When are rolls to high? [Archive] - Wizards Community

When are rolls to high? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
redwingdragon13
08-20-05, 12:52 AM I currently got some rather high ability score rolls, and began to wonder when rolls get to high. I feel bad playing high ability scored characters, but it does allow you to create interesting mixes. Just a question, in your oppinion, when are ability scores too high?

My Rolls: 14, 11, 15, 18, 12, 17
STR 14
DEX 11
CON 12
INT 17
WIS 15
CHA 18
Fighter
Wellby the Fountain
08-20-05, 01:05 AM well, dont feel too bad about it.. since you got totally screwed by whatever method assigned your stats! i mean, you did notice that your most important stats as a fighter happen to have your lowest rolls in them, didnt you?
Irishvampire
08-21-05, 03:07 PM Uhhhh.. What if he's not a fighter...? :confused:
Wellby the Fountain
08-21-05, 08:07 PM I currently got some rather high ability score rolls, and began to wonder when rolls get to high. I feel bad playing high ability scored characters, but it does allow you to create interesting mixes. Just a question, in your oppinion, when are ability scores too high?

My Rolls: 14, 11, 15, 18, 12, 17
STR 14
DEX 11
CON 12
INT 17
WIS 15
CHA 18
Fighter

i put it in bold for you, you obviously missed it
Cirah
08-21-05, 10:12 PM Eh. You're fine.

There really is nothing like having to high of an ability score.

If you had all 18's, then maybe there would be a problem.

Every character will have high scores by the end of a campaign if they survive. Starting off with some high scores just means you'll have a slight hands up in survivability early on.

Some say low scores lead to a great role play experiance, but so can high scores.
Rowan_Whispercloak
08-22-05, 05:00 AM I've rolled all 18 more that a few times, and the DM usually think my dice are loaded, but then again I tend to use the DM's dice to roll ability scores anyway. I love the look on a DM's face when they relized that I was using their dice to roll stats.
Sluagh
08-22-05, 09:53 AM I don't tend to worry about having scores too high. They're important early on, but as you advance in level their importance seems to fade somewhat for the most part.

Of course, there have been times that I've taken a high score and reduced it to fit what I wanted to do with a character. One of my friends will often say something like "eh, those stats are too good" and will reroll. I'm sure no DM would have issues with players thinking their rolls were too high and reducing them.

Basically, use your (and the DMs) common sense. If you/your DM feel your stats are too high, reroll them or reduce them. If you're both comfortable with them, awesome.
Morka
08-22-05, 10:19 AM I once started to play a rogue with the goal of becoming an Arcane Trickster. So I put my highest roll in Intelligence, and put a 14 in Dexterity. The DM told me: "What the heck, a rogue with only 14 in Dexterity? Put 16, it'll be better!" okay...

Seriously, high rolls are a problem when you become obsessed with them. When instead of wooing the waitress at the tavern, you spend time calculating how much you should use Power Attack to deal maximum damage to an Ettin...
aleshandre
08-22-05, 10:35 AM All I have to say on the subject is if you manage to roll over 18 on any or all of your stats, then you have rolled too high. Other than that, if you roll alot of high stats, then just accept it an play the pitifully powerful character that luck just made you...AND LIKE IT!!
Zephyrus/Sonet
08-22-05, 08:37 PM I rolled 17 17 8 17 17 17, but decided not to use it. I don't like the idea of a guy who is near percfect in every way but one. It's all perfect or bust :)
Trydan
08-24-05, 06:58 AM It is not so much the level of the scores, but the relative level of the scores. This comes in two forms.
When all the scores of a character are similar (whether that be 6x11s or 6x18s). There is then nothing that makes the character stand out as the obiovus brawn/mastermind/guru/whatever... So, unless you want to play something rather flat (which is also okay), then such stats can make life difficult.
The second problem may come about because one character is substantially better or worse than another in the group. If you have a character with 18,18,18,17,16,15, then even though he's the fighter, he is still going to be better at diplomacy than the bard with 8,8,8,9,9,10. As a result, that character takes the action away from others.
Both of these are a problem.

As a solution to the second problem, what a group might do is roll up "group" stats. So, as an example, in a group of four players, instead of rolling 6 x 3d6 for each of the four characters, roll 24 x 3d6. Then roll to see who goes first, and then take it in turns of taking stats from the common pool. That way, it ensures that everyone will have comparable "top" stats, and give everyone the chance to be "best" at something. As a further variant, allow players to swap stats. For example Player A can swap a 17 and 9 for two 14s from Player B. Just an idea...
aleshandre
08-24-05, 11:50 AM That solution, while certainly valid is complex enough that you might as well just have the players use the standard 32pt point-buy system instead of rolling.
Saxis
08-24-05, 12:29 PM In our gaming group, there are 7 people, and 5 of them DM at least 1 campaign... we actually will have 7 campaings going soon. They use a variety of stat systems. 2 of them use the standard 4d6 drop 1, one uses 28 point buy, one uses 32 point buy and the last one is the strange one... We roll 21d6 all at once. You drop your 3 lowest rolls leaving you with 18d6. You can arrange those 18 in any way you like to get your stats, but you still cannot have an ability greater than 18 in this way. One of our DM's is so unlucky at rolling, that he is allowed to roll 6d6 drop 3 instead of the usual 4d6, and he still comes out about average. All of our DM's let us roll twice and use the best. Our campaigns are fairly high-powered, so the higher stats don't seem to be a problem. If someone gets an unusually high roll, we make them play a Paladin! :D
Sluagh
08-25-05, 09:10 AM One of our DM's is so unlucky at rolling, that he is allowed to roll 6d6 drop 3 instead of the usual 4d6, and he still comes out about average.

