Five Simple House Rules for Character Creation

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  • Опубліковано 26 вер 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,4 тис.

  • @1003JustinLaw
    @1003JustinLaw 4 роки тому +1729

    In my current campaign I have a girl who just got into D&D and was struggling with the background part of her character, and eventually she decided to take the lazy route and go with “I’ve got amnesia”. Well, instead of just ignoring her story, I invented an entire quest-line centres around her and her forgotten past, which greatly helped her develop her role-playing abilities because she was always a little shy and couldn’t bring herself to interact with other PCs or NPCs, this pushed her to the forefront and the whole group really enjoyed it. The only drawback is that now I have to come up with 5 other “homecoming” quest-lines for my other players lol.
    Edit: holy fuck I’m famous

    • @Trahloc
      @Trahloc 4 роки тому +62

      Yeah, I had a similar issue. One of the players couldn't explain why their particular race was in the world and they had virtually zero backstory beyond wanting to play a particular type of character. So I altered the one off module I was using for the first session we were playing where instead of the group escorting the random npc they instead escorted the player to the main city church to investigate who and what this person is since they had an odd magical aura and no memory of who they were when they woke up. As the player started getting a feel for who and what they started getting memory flashbacks. It seemed to go over well with the group.

    • @crownlexicon5225
      @crownlexicon5225 4 роки тому +36

      I actually helped one of my fellow players in our campaign come up with his backstory recently and its pretty similar. Can't remember where I first read about the idea, but its a warlock who sold their memory in exchange for power. All they remember is that they used to be an adventurer (which is good since we started at 5th level and he's joining us at 6th). Did he sell his memory because something horrible happened and he wanted to forget? Or was it so he could experience the thrill of adventuring again? Or perhaps something else?

    • @mattlewandowski73
      @mattlewandowski73 4 роки тому +10

      I personally never cared much for allowing amnesia as a background unless they also work out a real background. I DO allow "generic, generic blah blah I will figure that part out later, generic, generic, more generic" as long as they have a base idea that they can flesh out on the fly, but when they go that route I make them take TONS of notes and let me review between sessions.

    • @crownlexicon5225
      @crownlexicon5225 4 роки тому +23

      @@mattlewandowski73 I would just say "you don't remember? Thats fine. But you have to take whatever bones I throw you and run with it"

    • @jonathanferguson9226
      @jonathanferguson9226 4 роки тому +5

      Simp.

  • @NisGaarde
    @NisGaarde 4 роки тому +415

    I've used the "I Know A Guy" rule like this:
    Each player creates 3 contacts/NPCs that their character know and have some sort of background with, outside of any family members. One will be a friend or ally, someone who would obviously do their best to come to the aid of the character, if needed. One will be more neutral towards the character, like perhaps an old colleague or an innkeeper or a street informant, who will possibly help out the character, but will probably expect something in return. And finally an NPC with whom the character has some sort of beef, unfinished business or rivalry, at least the last time the two of them met. So not necessarily an outright enemy, but just someone who will not immediately feel very friendly or helpful towards the character. Think of a Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back. A true friend would have warned Han and Leia that the Imperials had arrived at Cloud City right there on that landing platform. Instead he kind of sells them out to save his own position. Only to much later turn around and become an ally.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +7

      I guess I've been doing that indirectly. Every character has a backstory, and generally they have ample hooks to hang NPCs from. Like the first Drakkenheim campaign, I made a point of giving each of the players a chance to have that catch-up session with their past, and they couldn't all come at the same time (although they did overlap somewhat) so it wasn't until 9th level that the wizard actually *met* the sorcerer/attorney father who had abandoned her and then secretly sponsored her. (He had close to a hundred children [although the bulk of them were already adults and not dependent on him], and had to focus his money on the most promising ones, but that meant hiding from all of them.)
      I think this is also a good way to give the players a sense of shared ownership in the setting, while simultaneously making life easier for the DM. The player should be encouraged to offer up plot hooks, and more of them than the DM can ever hope to pursue. That way they don't know which one will become important later, and allows maneuvering room when NPCs die (as they do). Realistically, I'd say that each character is entitled to one personal arc per campaign, but it may be a recurring one, and most likely will incorporate multiple of the offered plot hooks. And then some of the details will get used for throwaway gags or incidental NPCs like shopkeepers or tavern owners, getting chuckles out of players just when comic relief is required.

    • @CoverofWinter
      @CoverofWinter 4 роки тому +2

      I have success with just having players roll some social stat then their contact is either hateful or welcoming depending on the roll

    • @DMingThoughts
      @DMingThoughts 3 роки тому

      Yo that's cool idea!

    • @WynneL
      @WynneL 2 роки тому +1

      Oh, I like that a lot! I love writing character backstories, so I'd have a field day writing out the intricacies of those relationships, and why they're friendly/tit for tat/contentious. So many fun possibilities, like old friend from your bard's troupe/childhood music instructor who's used to taking your money/jilted suitor from your hometown.
      And really, it's a smart DM who outsources NPC creation to their players.

  • @hhrvatin2255
    @hhrvatin2255 4 роки тому +342

    1:55 "We have a fond, love-hate relationship with rolling for ability scores"
    Reminded me about the first time I first dungeon mastered, and I watched my players roll for their stats during session 0.
    I kid you not. I watched my friend roll up a starting character with 18 18 18 14 13 10.

    • @kylethomas9130
      @kylethomas9130 4 роки тому +52

      I remember hearing a similar story, except the Ranger got a 20 strength to start with, and the Barbarian only had a 13.

    • @dylandugan76
      @dylandugan76 4 роки тому +30

      I have a player like that. We always roll stats at my table and for four characters across three campaigns, he has always had multiple ability scores at 20 by level 4 (by rolling 2, 3, or 4 18s) and I'm pretty sure he has never once had a negative modifier. The other four always end up with a fairly ordinary array of stats from rolling. No one in our group really minds because he exclusively plays fairly ordinary, even wangrod-y martial characters. His characters are objectively more powerful, but also less interesting.

    • @dylandugan76
      @dylandugan76 4 роки тому +22

      @@GoblinUrNuts My table has come to expect it. No one really minds that his average damage is highest because they gravitate toward RP heavy characters. Although it is challenging as a DM to design my encounters knowing that my party's front line fighter's *average* roll is about nat15 or 16.

    • @Zarsla
      @Zarsla 4 роки тому +24

      I'm playing in my first campaign, my stat roll:
      16 13 18 14 13 11
      ^
      Playing as a divine soul half elf sorcerer.
      So my con & cha are 18.
      My dex, wis, & int are 14.
      Str is 11.
      I think I have the best stats out my team.

    • @TimberwolfJ1
      @TimberwolfJ1 4 роки тому +11

      Literally just today a friend of mine was rolling stats for a artificer he's going to play in my campaign, and for one of his staff he straight-up rolled 5.two 2's and two 1's (we do 4d6 remove the lowest) and it was one of those, welp moments

  • @fxlab2540
    @fxlab2540 4 роки тому +791

    Ok. I've been playing DnD for 33 years. Mostly DMing. Let me say this. You guys are amazing. The work you put into these videos is incredible. This one is, as always, really really good. From all the DnD videos out there, your tips, tricks and thoughts are the ones that influenced my DMing the most in recent years. Thanks Dudes.

    • @sohinimukherjee2856
      @sohinimukherjee2856 4 роки тому +1

      Which version youve been playing from? You gigantic experience amuses me! And i thout with my 11 years i was a veteran!

    • @fxlab2540
      @fxlab2540 4 роки тому +8

      @@sohinimukherjee2856 I started playing 1st edition when I was 8yrs old. I've played 2nd edition AD&D a lot but then 3.5 was a revolution. We didn't even try 4th edition because 3.5 was so good (and reviews of 4th were not great). Then... 5th edition. I think 5th is hands down the best thing that's happened to D&D ever. What about you?

    • @diversezebra6754
      @diversezebra6754 4 роки тому +2

      @@fxlab2540 I find 5e good for one shots or teaching the game, but for any long term game I would never personally run 5e. There is just not enough customization and skill specification to comfortably have a good way to show a Character's growth on a flavor to mechanical level for me, and the more I show 3.5's wide expanses to my new players/friends, the more excited they are getting about trying it out.

    • @dMTable
      @dMTable 4 роки тому +4

      I also, as a DM of 20 years of experience and as someone who just started to teach DMing to others, truly think they provide head and shoulders the best advice amongst the well-known channels. The above ties between party members advice is one of my favourites, as well as a good example of going above and beyond to make a campaign incredibly great.

    • @sixtyninemangler
      @sixtyninemangler 4 роки тому

      I agree, I'm tired of min/maxers trying to bring in characters with three 18s.

  • @silverjohn6037
    @silverjohn6037 4 роки тому +210

    There's an old web comic called Goblin Hollow/Under the Lemon Tree and in one story arc they ran a D&D session. The DM had what he called a DGR rule. Basically you wouldn't expect someone to take up the life of an adventurer unless he had a Darned Good Reason to think he had a chance of surviving so all of his characters were allowed to pick one reasonably powerful skill or weapon that wouldn't normally be allowed to a level one character.

    • @kylethomas9130
      @kylethomas9130 4 роки тому +37

      Whenever I read a gritty fantasy that takes heavy inspiration from DnD mortality, its bogglingly difficult to imagine why some characters would explore dungeons filled with Rock Eaters and Beholders.

    • @TeddyBearAssassin
      @TeddyBearAssassin 4 роки тому +31

      In 5e I really like to let my players start at level 3 if they want, as that's when you can choose your class archetype which unlocks tons of flavor, backstory, and roleplay potential. In my mind I imagine whatever the player was doing before level 3 was largely unimportant compared to them now, a Paladin for example can't even pick their oath until level 3, or a cleric's domain, ect. For a lot of players it's also more interesting to skip the first few levels of using the same few abilities over and over on the same few low level monsters

    • @PandorasFolly
      @PandorasFolly 4 роки тому +6

      @@TeddyBearAssassin excellent choice! Had a DM who liked to play E8 games, most progression stopped at level 8, and he like to start at lvl 3. 3 is the new 1 he would say.

