4th level and +1 every 10th level)?
#9 roman Mar 04, 2007 14:29:28	If you're interested you could take a look at this table, I created. There are several variants, how you could roll attributs, and you can see how tough or weak a character could become. I personally dislike variants that allow character to have attribute scores higher than 18, because the half-giant would become IMO too powerfull and balancing a half-giant with a strength score of 26 to a 3th level human wizard is really tough IMHO. Besides, I use Dirk's "incresase attribute score at every even level" too, and I think it's a good idea, because as DM you shouldn't give away too much pisonic/magic items, and this option helps to keep the game balanced (ECL <-> CR). Thats a great statistics table - thanks!
#10 roman Mar 04, 2007 14:31:02	Hmm, I am just wondering - has anybody implemented an ability score increase every level? Would it be too imbalancing to do so (perhaps with some restrictions on how often you can increase each ability score)? I know that some people have done this for feats (a feat every level) and seem to like it.
#11 mouthymerc Mar 04, 2007 17:47:16	Am I understanding it correctly: 4th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 8th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 10th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 12th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 16th level: +1 to ALL ability scores 20th level: +1 to ALL ability scores Is it +1 to all ability scores or to one of your choice as per normal D&D rules? Also, is it +1 at level 20, or +2 (both from +1 every 4th level and +1 every 10th level)? It uses the normal stat increases ( starting at 4th level and every four levels) with an across the board (all stats) +1 increase at 6th level and then every four levels afterward. Looks like this: 4th +1 to one ability 6th +1 to all abilities 8th +1 to one ability 10th +1 to all abilities 12th +1 to one ability 14th +1 to all abilities 16th +1 to one ability 18th +1 to all abilities 20th +1 to one ability
#12 roman Mar 04, 2007 18:25:19	It uses the normal stat increases ( starting at 4th level and every four levels) with an across the board (all stats) +1 increase at 6th level and then every four levels afterward. Looks like this: 4th +1 to one ability 6th +1 to all abilities 8th +1 to one ability 10th +1 to all abilities 12th +1 to one ability 14th +1 to all abilities 16th +1 to one ability 18th +1 to all abilities 20th +1 to one ability Thanks for the clarification. That is a pretty powerful ability score progression.
#13 mouthymerc Mar 04, 2007 18:29:07	Thanks for the clarification. That is a pretty powerful ability score progression. Yes, but the reasoning is that there are all but no magic items to give boosts to attributes.
#14 roman Mar 04, 2007 19:37:30	Yes, but the reasoning is that there are all but no magic items to give boosts to attributes. Good point - I can certainly see how it could be applicable to Dark Sun and by saying it was powerful I was most certainly not trying to imply that it was bad.
#15 dirk00001 Mar 05, 2007 9:43:59	Stat increases every-other level don't seem to be imbalancing, as long as you restrict any single ability score to only going up every 4th level. I could even see an every-level stat increase as working as long as you gave it the same restrictions, although I think this is a little much. In my game, the every-other level increase pretty much just results in each PC having a single maxed-out primary attribute, most/all other stats increased to even numbers (i.e. any odds are bumped up by one to increase the attribute bonus), and one "secondary" attribute that's kept pretty high. At low levels it doesn't differentiate them all that much from normal characters, but once they get into the teens the "even's" start stacking up and put them ahead of the pack. Of course, using a stat-generating system that gives an average of 14 with relatively little differentiation (4d4+4 tends to stick right around the average, in my experience) helps as well, but again I prefer that as it pretty much puts everyone off on the same footing, and leaves it up to the players to decide how they want to go about maximizing their character.