Random Attribute Scores

[Kit]

How about the following for a way of introducing bias into random rolling characters:

Start by rolling 3 dice. Put these dice aside, keeping the score they rolled on them. This is your dice pool.

Now roll your stats in whatever order you please.

Rolling a stat procedes as follows. You roll three dice. You may if you wish swap *one* die you have rolled with one in the dice pool. (This can be done either to increase the value of your dice pool for a later stat or to raise the stat). Once you have done this, total the three dice and record this as your score.

You may not go back and change scores you have previously recorded.

It allows some control over what your stats are - if you roll the important stats later after you've built up your dice pool then you will be able to raise them. On the other hand you might have had to sacrifice other stats to do this. Also the fact that you can only change out one die per stat means that you are limited in how much you can affect this.

[Mike Holmes]

That sounds pretty good. More dice being rolled overall, also means that the character has less chance to be out of range bad.

Mike

[Kit]

Thanks.

As an added note to the mechanic, it scales fairly well if you want to increase character power - you can just increase the size of the dice pool. I don't think it scales down very well, but if you're using a standard D&D stat range this isn't producing very powerful characters at the three dice limit anyway, so that probably isn't an issue.

[JMendes]

Hey, :)

Actually, Kit, this is an awesome chargen method. I think I'll adopt it from now on in my games! :)

Cheers,

J.

[Callan S.]

Kit, that sounds like it could also be used in some way for further play, in terms of gamist resource allocation. I say that because I'm having trouble figuring out all the permutations that it would involve from just reading it...I smell challenge!

[Kit]

It does rather, doesn't it? I'm not sure how well it would implement, but it sounds worth a try.

The obvious extension would be to would be to have a multiple d6 based mechanic and allow the dice pool to act on that as well. My main worry is that it would promote lots of trivial rolls in order to pump the dice pool. Possibly this could be mitigated by assigning the character's some sort of Currency (is that the right word?) which they have to spend in order to activate the dice pool. This could either be spent in order to use the dice pool now or to add more dice to it (obviously it would cost more to add dice than it would to use the pool. Say 10 to 1 ratio or something), but this sounds clunky and tacked on to me.

Anyway, one project at a time. If someone else wants to run with the idea, be my guest. If not then I might have a go with it when (ha ha) Option is finished.