    • @zhangbill1194
      @zhangbill1194 4 роки тому +5

      @@TeddyBearAssassin thats not how subclasses work, yes most classes(fighter, rogue, barb, monk, pali, artificer, ranger and bard) get their subclasses at lv3 but some.get them at lv2 (druid andwizard) and some get theirs at lv1 (warlock, sorc and cleric)

    • @GrugTheJust
      @GrugTheJust 4 роки тому +16

      @@zhangbill1194 But level 3 means ALL players get their archetype. Unless you are suggesting having a player who rolls Warlock to start at 1, and a Barbarian to start at 3?

  • @goodgulfgas
    @goodgulfgas 4 роки тому +418

    Floating ability scores. This is the way. I HATE being stuck to a couple of races for certain character builds. This is why the Half-elf is so popular for Charisma classes.

    • @awesomeawesome8350
      @awesomeawesome8350 4 роки тому +13

      This is the way

    • @MrKoalaburger
      @MrKoalaburger 4 роки тому +15

      Def support this, I always play Charisma focused characters (suits my rp style), and I get annoyed being stuck choosing between... half-elf, or perhaps human. Forget Tieflings, they're always social pariahs in every game.

    • @WorgenGrrl
      @WorgenGrrl 4 роки тому +47

      @@MrKoalaburger "Hi, I'm Jester!"

    • @NemoTheWayfarer
      @NemoTheWayfarer 4 роки тому +3

      @@WorgenGrrl thank you for this! i laughed

    • @WorgenGrrl
      @WorgenGrrl 4 роки тому +11

      @@NemoTheWayfarer Yep. Jester broke the sterotype about Tieflings being social outcasts.

  • @TriMarkC
    @TriMarkC 4 роки тому +233

    My 1st DM has a char creation rule for noobies that I really liked (but haven’t had a chance to use yet). He’d have us create 2 chars, no backstory yet. Then he’d allow us to take 1 stat pt & 1 feat from 1 char to give to the 2nd char. Then he’d help us create a linked backstory between the two chars, usually family or very close friends worked best. And then we’d play the weaker char 1st at Level 1.
    This allowed us to learn the mechanics of the game & some the RP benefits of a sub-optimal char. And very frequently, these chars died quickly - inexperienced players in a gritty world. If death was too fast, he’d allow a “let’s try that again” moment, or the grisseled old-timer mentor NPC would kinda save their bacon but both hurt real bad.
    And when all our 1st chars had died, we’d level up the 2nd chars we had to Level 2. He’d tell us that these chars had received word that their prior linked chars had died, he’d pass down 1 interesting piece of equipment, and off we’d go.
    I loved how this gave us practice, motivation, a little backstory & history in that world, and a tiny benefit carried over from 1 char to another.

    • @SwornRandom
      @SwornRandom 4 роки тому +10

      This is so uniquely cool! I may have to try this out, love the idea of characters pursuing the legacy of their fallen “friends or family”.

    • @ambrosiogiovanni6952
      @ambrosiogiovanni6952 4 роки тому +18

      You guys should name this, the "XCOM rule".

    • @FlatOnHisFace
      @FlatOnHisFace 2 роки тому +3

      What happens if the first characters don't die?

    • @Eggsecuter
      @Eggsecuter 2 роки тому

      @@FlatOnHisFace I think they are “scripted” to die

    • @TriMarkC
      @TriMarkC 2 роки тому +4

      @@FlatOnHisFace LOL Never happened that I remember. I guess you created one good enough to survive, so play it through.

  • @daviddobarganes9115
    @daviddobarganes9115 3 роки тому +107

    That's a nice "I know a guy" rule you got there
    Be a shame if someone stole it

    • @Nighthawk1066_
      @Nighthawk1066_ 3 роки тому +12

      Yeah I know a guy who could probably steal it for you

    • @Anton_Jermakoŭ
      @Anton_Jermakoŭ 3 роки тому

      I literally just caught a guy stealing it you should have been more careful with that

  • @khristian625
    @khristian625 3 роки тому +92

    The Lando rule is implemented reasonably well in Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica, actually. Each player gets an ally and a rival inside their guild, plus a third person they know from another guild, and the renown system in the same book gives the players additional contacts once their renown with the guilds increases

  • @XoRandomGuyoX
    @XoRandomGuyoX 4 роки тому +107

    This video is rock solid for folks looking for the enjoyable cooperative storytelling aspect. The longer a proposed campaign, the worse it is to have bad rolls for creation or leveling hamper one person at the table. That sort of quirkiness is, IMO, better suited to one-shots. You could even have a 'peasant D&D' theme for the one-shot, embracing the bad rolls as ordinary townsfolk attempt to deal with an unusual situation.

    • @eveescastle5866
      @eveescastle5866 4 роки тому +3

      I am of the opinion that low roles in stat gen can create great role-play opportunity, however with that being said nothing sucks more than when you can roll for shit and don't have a single stat above a 12.
      That's why I have a rule that allows players to reroll anything less than a 9 because that way it ensures you aren't stuck with a -3 to start and it increases the likeliness of having decent stats.
      I've played in games where we're allowed to reroll ones which has lead to some pretty high starting stats.
      I've also played in a game that allowed us to reroll ones and one two, which made it more likely to have one amazing stat.

    • @THEPELADOMASTER
      @THEPELADOMASTER 3 роки тому

      God, I'm running a 3 session dungeon crawl as a pause from the main campaign cause the DM has a lot of exams and no time to prepare the game. The cleric... Oh god that cleric... His highest roll was a 13. He had two 8. I think the stats were 13 11 10 10 8 8. Piss poor stats for sure, and that was rerolling 1s. I told him he could roll again, it is after all, just a short dungeon crawl that doesn't matter. He refused. He died last week in the second session.
      It was funny, cause he chose to play with those god awful rolls, but also tragic, cause he kinda got gangbanged by zombies while the rest of the party tried their hardest to reach him.
      To make things worse, the zombies succeeded a lot of the saving throws to not die

  • @Peter-xs2mu
    @Peter-xs2mu 4 роки тому +1527

    Timestamps:
    1:26 - Generating ability scores
    7:53 - Floating ability scores
    10:23 - "Take Half" Hit points addition.
    12:56 - Bonds between Player Characters
    17:21 - the "I know a guy" rule.

    • @Shaagaah
      @Shaagaah 4 роки тому +32

      a godsent comment!

    • @TheBlackSwordsman21
      @TheBlackSwordsman21 4 роки тому +34

      They need to add this to the screen somewhere, so that when you skip through the video or return to it try to find something it's not that frustrating eah time.

    • @Peter-xs2mu
      @Peter-xs2mu 4 роки тому +9

      @@Shaagaah You're welcome! Usually, one of the viewers posts these, sometimes the Dungeon Dudes post the times themselves. It's not that much work and the video is interesting anyways!

    • @quazarthemad
      @quazarthemad 4 роки тому +20

      clutch comment these guys always talk way too long

    • @ppellacani
      @ppellacani 4 роки тому

      💖

  • @TheEndTimes101
    @TheEndTimes101 4 роки тому +50

    When in a PC hometown, I always make them roll a D20 with any NPC they interact with that’s not included in their backstory to determine feelings in prior relationships this rule has made a few Random NPC take on a life of there own and became pieces in the story.

    • @googiegress
      @googiegress Рік тому

      Ah yes, the venerable "reaction check", like morale rules, were largely eliminated from 3e onward.

  • @mal2ksc
    @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +171

    *On being able to move racial bonuses around:*
    I've been doing a lesser version of this -- if you have a +1 to a body stat like DEX, you can move it to any other body stat, but not a mental one. Conversely, a +1 INT could become a +1 WIS or +1 CHA, but not a +1 DEX, STR, or CON. A +2 can't be moved at all, nor can it be split, because I see it as a defining characteristic of the race.
    This tends to loosen the cookie cutter a little, but not enough that you can't still make good guesses on which way a character of a given race will lean. A tiefling is going to have a +2 CHA, you can count on it. But many sub-races seem to vacillate between INT and WIS that I decided that a bonus to one could be moved to the other, and eventually to the more general rule above.
    *On a shared background*
    Even if the players don't feel like participating, they're going to get railroaded into having a shared experience. Since I also like to start at third level (it used to be 5, but I find it's actually nice to "play your way in" to 5th level, you have a better feel for what the character is about that way -- mind you, I fully understand why you are NOT doing that for Season 2), the shared backstory and their 900 XP may be one and the same thing. "This party is together because you already have adventured together out of necessity, and survived two levels." Then we can sit there and make up an explanation for their first two levels, and that becomes their shared experience. Doing this in advance rather than in session would be better, but not strictly necessary.
    *Weapon equivalence*
    I treat weapons that *act* almost the same as if they *were* almost the same. For example, if you have proficiency with rapier, then you have proficiency with all d8 Finesse weapons such as cutlass and khopesh -- the only difference is slashing vs. piercing. If you want to carry a butterfly knife or a switchblade or a stiletto in your boot, they'll all be considered easily concealed daggers, but the penalty will be that they can't be thrown (not balanced for it). This does next to nothing to game mechanics, but allows for a wider variety of weapons to appear in game.

    • @fullbleed24
      @fullbleed24 4 роки тому +8

      Mal-2 KSC this means you can never have a half orc that’s plays anything other than strength characters still. You think orc tribes don’t have clerics that pray to Grumpsh? The strict racial bonus thing kind of sets an uncomfortable racist real world tone. And since games don’t make it past lvl 10, the smartest half orc will never be as smart as the smartest elf

    • @jonispatented
      @jonispatented 4 роки тому +14

      Ryan Block that’s ridiculous. Just put your high stat in wisdom. But still, you think that clerics don’t need to be strong and tough? Those clerics would see their natural affinity for brute strength as another tool for them to serve their god. “What better way for a half-orc to live,” they’d say. Either way, it’s just a bonus, not a command for you to amplify that stat. If you want a wise half orc, just put your high roll in wisdom, and embrace the strength you are given. Done.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +5

      @JonIsPatented
      I like playing tieflings for INT and WIS spellcasters, but I don't demand the +2 CHA get moved elsewhere. I just don't point-buy any CHA. I had a fun time in a one-shot with a winged tiefling theurgy wizard who spent most of her time dragging other characters out of harm's way just before things went boom.