Heh, sounds like me, except I don't get 6d6 to roll :P

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
redwingdragon13 08-20-05, 12:52 AM	I currently got some rather high ability score rolls, and began to wonder when rolls get to high. I feel bad playing high ability scored characters, but it does allow you to create interesting mixes. Just a question, in your oppinion, when are ability scores too high? My Rolls: 14, 11, 15, 18, 12, 17 STR 14 DEX 11 CON 12 INT 17 WIS 15 CHA 18 Fighter
Wellby the Fountain 08-20-05, 01:05 AM	well, dont feel too bad about it.. since you got totally screwed by whatever method assigned your stats! i mean, you did notice that your most important stats as a fighter happen to have your lowest rolls in them, didnt you?
Irishvampire 08-21-05, 03:07 PM	Uhhhh.. What if he's not a fighter...? :confused:
Wellby the Fountain 08-21-05, 08:07 PM	I currently got some rather high ability score rolls, and began to wonder when rolls get to high. I feel bad playing high ability scored characters, but it does allow you to create interesting mixes. Just a question, in your oppinion, when are ability scores too high? My Rolls: 14, 11, 15, 18, 12, 17 STR 14 DEX 11 CON 12 INT 17 WIS 15 CHA 18 Fighter i put it in bold for you, you obviously missed it
Cirah 08-21-05, 10:12 PM	Eh. You're fine. There really is nothing like having to high of an ability score. If you had all 18's, then maybe there would be a problem. Every character will have high scores by the end of a campaign if they survive. Starting off with some high scores just means you'll have a slight hands up in survivability early on. Some say low scores lead to a great role play experiance, but so can high scores.
Rowan_Whispercloak 08-22-05, 05:00 AM	I've rolled all 18 more that a few times, and the DM usually think my dice are loaded, but then again I tend to use the DM's dice to roll ability scores anyway. I love the look on a DM's face when they relized that I was using their dice to roll stats.
Sluagh 08-22-05, 09:53 AM	I don't tend to worry about having scores too high. They're important early on, but as you advance in level their importance seems to fade somewhat for the most part. Of course, there have been times that I've taken a high score and reduced it to fit what I wanted to do with a character. One of my friends will often say something like "eh, those stats are too good" and will reroll. I'm sure no DM would have issues with players thinking their rolls were too high and reducing them. Basically, use your (and the DMs) common sense. If you/your DM feel your stats are too high, reroll them or reduce them. If you're both comfortable with them, awesome.
Morka 08-22-05, 10:19 AM	I once started to play a rogue with the goal of becoming an Arcane Trickster. So I put my highest roll in Intelligence, and put a 14 in Dexterity. The DM told me: "What the heck, a rogue with only 14 in Dexterity? Put 16, it'll be better!" okay... Seriously, high rolls are a problem when you become obsessed with them. When instead of wooing the waitress at the tavern, you spend time calculating how much you should use Power Attack to deal maximum damage to an Ettin...
aleshandre 08-22-05, 10:35 AM	All I have to say on the subject is if you manage to roll over 18 on any or all of your stats, then you have rolled too high. Other than that, if you roll alot of high stats, then just accept it an play the pitifully powerful character that luck just made you...AND LIKE IT!!
Zephyrus/Sonet 08-22-05, 08:37 PM	I rolled 17 17 8 17 17 17, but decided not to use it. I don't like the idea of a guy who is near percfect in every way but one. It's all perfect or bust :)
Trydan 08-24-05, 06:58 AM	It is not so much the level of the scores, but the relative level of the scores. This comes in two forms. When all the scores of a character are similar (whether that be 6x11s or 6x18s). There is then nothing that makes the character stand out as the obiovus brawn/mastermind/guru/whatever... So, unless you want to play something rather flat (which is also okay), then such stats can make life difficult. The second problem may come about because one character is substantially better or worse than another in the group. If you have a character with 18,18,18,17,16,15, then even though he's the fighter, he is still going to be better at diplomacy than the bard with 8,8,8,9,9,10. As a result, that character takes the action away from others. Both of these are a problem. As a solution to the second problem, what a group might do is roll up "group" stats. So, as an example, in a group of four players, instead of rolling 6 x 3d6 for each of the four characters, roll 24 x 3d6. Then roll to see who goes first, and then take it in turns of taking stats from the common pool. That way, it ensures that everyone will have comparable "top" stats, and give everyone the chance to be "best" at something. As a further variant, allow players to swap stats. For example Player A can swap a 17 and 9 for two 14s from Player B. Just an idea...
aleshandre 08-24-05, 11:50 AM	That solution, while certainly valid is complex enough that you might as well just have the players use the standard 32pt point-buy system instead of rolling.
Saxis 08-24-05, 12:29 PM	In our gaming group, there are 7 people, and 5 of them DM at least 1 campaign... we actually will have 7 campaings going soon. They use a variety of stat systems. 2 of them use the standard 4d6 drop 1, one uses 28 point buy, one uses 32 point buy and the last one is the strange one... We roll 21d6 all at once. You drop your 3 lowest rolls leaving you with 18d6. You can arrange those 18 in any way you like to get your stats, but you still cannot have an ability greater than 18 in this way. One of our DM's is so unlucky at rolling, that he is allowed to roll 6d6 drop 3 instead of the usual 4d6, and he still comes out about average. All of our DM's let us roll twice and use the best. Our campaigns are fairly high-powered, so the higher stats don't seem to be a problem. If someone gets an unusually high roll, we make them play a Paladin! :D
Sluagh 08-25-05, 09:10 AM	One of our DM's is so unlucky at rolling, that he is allowed to roll 6d6 drop 3 instead of the usual 4d6, and he still comes out about average. Heh, sounds like me, except I don't get 6d6 to roll :P