Post by skitch on Sept 19, 2016 15:40:58 GMT -6
Dice Potential Arrays Demonstration
Here, I'm rolling 10 sets of 3d6 (then 4d6 drop low) arrays, strictly, to see what types of characters come about as a result. While I asked earlier, I'm going to use Basic D&D stat arrangement for the chuckles:
3d6 Arrays (Basic D&D)
4d6 Drop Low (Basic D&D)
3d6 Arrays (5e)
4d6 Drop Low
Here, I'm rolling 10 sets of 3d6 (then 4d6 drop low) arrays, strictly, to see what types of characters come about as a result. While I asked earlier, I'm going to use Basic D&D stat arrangement for the chuckles:
3d6 Arrays (Basic D&D)
STR | INT | WIS | DEX | CON | CHA | Comments |
10 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 12 | Fairly generic |
8 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | Not better... |
15 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 9 | 15 | Well then! |
14 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 11 | Fighter/Thief |
5 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 11 | Generic Human |
12 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 7 | Tough but Dumb |
6 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | Smartish |
11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | Above Average |
15 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 17 | Rinaldo |
15 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 13 | Workable, but weakish 'Paladin' of sorts |
STR | INT | WIS | DEX | CON | CHA | Comments |
15 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 9 | Fighter |
14 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 13 | Cleric |
12 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 16 | Uhh...tough Sorcerer, Bard, or Warlock |
8 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 16 | Enchanter/Illusionist Wizard, Lore Bard |
4 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 13 | Above average, but weak |
15 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 11 | Adept, nimble fighter |
14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | Polymath? Very strong |
11 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 8 | Slightly above average smarts |
12 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 10 | Wizard. |
13 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 13 | Cleric |
Converting These tables to 5e arrays:
3d6 Arrays (5e)
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | Comments |
10 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 12 | Cleric |
8 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | Weak Rogue |
15 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 9 | 15 | Anything but Cleric/Druid |
14 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 11 | Fighter/Wizard |
5 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 11 | Generic Human |
12 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 7 | Frail/Slow Cleric |
6 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | Generic |
11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | Above Average |
15 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 17 | Rinaldo |
15 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 13 | Workable, but weakish 'Paladin' of sorts |
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | Comments |
15 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 9 | Fighter |
14 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 13 | Tough, but Slow Fighter |
12 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 16 | Effective Druid/Cleric/Bard |
8 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 16 | Swashbuckler Rogue/Bard |
4 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 13 | Above average, but weak |
15 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 11 | Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger |
14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | Multi-Purpose |
11 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 8 | Slightly quick |
12 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 10 | Rogue |
13 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 13 | Tough, but generic |
Thoughts:
Personally, given how stats work in 5e, 4d6 drop low is much more balanced for having usable stats from a fixed array. 4/10 3d6 arrays had arrays with no stats above 13, whereas 4d6dL gave only one such array (and due to racial mods, this could be eliminated in whole).
Otherwise, I'm not sure whether I prefer D&D Basic or 5e for the original stat locations, but I know why they went the way they did. A THIRD way the stats could lay out could be the following, inspired from Basic D&D, but incorporating the fact that Charisma isn't always a dump stat in 5e:
Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma, Constitution
OR
Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Charisma, Constitution
This way as you roll a strict array, you can basically guess what kind of character you'll be based on which one of the first 5 stats comes up as a good number (same as Basic D&D went with the first 4, due to no Sorcerer, Bard, or Warlock).
Personally, given how stats work in 5e, 4d6 drop low is much more balanced for having usable stats from a fixed array. 4/10 3d6 arrays had arrays with no stats above 13, whereas 4d6dL gave only one such array (and due to racial mods, this could be eliminated in whole).
Otherwise, I'm not sure whether I prefer D&D Basic or 5e for the original stat locations, but I know why they went the way they did. A THIRD way the stats could lay out could be the following, inspired from Basic D&D, but incorporating the fact that Charisma isn't always a dump stat in 5e:
Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma, Constitution
OR
Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Charisma, Constitution
This way as you roll a strict array, you can basically guess what kind of character you'll be based on which one of the first 5 stats comes up as a good number (same as Basic D&D went with the first 4, due to no Sorcerer, Bard, or Warlock).