    • @jonispatented
      @jonispatented 4 роки тому +4

      Mal-2 KSC yes. This. This is the way you should do it. Also, that sounds like a fun character. Enjoy it.

    • @QuiescentPilot
      @QuiescentPilot 4 роки тому +6

      Ryan Block you do realize that, for about half of Clerics, STR is their main secondary stat, right? +2 STR +1 WIS is the best you could get for a melee Cleric

  • @aenigma0regis0rises
    @aenigma0regis0rises 4 роки тому +51

    One of the things that I like about starting with bonds is that it makes a larger variety of alignments possible, with it being much easier for a neutral, chaotic, or evil character to already have some investment. I like playing bastards, and this really helps to keep my bastard from screwing the party over.

  • @PedroAugusto-xp4tt
    @PedroAugusto-xp4tt 4 роки тому +269

    Having the first seesion today. You guys's timing is incredible.

    • @kylethomas9130
      @kylethomas9130 4 роки тому +10

      May your foes crit fail, and death saves succeed.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +2

      More than succeed. May they roll a 20 like Pluto, and pop back up.

    • @chucknorris1920
      @chucknorris1920 4 роки тому

      No sir, I say your timing is incredible.

  • @anthiondel
    @anthiondel 4 роки тому +41

    I give all my players expertiese in a skill. I've always felt it "weird" that a bard or rogue is a better athlete than a fighter, or a better arcanist than a wizard. So, all characters have expertiese in one skill, on top of whatever expertiese they may get from classes or feats.

    • @jamesradar7009
      @jamesradar7009 4 роки тому +10

      That’s part of the D&D experience. If something seems BS and doesn’t make sense for then a great DM will change it.

    • @g80gzt
      @g80gzt 4 роки тому +9

      If you ever gain proficiency in something you are already proficient with, it should become Expertise.
      A goliath should never be excluded from soldier background, they should rather be trained and natural athletes making them great at it!

    • @QuiescentPilot
      @QuiescentPilot 4 роки тому +5

      G80 GZT you DO know that if your background gives you a proficiency you already have, you can switch it out for ANY OTHER ONE IN THE GAME, right?

    • @AllThingsFascinate
      @AllThingsFascinate 4 роки тому +1

      @@QuiescentPilot I suppose, but it does feel bad that expertise is locked to just two classes.

    • @QuiescentPilot
      @QuiescentPilot 4 роки тому +3

      Alex Jobe well, at least, the “Expertise” ability is for just two classes. You can get doubled proficiency with some other stuff.
      My point was that backgrounds let you retrain the skills you get from them, if you get the skill another way, which G80 GZT seemed not to know.
      For detail, read this answer on StackExchange: rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/44243/do-proficiencies-with-one-thing-from-multiple-different-sources-stack

  • @lord6617
    @lord6617 4 роки тому +53

    I've wanted to play a game with 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17 stats - it means you actually have weaknesses, not just a dump stat, but lets non-standard races start with a good class ability score, and it makes multiclassing a bit harder because your ability scores are more widely varied.

    • @Anegor
      @Anegor 4 роки тому +17

      Everyone with a 6, will probably turn to a more comical party...6 is a pretty looowww score for everyone to have(and they wont waste their race bonuses on it). One character will be unable to read, another will have a limp, another may be deformed. It's....more comical, and that can be great or it can be terrible, depending on the setting you want to play.

    • @Hazel-xl8in
      @Hazel-xl8in 3 роки тому +1

      play a kobold and start with a 4 in strength

    • @Kavukamari
      @Kavukamari 3 роки тому

      I think this is my preferred as well, very funny

    • @matthewparker9276
      @matthewparker9276 3 роки тому +2

      @@Hazel-xl8in go up against a shadow during of the first session.

    • @googiegress
      @googiegress Рік тому +2

      @@Anegor 6 ain't low. Human average is 10. Look around you at the people you see in life: most of them are carrying around a score of 8, and many of them have a 6 somewhere. Someone with STR 6 in 5e can lift 60 lbs and still move around at 2/3 speed. I've met PLENTY of people who would struggle to lift 60 lbs off the ground much less do that for a whole 8 hour work shift. You don't actually reach the point of disability until 3 or lower, but persons with disability sure do exist. Anyway, a 6 just means you have -2 to do something, or a -10% success chance. Unless you know someone fairly well you might not even spot that kind of weakness. People tend to be pretty good at concealing the things they're terrible at.
      I think this is really just an obsession with bonuses, and an aversion to penalties so deep-seated as to be a significant hindrance to being a functional player. The correct course of action is to play with penalties until you grow as a person and realize that player skill matters far more than a +1 here or a -2 there. If this is not possible for you, then admit it publicly and everyone in the campaign world will have stats of 12-20, even the wee ickle babies and tiny crows, and the numbers will work out so you never have to be scared by that nasty little minus sign ever again.
      TL;DR: stop whining and grow a pair.

  • @josephhemmings9641
    @josephhemmings9641 3 роки тому +3

    Honestly, your set ability scores should be the absolute standard in character creation. It's always great for a character to start off excelling in at least one thing, because it gives the player freedom to take feats and not feel at all trapped to focus on statistically improving their character through score improvements.
    Nothing makes a DnD game feel less fair than rolling die for a character, and having a complete imbalance in power between the party. Each class has different strengths and weaknesses. Give the agency to the players to decide where their ability scores go. I would say, if you were playing with new players and are introducing them to DnD 5th edition, rolling for ability scores is the worst way you could go about it.
    Thanks for the awesome house rules, dudes!

  • @IamWalkingDead1
    @IamWalkingDead1 4 роки тому +115

    I will bring up that changelings can start with a plus 3 to charisma because of their +2 to charisma and additional +1 to any stat of their choice (Jeremy Crawford did say its intended to allow them to add again to charisma) so its possible with that array to have 20 in charisma

    • @NRMRKL
      @NRMRKL 4 роки тому +22

      Well, they are also the only race who could have an 18 in CHA with the normal standard array.
      Since you raise the starting power level of every race, the added benefit of playing a changeling who focuses on CHA vs another race remains the same.

    • @Jawn15
      @Jawn15 4 роки тому +33

      Only if you're a crappy DM. Let em choose what race they want.

    • @therealsarlic4702
      @therealsarlic4702 4 роки тому +17

      John Harrison I treat changeling as a half breed race like half elves and half orcs. It’s a hybrid between a human and a doppelgänger, so their existence regardless of how rare can be justified in any campaign that could justify the existence of doppelgängers.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +6

      I left a LOT of races out of my campaign, largely because they hadn't been published yet when we started. Tabaxi was one of them, since we've been at this since prior to XG₂E. But a player wanted a Tabaxi character, and other characters had already been to the Feywild, so I decided that there are plenty of inhabited planets in the Prime Material Plane, most of which we'll never even list, let alone discuss. All of them share a common set of planes, so once you leave the Prime Material Plane, you can re-insert back into the Prime Material Plane in another solar system entirely if you wish. That's how a character from Tabax got to Tera, my setting, via a Feywild pivot. (You can also use teleportation circles on other planets, since it's still the Prime Material Plane, although you may not be greeted warmly -- many worlds are dominated by a single race and they don't really want outsiders to come and stay.) This dodge should work for ANY race, and I didn't have to change the campaign setting to accommodate them. Gods are also planet-specific, although some are followed on multiple planets. This can cause interesting problems for clerics. It is, however, also a lampshade for why there are so many people trying to start new religions all the time. They're not really new, they're just imports. It also explains why the Eberron, Greyhawk, and Forgotten Realms gods all have followers on Tera.
      tl;dr: If I have no other explanation from where a character comes from, I'm not saying it's aliens, but...

    • @PyroGobbo
      @PyroGobbo 4 роки тому +4

      Makes extreme amounts of sense on a changeling. Still really funny and slightly OP.

  • @bt1080
    @bt1080 8 місяців тому +3

    We use the standard array from the handbook, but then allow a +1, +1, -1 that you can assign as you wish, but have to justify with your background. Makes for just the right bump, and inspires some fun background flavor.

  • @falkyrie5228
    @falkyrie5228 4 роки тому +394

    "This house rule is so popular that it is on the PHB..."
    Is it still a house rule? :|

    • @petereberhard5374
      @petereberhard5374 4 роки тому +21

      its a optional rule

    • @srangara109
      @srangara109 4 роки тому +51

      Half of the hit die as a *minimum* instead of a fixed amount is the house rule.

    • @WannaComment2
      @WannaComment2 4 роки тому +24

      IMO a better houserule for rolling HP is simply "no 1s". If you can just reroll 1s it A: removes the worst possible outcome (which just sucks to get), and B: makes the average roll equal to the suggested average.

    • @ellinosamakuntan2247
      @ellinosamakuntan2247 4 роки тому +8

      @@WannaComment2 I definitely prefer this version
      rolling 1s sucks and kicking that out is fine
      but if the MINIMUM is half
      then you have literally no reason not to roll, half the fun of rolling for anything is that there's always a chance it'll go south, taking that away simply defeats the point of rolling in the first place

    • @James-py4je
      @James-py4je 4 роки тому

      Matter of opinion

  • @nomdeplume9590
    @nomdeplume9590 4 роки тому +91

    "This takes the edge off of the variant human"
    Me: *Laughs in Half-Elf*

    • @QuiescentPilot
      @QuiescentPilot 4 роки тому

      Nom De Plume V. Human is nothing to the Half-Elf. I just finished writing another comment explaining why.

    • @Beardhomestead
      @Beardhomestead 3 роки тому +1

      > implying I don't want two feats

  • @mikedangerdoes
    @mikedangerdoes 4 роки тому +9

    That bonds rule is so fantastic that I can't believe I've never heard of it before. It's brilliantly simple but makes so much sense.

  • @drewbunker
    @drewbunker 4 роки тому +55

    "...having a character that can do everything because they're good in charisma, and intelligence, and in wisdom..."
    I'm looking at you, Caleb Widogast.

    • @Baraz_Red
      @Baraz_Red 3 роки тому +2

      Mind you they rolled their stats (pretty sure) or they had A LOT of points, so he just put his lower scores in Str-Dex-Con. Some of the CR characters have huge Ability totals. Roleplay wise, Caleb should have ordinary Charisma.

    • @Mary_Studios
      @Mary_Studios 3 роки тому +4

      @@Baraz_Red I belive when they talked about some ability scores and how they have it the explination was they rolled their stats really well.

    • @evillaughinthebackground5732
      @evillaughinthebackground5732 3 роки тому +4

      @@Mary_Studios Yes, they rolled their stats. That's why Ashley had such atrocious ones at the start of C2

  • @mirkozohren1139
    @mirkozohren1139 4 роки тому +10

    Playing D&D for like 30 years now, I will include the "I know a guy" mechanic (It's not really a rule, is it ?) into my current campaign of mostly newbies.
    I love the idea of players creating the world with the DM. I already use a 10 candles like approach on passing over narration of certain situations like critical successes and failures.
    This will so add to my game. Thank you for this simple yet powerful idea.

  • @ristani267
    @ristani267 19 днів тому

    My players made their characters together during session 0, then I invited each of them over individually for a private mini-session that served as their prologue to the adventure, it gave everyone a sense of purpose when the campaign started, put everyone on the wagon together, and gave them all cool stories to share during the traditional introduction

  • @Arohan71
    @Arohan71 4 роки тому +4

    With the NPCs one of my players gave me a massive boon in giving me an old carousing buddy. The look on his face when I introduced the character and the RP that ensued was glorious. One of my favorite moments of the campaign so far.

  • @macromondo8026
    @macromondo8026 3 роки тому +1

    I just recently got into DnD (i totally love it and think is incredibly fun) My DM forgot to tell me he had house-ruled that we couldn't use Point-Buy to make our characters so when i made my first character he told me "his abilities are way too perfect, there's no way you rolled this good" and i told him "of course i didn't, i used Point-Buy, you never said we couldn't do that" and then he very politedly said "ok, my bad for not writting that in the common-rules section of the chat, but i need you to roll for his ability score" and so i did (HIS house-rules for rolling for ability scores are actually quite generous, you "Advantage Roll" it, so you make two rolls for ability score, and keep the one you like the most...my character ended up being way more overpowered in the FIRST roll and we just laughed our assess off at it, i actually felt pretty bad about it so i lowered some of it's abilities on purpose to fit better with his backstory XD)

  • @robedwards2199
    @robedwards2199 3 роки тому +7

    I'm watching this for the first time and loving that some of these suggestions ended up in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything! You guys are visionaries!

    • @TheDancerMacabre
      @TheDancerMacabre 3 роки тому

      May I ask which ones?
      I'm not familiar with TCoE yet.

    • @robedwards2199
      @robedwards2199 3 роки тому +1

      @@TheDancerMacabre Floating ability scores, probably the biggest thing from Tasha's. Now PCs can add racial ability bonuses to any score, e.g. Mountain Dwarves can get +2 Int and Cha and be awesome Wizards.
      Party bonds exist as Group Patrons, the idea from Eberron. An organization of some kind gives you a common purpose, mission hooks, and maybe equipment.
      D&D Beyond defaults to giving you half HD in HP per level, rounded up.

  • @tommiskey
    @tommiskey 4 роки тому +1

    We generally use the standard array for ability scores, but all characters get 1 free feat at level 1. That free feat could be one that gives a +1 in a stat, so that effectively takes the place of the "floating +1" you described. We already use the "take half HP if you rolled lower" you described, and I like your other ideas too.

  • @supercalifragic1551
    @supercalifragic1551 4 роки тому +61

    • I like letting everyone roll twice, and everyone can select an array anyone else rolled. Everyone using the same array if everyone liked it enough still gives plenty of diversity as they'll probably place them in different places.
    • All races gain a bonus feat. Variant human doesn't exist. + the ability to move a +1 from the racial bonuses. (Human straight up gets a bonus +1 instead of moving one)
    • HP = Average HP + 2 + Con.
    • Always establish "Roots" between the characters. Blood relations, past bonding associations. I like using "Children of Morta" as a fantastic framework for an adventuring party. The adventurers are family and have an established home base. I also like the immortality mechanic, that the adventurers share a link of immortality. Players will be resurrecting most the time anyway. People try to make death more meaningful by nerfing it so it might not work, I prefer making it more meaningful by tying it to this player-shared resource that can be threatened, which also makes players care more about the home base and since every time they die they come back at home base it also anchors them to home as a place they will visit often. Resurrection magic is still important as it can make the player "respawn" at the casting instead of at home. This mechanic doesn't have to just be a home base though, it could be a shared gift of some sort. It's adaptable to almost any desired party set up and theme.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +7

      I do think it's easier to put characters in deadly situations more often if death is more like "Banishment on steroids". They still don't want to die because it takes them out of the campaign for a while, but at least it's not the end of the game for that character. At early levels, getting someone brought back can be a quest (or multiple questlets) in and of itself. in a situation like this, you don't have the player roll up another character, you find something productive for them to do (maybe they run an NPC recruited for the quest) for the one or two sessions it takes to get their character back.

    • @oOPPHOo
      @oOPPHOo 4 роки тому +4

      @SaviorOfNirn Only if all you care about is your character surviving. If your character instead cares about certain NPCs surviving or about succeeding at their goals, then there's still dramatic tension. Just because you can't die doesn't mean you can't lose. In fact, I'm always looking for ways to make it easier for the characters to lose a battle without it resulting in removing PCs from the game.
      I like OP's suggestion because you can have situations where the heroes are trying to stop a ritual, are defeated by the cultists and now they have to travel all the way back from their home base. When they return, they can witness the results of their failure
      The thing you of course have to be cautious about is using it as a death spiral where each time you come back, the enemies get more powerful as a result of your defeat meaning you are more likely to die again the next time you face them. Still, you can impose that risk on certain encounters: If you don't stop the lich now, it's only going to get harder and eventually impossible. You'll be stuck in a loop of infinite death unless the lich is merciful enough to destroy your means of resurrection.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +3

      It's not that death stops sucking. It's just that "a fate worse than death" actually means something, when death is temporary.

    • @-d_9894
      @-d_9894 4 роки тому +1

      You realize chucking variant human makes human pcs worthless, right? +1 to all asi is always worse than +2 to the asi you need, and on top of that, no other abilities. People overlook that bit of game design way too often. If you bundle together what other races get, it's usually a good deal more powerful than a feat. The difference is that human gives you customization that others don't.

    • @supercalifragic1551
      @supercalifragic1551 4 роки тому

      @SaviorOfNirn Only if you're shortsighted and only if you only care about the metagame. There are many many different threats than just death, and now instead of the party being immortal because they can just get resurrected anyway (if not earlygame) or just throwing down a new character sheet (Or worse, quitting the game), you have a tangible link to the game world as a source of the "immortality", immortality becomes a tool you can use as a DM and it becomes more real to the game world. The stakes if that source of immortality is put at risk can be huge, much more impactful than most things you could do as a DM. So long as you don't abuse the tool and threaten it too often.
      Meanwhile players can still be abducted, subject to curses, and so on.
      Death can still feel real to the characters themselves. It hurts a lot, it's bad sensation, they might leave their bodies behind and have to see their own corpse- Or have to fight it as the necromancer found uses for it. The source might work in a timeline way, where that timeline of you really truly did die and the rest of the party must contend with the fact that THAT friend is dead and the new person is effectively a different person but familiar, like a twin to their friend with similar life experiences and looks. The new you might even know this fact, and know that they're different, that they're replacing the original. All depends on how you want to run the basic concept of a shared immortality source with how serious or not you want it to be.

  • @burningpickle4950
    @burningpickle4950 Рік тому +1

    My homebrew implementation is when going for HP you roll immediately and if you don’t like it you can either re-roll or take the average that way it puts the responsibility on you if decide to role the second time and get a bad role

  • @jake192
    @jake192 4 роки тому +8

    I'm about to run my second session as a new DM and I've watched nearly all your videos. They've been invaluable in helping me further understand the 5e rules. Thank you so much!

  • @IThinkSoBrain
    @IThinkSoBrain 4 роки тому

    Here's the star rolling method I came up with about 15 years ago.
    1. Have two or three players roll using your preferred method. Write those six numbers down and toss them in the middle of the table.
    2. Each player choose the set they like and assigns them all as they please. Everyone can choose the same set of they like.
    This preserves the fun and excitement of rolling with the balance of an array, since everyone can choose the sam

  • @MrJarlaxle23
    @MrJarlaxle23 4 роки тому +2

    After watching 5 or 6 of your videos I can tell that you guys have a similar playstyle /mindset to my group. I've played all the editions, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness that you obviously put into these vids. These houserules, especially for a smaller group, make so much sense. Well done. Keep 'em coming!

  • @Narifamen
    @Narifamen 3 роки тому +4

    Bit late to the party here, but I have a couple house rules that I'd like to throw out.
    1. Background determines starting ASIs. Tasha's helps a lot with this, but even now I still like to tie ASIs to a character's background. If someone's background was Sage, for example, they might have Int and/or Wis as their increases. Sailor could reasonably be a lot of different Abilities (even Int, if they were a navigator or something similar). Most of the backgrounds have a lot of flexibility in that way, and I've found that tying ASIs to backgrounds really nails down how exactly your character lived prior to being an adventurer helps with the roleplay and informs their character going forward.
    2. Starting Feat: Everyone gets one feat to start (subject to DM's approval; I usually veto stuff like Warcaster and Mobile), but it has to tie into their background or history in some way, or otherwise give some fun flavor. This is a good way to work in some of the less optimal but fun RP feats like Chef. Maybe the Druid travelled with the Wizard for a little while and they taught each other some magic (each player gets Magic Initiate for the other's class). You can do some variation on this as well if it gets a little too min-maxy. For example, if the player wants to take something that boosts an ability score above a certain number (I use 18) then either the DM simply says no or allows the player to raise another ability in lieu of the normal ability, or just say no Half Feats entirely. The most important thing is that it ties into the character's backstory somehow. This really helps make lvl 1 characters a little tougher in different ways and makes the characters more fleshed out.
    3. Starting Cantrips: The full casters (Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Druid, Bard, and sometimes Artificer) all have Prestidigitation, Druidcraft, and Thaumaturgy for free as appropriate. For some characters like Eldritch Knight you might also add the relevant cantrip, but I usually don't. You could also allow certain subclasses (Arcana/Nature Cleric, Divine Soul Sorcerer) to get an additional cantrip as well, but again I usually don't. The reasoning is that these cantrips are supposed to be all the minor little tricks of that particular kind of magic; it makes some sense that they'd always have them.
    4. Very, very occasionally you can alter what skills you get from certain backgrounds. I once had a PC take the Inheritor background, but we switched out Survival for Animal Handling. The reasoning being that the character spent most of their formative years locked in a wizard's tower with some animal companions.

  • @knightghaleon
    @knightghaleon 4 роки тому +4

    I like having my players have an existing relationship with another player’s character. When I played an undying warlock, my friend and I agreed to be characters who used to work for another adventure party, but they got killed and my patron discovered us when he investigated a collection of magic items nearby. So we work for him though I’m the one tied to him in order to protect my friend’s character.

  • @martl8615
    @martl8615 Рік тому

    We enjoyed the one time we did "roll 2 arrays and pick 1. Rolls remain in order". So your first result is Strength, second is Dex, etc.
    It shows that, no matter who you are, there's a careerpath for everyone.

  • @alanschaub147
    @alanschaub147 4 роки тому +48

    “I know a guy!” I love that idea. 👍🏻

    • @TheEmerald97
      @TheEmerald97 4 роки тому +1

      I unintentionally did that with my DM because I gave a lot of detail about my character's family and friends. Plus I wanted to surprise my friends, so I told my DM about my backup pc and asked could he play my backup as an npc. He agreed, so he will control him, and keep him just vague enough where I'll be able to have freedom to play him how I want should it come time to use him. It'll be fun seeing him appear even if I never need to use him.

  • @CastorGaming
    @CastorGaming 3 роки тому +1

    In the session that I'm a part of every Thursday, there's a running gag that I regularly bring up about an old Dwarf woman (named Rosie) who helped raise my Tiefling. Not only has my DM latched onto this idea, actually adding her into the world, the other players have as well. One of our PC's is a very large "Strongest in the room" kind of guy, and whenever I bring up Rosie, he responds by "I must meet this champion, if her legend is to be believed!"
    I stand by the "I know a guy" rule, and HIGHLY recommend it.

  • @TwinSteel
    @TwinSteel 4 роки тому +12

    I would love to see what the Dungeon Dudes think about builds for ally buffing instead of enemy debuffing

    • @cosmicwonderer6269
      @cosmicwonderer6269 3 роки тому

      I'd say buffing is more fun for the party but debuffing I'd assume is more efficient if your playing the numbrrs

    • @TwinSteel
      @TwinSteel 3 роки тому

      @@cosmicwonderer6269 they actually went on to do a video on both buffing and debuffing - one benefit of buffing is the avoidance of a saving throw and the number of buffs that affect multiple targets

  • @godimlarge
    @godimlarge 2 роки тому +1

    The drawback to fixed hp and fixed ability scores is that I’ve noticed a lot of people’s favorite part of character creation is seeing how their die rolls influence the creation of their character. Sometimes you’ll come in not knowing what you want to play and when you’re rolling ability scores and later hp, it helps to mold the characteristics of the PC.

  • @IFailAtUsernames19
    @IFailAtUsernames19 4 роки тому +11

    I absolutely love the floating ability score bonus. It allows interesting character concepts to not be totally underpowered. I wanted to play a Centaur Wandslinger Artificer (The cowboy who is his own horse) but that incredibly crippled the character since absolutely NONE of the racial traits or abilities helped...

  • @fromthegraysea
    @fromthegraysea 4 роки тому

    I’m not sure how relevant this is to the video, but I’m reminded of a great character interaction story that I’d like to share for the fun of it.
    My brother played a gnome necromancer who learned necromancy simply because he wanted to resurrect his childhood pet cat. So his character had a camouflaged undead cat that followed him everywhere. I played a tabaxi rogue who didn’t like the strange cat that didn’t act like a cat. And every chance my character had to try something, I had her attempt to steal and bury the cat. She was successful twice. It made for great role playing opportunities between the two characters.

  • @ScratchySpoon
    @ScratchySpoon 4 роки тому +4

    I love everything you have said in this video. I've always felt the Hit Dice one is near important and having some kind of balance between each players summed stats.

  • @WynneL
    @WynneL 2 роки тому +1

    I like your stat array. Additionally, a DM of mine had a rule for rolling which I found incredibly fair: First you roll one stat array, assigning the scores to whatever ability you want. Keep this array if you feel like it's good enough. If you're like "nah, this is absolute garbage," then you can roll again. You can keep doing this (within reason) until you feel like you've done well enough that you're satisfied. This allows everyone to have roughly the same amount of power, because no one is stuck with a TERRIBLE array of stats for their class. You don't get a fighter with no stat higher than 12, or a bard who's stuck with a single 16 and everything else low. If you roll poorly, you have an out. If you roll decently, you won't want to press your luck.

  • @mrmaat
    @mrmaat 4 роки тому +5

    I completely agree that for long term characters, point buy or standard array is far better than stat rolling.
    Taking the average HP roll is already quite generous. I let my players choose: if they roll, they keep the result.

    • @willieoelkers5568
      @willieoelkers5568 2 роки тому

      That's what I do. I always took that to be the RAW option; you either roll or take half. For my current rogue that started at level 5, I rolled for level 2 and got a 1, took 5 for level 3, then rolled another 1 for level 4 and took a 5 for level 5. Everyone else in my group was like "why didn't you just take 5 on those rolls" and I answered "this is D&D, you roll your dice and take your chances".

  • @jonhaynie1987
    @jonhaynie1987 Рік тому +1

    I'm currently in a campaign where we rolled for stats and one of the players literally rolled four 1's and just leaned into it, so now we have a warlock with a wisdom of 3. The player literally rolls a d20 periodically just to see if his character notices things: regular things like the weather, when there's a door, and whether or not the rest of us are staying or moving. We've been in combats where we got through two rounds before the warlock realized we were even fighting. Rolling for stats is clearly the superior method for creating flavorful characters.

  • @LashNSmash
    @LashNSmash 4 роки тому +4

    I am planning on experimenting with a “rolled array + 3”, where at session 0 an array is rolled and applies to the entire party for them to put into whatever stats they want, and 3 points they can add to get a stat up to 17

  • @zRendeRz
    @zRendeRz 3 місяці тому

    Floating ability scores is actually an excellent idea that I'll start implementing! I love seeing nontradition race/class combos

  • @TheRSmokey
    @TheRSmokey 4 роки тому +12

    I thought the "i know i guy" was awsome at first, but i found that it undermines the background features. Criminal contact, Shelter of the Faithful, Position of Privilege and Researcher can all be used in the same way as "i know a guy". so i have just expanded on the background features to allow players to use them more.

    • @aaronwilliams8887
      @aaronwilliams8887 4 роки тому +3

      I agree, I find that as the DM, just by talking alot and asking my players what type of backstory they want, this rule is irrelevant.
      My players trust me to include very helpful PC's, but also feel heavily involved, and they can make a ton of requests about family member and mentors.
      The reason I like this more then I know a guy, they always know if they need help, they just have to search, and although it may take effort/time they can find what they need. I would rather encourage more background design then make it an ace up their sleeve, esspecally since alot of campaign settings, characters are "fish out of water" and know no one in their area.
      More background design, leads to more investment in their character and their goals, and leads to more investment in the world, in my experience,

  • @masensmith4226
    @masensmith4226 3 роки тому

    I definitely agree that having a dump stat adds a lot of depth to a character. We played a pocket dimension one-shot while our party's wizard couldn't come to a session and everyone rolled poorly on their checks to know what a pocket dimension was. My 11 int orc fighter rolled a nat 20 and tried to explain "big room...in small space" with a lot of hand movements and visible frustration of struggling with words. I got the point across, though, and it earned me inspiration (which I used to turn a miss on a Displacer Beast into a crit later that session). Flaws are just roleplay seasoning

  • @ThePsuedoMonkey
    @ThePsuedoMonkey 4 роки тому +3

    Roll HP every level: Whenever you level up, roll all of your hit dice (with the constitution bonus). If that roll is higher than your current maximum HP, then that is your new maximum HP. Otherwise, your new maximum HP becomes one(+CON) higher than your previous maximum HP. This balances out the variability of hit dice, without removing all randomness from it, and a bad roll doesn't stick around forever.
    Old school Ability Scores (option): Take a feat at level one. Roll3d6 for all your ability scores, but you may replace the primary ability scores of your class with a 14or13 if you rolled lower. You are guaranteed to be competent in your class, but you probably won't be above average at everything right away. The feat offsets the ~1.5 point lower scores, and lets you get cool stuff earlier.

    • @googiegress
      @googiegress Рік тому

      The former HP roll rule is well-known and you see it used sometimes, but it has a deceptive downside: while it tends to erase early low HP rolls, it also tends to erase early high HP rolls. By the time you hit Level 10 you'll end up with much closer to average HP totals than you would think. So the effect is really only pronounced from level 2-6 or so, and it's only a fairly small benefit.

  • @brianpawlikowski1304
    @brianpawlikowski1304 4 роки тому +2

    This is definitely one of the best D&D channels. Simple, well produced, and so much information. Keep up the good work Dudes

  • @kyubii972
    @kyubii972 4 роки тому +7

    I dig your standard array I think I'm gonna try it for the next game I DM.
    I agree with wanting to have the characters have some bond before the adventure begins.
    Great show as always.

    • @nickwilliams8302
      @nickwilliams8302 4 роки тому

      Much better than a backstory bond (which, let's face it, is just words on paper) is something like a common employer. A local noble, a reclusive mage, a crime boss, a consulting detective. Gives the campaign some solid structure until the players find out who the hell their characters actually are.

  • @hisnameiskish4874
    @hisnameiskish4874 2 роки тому +1

    I really like the Standard Array you guys came up with here. Gives everyone the opportunity to be good at what they want their character to be good at without anything being broken.

  • @hambinger
    @hambinger 4 роки тому +4

    Background Rule: I have my players choose two skills (or one skill be two additional languages or tool proficiencies) they want their characters to have already mastered. I then fit the closest background template that closest fits those skills to the character.
    I also ask my characters for a rival and an ally NPC, kinda similar to your "I know a guy" rule.
    Rolling, I do rolls, 4d6 drop lowest, but allow the player the option of replacing two rolls with an 8 and 18. (Though I like your No 20s for first lvl characters concept and will probably mod that.)

    • @WynneL
      @WynneL 2 роки тому

      Oh, I like that option of replacing two rolls, especially with the added balance of floating ability scores and no 20s for first level.

  • @simounobrien9096
    @simounobrien9096 2 роки тому +1

    I use the Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Creation System
    Basically, you have 30 Ability Score Points to spend across, and you can spend a point for each Ability Score. But, if you have an ability score over 15, you spend 2 points on that Ability Score just to add +1 and your max is 17.
    This adds more freedom and flexibility

  • @theincrediblewaffle1921
    @theincrediblewaffle1921 4 роки тому +6

    I actually love the idea of the "I know a guy" rule so much. Definitely gonna talk to my DM about it.

  • @googiegress
    @googiegress Рік тому

    I have some house rules for chargen for my campaign that I really enjoy.
    1. Your backstory is whatever happens to you from level 1-3. If you want to have backstory at level 1, you have to be able to fit it completely on a standard 3" x 3" post-it note in your own handwriting. On just one side.
    2. Roll your PC with 4d6 Drop Lowest, in order, and then swap any two scores to customize. This makes for some randomization, limits dump-statting, but still offers some customization.
    3. If you don't like that character, it's fine. You don't HAVE to play it. But if you want to reroll a new one, you have to finish the first character: just pick a name, class, and alignment. This character becomes one of your family members, starting with parents, then siblings. When you reject a character you rolled and it becomes an NPC, you can't go back, so you had better really decide you can do better on stats next time. This rule slows the player down and makes them consider whether they're willing to play that character after all, and prevents an instant rejection after rolling a low score on the first of six (which of course in a worst-case scenario could result in a player halting a chargen process if their first ability score roll is not an 18. This would be crazy and ridiculous, but you know how some people are.).
    4. The party typically sees deaths of low-HP PCs until someone reaches Level 2, and then there's a quick cascade of survivals to everyone reaching Level 2. It also means as the low-HP characters die off, the replacement might end up with more HP. There's a dungeon selection occurring which leads to most surviving PCs that hit level 2 ending up being the ones who rolled well for 1st level HP. Because of this, the DM can help reduce the number of senseless deaths by offering a minimum HP value at 1st level, such as 1/2 the die max. On the other hand, numbers of senseless deaths are deeply intrinsic to D&D, and the real question is whether you feel the PCs should be sheltered from that. I remember a couple of players who rolled 1 for starting HP and their journey of survival to Level 2 was memorable and exciting.
    5. The PCs can have whatever personality, and any non-Evil alignment, but the game starts with everyone knowing each other. If you don't do this, there's a pointless "storming" process over the first few sessions where the Evil PCs get rejected or slain by the rest of the party, and the "super cool ranger-type stalks the party before meeting them but then is inevitably discovered and in a ridiculous turn of events is invited to join", which is 1000% more common than you think.
    This is of course coming from a perspective where I enjoy gameplay as much as, if not more than, roleplaying. I consider a game session of 100% roleplaying to be a huge bummer and a waste of time. Like, Burning Wheel is a game built for that. But everyone wants something particular from D&D and they'll naturally gravitate into groups with similar expectations.

  • @dirk_gently
    @dirk_gently 4 роки тому +19

    For rolling hit points my DM does it like: you roll, dm rolls hidden, and you get the option of "yours, mine, or the average". Adds a little gamble to it, but you almost never get hosed.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +4

      As a DM, I'd rather they not roll for HP. It makes it so much easier for me to plan the encounters when the characters are all at the HP level I expect for a given class and level, from my prior experience. It also reduces the need for bookkeeping -- if you're ever subjected to a level drain effect, you're supposed to back out whatever you got in those levels. In practice I think most people would back out the default values and not worry about it too much, but isn't it better if that's actually the correct move?
      I prefer RAW here: if you want to roll the dice and not take the default, on your own head be it. They didn't want to _force_ everyone to stick to the template, but they made it statistically preferable. I don't want to invert that balance, because it works well for me and generally has no effect on player enjoyment.

    • @MajicMiranda
      @MajicMiranda 4 роки тому +2

      @@GoblinUrNuts I think that Remy has the math correct.
      The average for 1d4+1 is 2.5+1= 3.5
      for 1d6 it's 3.5
      The average for 1d4+2 is 2.5+2= 4.5
      for 1d8 it's 4.5
      and so forth

  • @RagingGoblin
    @RagingGoblin 4 роки тому +1

    I can see how it might be easier or feel more organic if you force players to bond, but I'm all for total freedom on this one. We used to have parties with heavily intertwined destinies, backgrounds, or even families, but -- vice versa -- we had campaigns in which the characters were (in classic NE-fashion) badmouthing, stealing, or even -- ehem -- 'hastening character dynamics' by the trusted thrust of termination in the dead of night.
    As long as your group is fine with all of that and can work with it, I prefer the willing or unwilling heroes of the party to clash. I feel it's much more fun if you're confronted with new characters and the personalities they made up and have to react according to your thoughts and persona accordingly.
    That being said, if you intend to run a long, serious campaign and you know your players are in the habit of preferring neutral or evil alignments, I like to give them some tether (backstory, npc, or -- better -- pc).

  • @AndrewChumKaser
    @AndrewChumKaser 4 роки тому +13

    The most recent method for ability scores my friends used is what I call "Matt's Method" (Matt was the DM at the time) and it goes as follows:
    1. Roll for ability scores as usual, 4d6 drop the lowest. However, you roll 7 times instead of six, and can pick whichever roll you don't want. You're greatly encouraged to take a varied array instead of a homogeneous heap of the same number, meaning you'll probably have strengths and weaknesses.
    1.5. If you don't like your rolls overall, you're allowed to reroll the entire array of 7 rolls once, but you must keep the new rolls.
    2. After placing your scores and applying your racial bonuses, you may take one ability score to reduce by one, and choose two others to increase by one each.
    3. This is an optional part, but Matt told us to include flaws that were serious enough to have actual mechanical consiquences. For example, my character was a coward, so if he is getting too close to enemies he's forced to make a wisdom save or be frightened. He also has disadvantage on fear effects other than that innate one.

    • @kevinbarnard355
      @kevinbarnard355 4 роки тому

      Those are interesting ideas, but why are you rolling at that point? It's not particularly random after a Bogo, drop the least desirable total, AND drop the least desirable roll each stat. If you are all doing it for fun, that's cool. However, it's not "random" or "organic" anymore. You'd probably be just as happy with a standard array or Point buy.
      It's your games and danger levels are unique to everyone, but adding a final -1 and +1 to 2 stats even more confirms PB/Standard array just sounds simpler for your group. Most games that allow you to "purchase" a better stat do so at a detriment to 1 or 2 others, not the other way around. Is that your intention?

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому

      My take is that if someone wants to spread their buy points around like peanut butter so they have no weaknesses -- let them! They're going to figure out that the character never really shines, and not build like that next time. Letting them get burned is much more effective than trying to warn them off it.
      I do build certain NPCs this way though, particularly politicians and other non-military leaders where it's more important to always have something to do in the current situation than to have the _best_ method of handling any one thing that may never happen.

  • @christianwanderer6600
    @christianwanderer6600 4 роки тому

    I gave my players a list of team concepts and they chose what appealed to them. Examples included bandits, pirates, military unit, royal family, prospectors, pilgrims, bounty hunters, etc. The team is financially indebted to some kind of patron. Thus the team must work together and work hard to pay off their debt.
    In my game, they decided to be a roving company of monster hunters. A financier loaned the company as much money as they wanted to buy equipment, wagons, supplies, office, advertising contracts, stabling, etc. Now their primary task is to get contracts, get paid, and pay off the loan. If they miss payments, the financier will send people to "explain things" to the party.
    Looking forward to seeing how this all works out!

  • @LittleBananaJoe
    @LittleBananaJoe 2 роки тому +6

    You can solve this feeling of 'all characters are the same' that comes from using a using a standard array by offering 2 different arrays. 17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8 and 16, 16, 13, 12, 10, 8. and the players can choose one. Provides all the stability and balance of a standard array. Still gives the player a choice and creates a better sense of uniqueness

  • @vodkatlongtail9164
    @vodkatlongtail9164 3 роки тому +1

    On the rolling for health thing, i tend to allow this. When rolling for HP, If you roll below your average, take one point below the average. EG d10 Hit die, Gets you 6 if you take average, If you roll a 1, you take 5 instead.

  • @isaiahboyce3658
    @isaiahboyce3658 4 роки тому +13

    I use a custom point buy.
    Instead of 27 points you get 30. You can spend 11 points to make a stat 16.
    It's kinda works likes Monty's where it allows for "sub-optimal" race/class pics, but it also benefits playing into type. An Elf can still play a strength based class with a 16, but a Half-Orc will have a natural edge that can give them an 18.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +1

      This is what I've been thinking of switching to exactly. It solves a lot of annoyances without unbalancing the game in unforeseen ways.
      What I had been doing up until now is that once characters are important enough in the world to be noticed by someone at the Sorcery College, they are offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rent a Tome or Manual long enough to use it once. The Sorcery College has a trick way of recharging them in two or three years (sending them to a plane where time runs faster) instead of a century so they use them as profit centers. Each character gets one, and I haven't had them ask for the same one before but if they did I''d allow it. It's a Sorcery College, they have duplicates. Anyhow, this came with the side effect that the skill cap rises to 22. I kinda would like to reserve that option for characters that get in _tight_ with the Sorcery College, and avoid power creep even when explaining the origins of the local Big Bad Evil Mother-and-Son Duo.

    • @dynamicworlds1
      @dynamicworlds1 4 роки тому

      The key with making point buy systems shine is that you have to make it so that the costs to increase the score by 1 increase the higher the ability score gets.
      See nwn.fandom.com/wiki/Point_buy for a good example of this for a 3.x system (though I would argue that starting abilities at 7 and having the cost increases land on the even numbers to match with the increased modifier is better design)
      Set your ability pool to the power level you want for your game and you're good to go (with an interesting tradeoff with how much increasing your primary stat is worth the hit to your other stats, because that increase from 16 to 18 could cost you 6-7 points off of other abilities to get that +1. The question of how much you want to specialize isn't something with a universal and objective answer to it.)

    • @nemohimself2580
      @nemohimself2580 4 роки тому +1

      My DM is amazingly nice. He doesn't increase the cost for higher stats (getting up to a 15 only costs 7 points, not 9 or whatever)

    • @dynamicworlds1
      @dynamicworlds1 4 роки тому

      @@nemohimself2580 what does that have to do with being nice?
      Good game design is about making choices interesting.

  • @TrueRomancer04
    @TrueRomancer04 Рік тому

    Just forwarded this to my current DM, and I am now STOKED for our next campaign!

  • @lukeholbrook204
    @lukeholbrook204 3 роки тому +3

    Really like these ideas. One of my groups uses a “draft” that allows us to roll abilities but even out the variation among characters. Basically, each player rolls six scores (usually 4d6 drop lowest). We then pool all the scores, and then determine an order among the players. The first player chooses a score from the pool, followed by the next character in the order, etc. This draft is a “snake,” so the order reverses after the last player chooses, so the last player to choose gets to choose twice. One variation on this is to have the DM roll six scores to add to the pool, so the number of scores is greater than what the players need, and players are protected from picking the absolute worst scores.

  • @alanschaub147
    @alanschaub147 4 роки тому

    An idea I heard about from another source suggested creating a quick story that could be shared during gameplay to *explain* the character’s personality trait, ideal, bond, and flaw. The player therefore would not be tempted to write a three-page fan-fiction account of their character’s past that no one reads or remembers. Instead they would simply tell the quick story during character down-time as the characters are getting to know each other. Brilliant!

  • @collindouglas8188
    @collindouglas8188 4 роки тому +2

    One of my favorites is everyone gets a feat at 1st level. It really makes the early game funner.
    Players get more cool stuff and abilities such as Magic Initiate. This lets your character start as a spellblade because Green-Flame Blade and Mage Armor are very useful on 1st-level fighters
    In the case of the DM it lets me give "story feats" to the players such as Aberrant Dragonmarks or some homebrew feats I use.
    It also helps to balance weaker classes/races. Dragonborn get bonus AC, casters get certain mandatory feats like War Caster and Ritual Caster and Orcs get to offset their Intelligence penalty if needed.
    It's a really flexible rule that I wish more DMs used.

  • @mithrandir072
    @mithrandir072 4 роки тому +33

    The randomness of rolling is still really exciting, so I like to have each of my players roll 2 or 3 full arrays. Then they can take 5-10 minutes to choose one that everybody uses. This primes them to work together, and if you have players that are more experienced in playing, gets some knowledge passed down as to why this array is better than that one.

    • @WynneL
      @WynneL 2 роки тому

      That sounds like a really nice strategy.

  • @Synthatic
    @Synthatic 4 роки тому +2

    In our current campaign (started last week) We had everyone roll their stats twice. Then each person could pick and choose which of all the rolled stats they wanted. If you picked someone elses stat rolls (The whole table, not just indevidual numbers) the owner of that rolled table would then be able to allow / deny you taking those stats. (Could only deny if they wanted them for themselves)
    This gave us approximately 8 stat tables to pick from.

  • @thunderwazp7653
    @thunderwazp7653 3 роки тому +9

    A reason for why I find a standard array good is that one of my early players always had strangely high scores. Their barbarian for example had a charisma score equal to that of the same campaigns paladin. And this was the norm for all of their characters, so I decided that a standard array would let me mitigate such a trend so that each and every character could feel specialised and not have one which outperforms the rest

    • @googiegress
      @googiegress Рік тому

      You could also immediately solve that mystery by stationing the "lucky" player at the seat directly next to yours and tasking their neighbor on the other side with watching every single die roll. You'd be surprised how the "lucky" player instantly snaps shockingly close to statistical averages over a few sessions.

  • @shimasclan
    @shimasclan 2 роки тому

    My 2 go tos are:
    'Roll 4d6, reroll 1's and drop the lowest'. It does skew stats to the high side, but as a DM I can work with that, and since it has the upwards skew, no one feels useless, though there is likely someone else better. They still get 3d6, just with better odds of getting 12+.
    'roll your hit die, take the average if greater then what's rolled' phenomenal rule, helps keep people from being super squish.

  • @willemverheij3412
    @willemverheij3412 4 роки тому +8

    Starting with a feat at level 1 seems like an interesting rule to me that could help flesh out a character's own talents outside of race and class, but I could see it happen that a DM could exclude certain feats from this so characters won't get too strong at level 1.
    Might be even better though, when you can't pick the best feats and only the ones that often aren't seen as worth taking instead of the stats boost, you'll get to give different feats a try that you normally would not pick. Can add a lot of character and might still be situationally usefull.

    • @tomfoster9914
      @tomfoster9914 4 роки тому +2

      I've been doing this since 5E first came out. Yes, it lets the characters develop their styles right away. The DM needs to treat the party like they're half a level higher than normal. Other than that, it works great.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +2

      I've been having a real quandary with feats. I want to rewrite the mechanic to use some sort of points system, but keep the progression the same. The reason for this is that I would bump the cost of the really prime Feats from two points to three, and bring them back in balance with the rest without nerfing them directly.
      I came up with an archetype, originally inspired by Veo, of the Master Blaster. Take one Variant Human, make him a ranger with Sharpshooter as his starting Feat. At level 3, go Gloom Stalker and gain Darkvision and the extra first round attack. At level 4, add Crossbow Expert. Put a heavy crossbow in his hands and let the rapier rust. At level 5, you gain Extra Attack. From this point on, the build starts to level out a bit and you may want to cross into Rogue at this point, but it's so far ahead of the pack on damage (especially the first round) that it's hard to overlook if you want to play a character who just wings it in every battle. Even at 9th level (as far as I've leveled this character) he's still ahead of the pack, although the gap is closing, as is to be expected for a rogue dip. It pays off fast but there's a bit of a hangover.
      Do you want to know how OP Sharpshooter really is? In campaign, we had the party considering whether to hire a ballista crew and catapults to help with a fortress assault, and we realized that some rangers/fighters with Sharpshooter and heavy crossbows did _the same damage per shot_ and with much better accuracy. Add Crossbow Expert and they had increased rate of fire to go with it. The Master Blaster build is literally equivalent to a walking ballista -- except when it's better.

    • @willemverheij3412
      @willemverheij3412 4 роки тому

      @@mal2ksc Kind of bothers me that some weapons get a feat specific to them and it's really good while some weapons are pretty much useless because there are better alternatives.
      Crossbow expert probably should be nerfed a bit as a house rule. Pole arm master is good too, but seems easier to work around due to limited range.
      Shield master seems just right, it gives good advantages and feels really useful but the DM can deal with it well enough.

    • @Synthatic
      @Synthatic 4 роки тому +2

      Our DM allowed a feat at level 1, except Lucky. If you wanted Lucky, you had to roll 1d20. Nat 20, great, you can pick it. Anything else. Nope. You ain't lucky. She also allowed for it if you could write up a convincing backstory showcasing their luck. Like, 1 in a million luck, without being too over the top.

    • @willemverheij3412
      @willemverheij3412 4 роки тому

      @@Synthatic That's actually a really fun way to go about it that makes sense, sounds like she is an awesome DM.

  • @mishabegni
    @mishabegni 3 роки тому

    Something i love doing is adding extra strengths and weaknesses to my PCs.
    I make 2 sheets with the numbers 1 to 20 and each number or group of numbers has an affect next to it.
    Roll a d20 and see what you get :) Its up to the players how much they lean into most effects but i find that it can lead to immensely fun moments like when the beautiful orc barbarian had to be knocked out and dragged across a bridge because he was afraid of heights.
    1)- deaf in left ear = (-3 percenption rolls)
    2-4) alcoholic = (gets debuffed if the character doesnt drink)
    5-6) fear of hieghts
    1) keen sense = (+3 to perception)
    2-4) brave
    5-6)...

  • @MagusAgrippa8
    @MagusAgrippa8 4 роки тому +20

    I have my own form of standard array that I use, it gives the players a bit of a stronger start with the potential for an 18 in one stat if they play it. Which is a lot like your first one- 16, 15, 14, 13, 10, 8. It’s a bit weaker than yours actually. But it gives you three solid ‘adventurer level stats’ of 15 or higher. I like that standard. An adventurer should be able to start with a minimum of +2 in their focus stats.
    For HP, I use the roll option but set a minimum, like the corollary to the rule.
    I’ve also made use of the house rule that offers Feats to players at level 1, which essentially makes variant human useless.

    • @loganvoldeng7549
      @loganvoldeng7549 4 роки тому +5

      Double feat level 1 with variant human though

    • @arikwolf3777
      @arikwolf3777 4 роки тому +1

      Actually, your system provides one more point to ability score than the Dungeon Dudes system. Your swap out the 11 for a 16 = +5 more points, whereas they swap out the 13 for a 17 = +4. Which is better, IDK.

    • @williampearson8328
      @williampearson8328 4 роки тому +1

      @@arikwolf3777 Actually, it's the 14 they swap out

    • @MagusAgrippa8
      @MagusAgrippa8 4 роки тому

      Arik Wolf Huh, fair point there. Though with my setup they end up with a higher average ability score, their overall highest stat can only be an 18, which does fall below the 19 that the Dungeon Dudes’ Variant has.

    • @williampearson8328
      @williampearson8328 4 роки тому

      @@MagusAgrippa8 Actually, a Changeling that takes the comedian feat would get 20 Cha

  • @brianleister7354
    @brianleister7354 9 місяців тому

    My house rules for character creation:
    1. Everyone starts with a feat.
    2. Everyone gets a feat every 3 levels.
    3. Max HP rolls up to 3rd level, after that, the dice decide.
    4. Ability scores are always rolled. Roll 7 times, drop the lowest. 1’s are rerolled

  • @baobhan9094
    @baobhan9094 4 роки тому +21

    Our favorite one is: No Variant Human, everyone gets a bonus feat

    • @Paulandrew1976
      @Paulandrew1976 4 роки тому +1

      Baobhan - Absolutely!

    • @EpifanesEuergetes
      @EpifanesEuergetes 4 роки тому

      I do the same except I give them the bonus feat at level 4. This is not a long wait in my games because I don't like to play or run low levels so I shower my players with xp till they get to 5th level.

    • @ethanj8728
      @ethanj8728 4 роки тому +3

      My group gives a universal starting feat at character creation. This, however, does mean that variant humans would end up with 2 feats to start.

    • @aaronwilliams8887
      @aaronwilliams8887 4 роки тому +3

      I run this as well, it gives the feel that each character is unique and gives them something they shine as. It also doesn't make them feel so starved for ASI's for standard classes(non fighter/rogue)
      It makes sense too, an adventurer will typically have special training or be unusually skilled in one area.

    • @AllThingsFascinate
      @AllThingsFascinate 4 роки тому +1

      Humans are massively underpowered compared to every other race without the bonus feat. Honestly, in a long term campaign, vhuman is still weak. A feat is worth an asi. Many races get a +2, a +1, and like 37 perks.

  • @GoodOldGamer
    @GoodOldGamer 4 роки тому

    I love starting campaigns at 5th level or higher. If you multiclass, you feel like a more complete character most of the time. If you don't, you still feel like a strong or skilled adventurer. And you get more interesting backstories to work with since you have a few levels and aren't a level 1 noob.

  • @audiewilliams3417
    @audiewilliams3417 4 роки тому +4

    I believe in rolling 4d6 drop lowest assign as desired. I have played other systems. Obviously not all characters will be equal, but who says they have to be, Batman and Superman are on far different power levels but both are in the Justice League, and both have their own roles.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +2

      Differing power levels (much like variance in general) is not such a big deal in a large party, but it can be a serious problem when constructing a small party. Fewer players = fewer dice being rolled. Fewer rolls mean much higher chances of extremely good or extremely bad streaks, and the latter can quickly result in a TPK when you only have three in the party to start with.
      In a small party, you really can't hide a weak brother. Everyone needs to be a virtuoso on their specialty, and have a running side gig too.

    • @alextrollip7707
      @alextrollip7707 4 роки тому +1

      Batman also has plot machina.
      There's few campaigns where those two combined would work.
      Why would batman do anything when superman could just destroy everything in advance.
      I get your point though, I think differences in power should be less ability based and more skill based by classes or such.

    • @anthonynorman7545
      @anthonynorman7545 4 роки тому

      Because the Justice League has writers where D&D has dice. A writer can hand wave the power imbalance while a player has to live with it.

  • @ManfromMN
    @ManfromMN 3 роки тому

    For years in multiple game systems, when rolling for stats my 'old' regular group would roll 4d6, reroll ones (only once), and then drop the lowest die. You get a good chance at a slightly higher score, and at the same time you'll likely still roll low to mid numbers. We usually end up with a wide spread of stat numbers with a couple high, one or two low (but not dreadfully low), and the rest somewhere in the middle. We'd regularly see a guy reroll a couple 1's only to get 1's again and have to use one of them. Regardless, you'll find that you'll get one or two high rolls and the rest in the middle (7 to 12). That puts everyone on a pretty even keel as far as stats go, and we'd often use other bonuses to level out the low stats early on in the characters' life. It also yields those one or two high numbers that allow a character to shine in a certain area, skill, or ability. That said there were also days where a guy wouldn't roll anything below a 12 where others could get above a 13. So, byer beware and your results may vary.

  • @SchplatJR
    @SchplatJR 4 роки тому +4

    I’ve also heard of people allowing a -2 score to get a feat. It may have even been you guys.

  • @mikemckinney7031
    @mikemckinney7031 4 роки тому

    I like the level up hit point rule: roll a 1, or take the average. In past games one house rule our DM had was: Roll your hit die when your level up, and he would roll at the same. If you rolled low (1, or 2 for example) you could take the DM's roll without knowledge of what his roll was. Whatever you kept, is the hit point number when you leveled up.
    As far as character stats; I'm used to 4 D6, discard the lowest. House rule was; If the character was that bad, you could re-roll one time. Not everyone is "built" to be an adventure. He used to say, "In real life, not everybody can be in the Olympics, some people are stuck with handing out towels & water bottles. In a game world some people are NPC's in the village, or Inn."

  • @Jen-Z
    @Jen-Z 4 роки тому +3

    I a variation of the point to by system pretty good. I literally set all the point "for sale" instead of giving a base point, and that runs up to around 75 points. This gives you the option to be really good in some stats, but for the cost of some other stats. for example; i created a sorcerer with 18 char and dex, for the cost of strength and con on only 6 and 8. it makes for really good roleplay potential
    (PS. char only hits 18 because it's a tiefling)

  • @Quintzal
    @Quintzal 4 роки тому

    The system that my players and I have grown into is:
    4d4 drop low score and place where you will.
    If you place the scores in order down the character sheet as they're rolled, the character will start with a special item. Player has input but DM has final say.
    If you roll 3d6, the character can start with a bonus trait.
    If you do both, you get both.
    If you do any of the above and end up with a character you don''t want to play, you can use point buy.
    The reasoning behind this is to give players motivation to try new things and embrace characters with less than stellar stats. There's a level of risk and reward involved, but also a safety net. The group seems to like it.

  • @louisdesroches
    @louisdesroches 4 роки тому +3

    Yes yes yes yes yes. Glad I'm not the only one who dislikes rolling stats for a campaign.

    • @danielribeiro1433
      @danielribeiro1433 4 роки тому

      I don't mind it. But on my game my wizard highest roll was a 14 and my friend's ranger got a 12 as the lowest

  • @thetowndrunk988
    @thetowndrunk988 3 роки тому

    Tasha’s 1-up’ed your floating ability score brainstorm

  • @PixPunxel
    @PixPunxel 4 роки тому +6

    Best channel for 5e advice

  • @border2243
    @border2243 2 роки тому

    I came up with this based on finding the 5e point buy rather sub par compared to rolling as well as some of the reasons you guys said
    -Point buy, 31 points
    7: -1
    8: 0
    9: 1
    10: 2
    11: 3
    12: 4
    13: 5
    14: 7
    15: 9
    16: 12
    Starting Stat array options
    15, 15, 14, 12, 10, 8
    16, 15, 15, 10, 8, 7
    16, 16, 13, 10, 8, 8
    16, 15, 14, 10, 9, 8

  • @justanotherdayinthelife9841
    @justanotherdayinthelife9841 4 роки тому +4

    Heres an idea:
    Have all the players roll for 5 stats a piece and donating those roll numbers all to a central pool, the players then choose which characters between them all gets which stat roll. The caveat is that there is a 17 for ea character for free. The players then bargain with eachother as a team.

    • @justanotherdayinthelife9841
      @justanotherdayinthelife9841 4 роки тому

      This would help cement the group together as a unit from the get go and offers good opportunities to knit their characters together as well.

    • @adamkaris
      @adamkaris 4 роки тому +2

      That's a very unique idea. It would also let the more experienced players help the newer ones

    • @justanotherdayinthelife9841
      @justanotherdayinthelife9841 4 роки тому

      @@adamkaris ty

  • @austinsadler1403
    @austinsadler1403 4 роки тому +2

    My table loves rolling, so how we do it is: everyone rolls 4d6 drop lowest once, DM rolls additional sets to come up with 6 total, and everyone uses the resulting array. All the stuff people like about rolling, but it keeps everyone on a level playing field.

    • @NothingXemnas
      @NothingXemnas 4 роки тому

      6 total of what? If you mean total 6 rolls, one for each Ability Score, then why not ask your players to roll 5d6 and drop the two lowest?

    • @austinsadler1403
      @austinsadler1403 4 роки тому

      @@NothingXemnas Because the point is rolling an array that everyone uses, so all the characters are on the same page. It's not necessarily making overall better stats, it's keeping the party internally balanced so no character is significantly stronger than any other.

    • @NothingXemnas
      @NothingXemnas 4 роки тому

      @@austinsadler1403
      Oh, it's like "standard array" but the numbers are random?

  • @digifreak90
    @digifreak90 4 роки тому +50

    In regards to the "half HP"
    Is it really a house rule if it's in the Core Rulebook?

    • @binolombardi
      @binolombardi 4 роки тому +19

      “Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total (minimum of 1) to your hit point maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the die roll (rounded up).”
      It’s the next sentence. It’s not a variant or anything... literally another valid choice. It’s also slightly better than rolling since it rounds up.

    • @scoundrel_matt905
      @scoundrel_matt905 4 роки тому

      My house rule for HP is roll your hit die and if it's less than half of max, say 1-3 on a d8, then they get to re-roll it. I also homebrew a lot of monsters and adversaries so it balances it out enough that I don't feel as bad if my creations aren't as balanced.

    • @mal2ksc
      @mal2ksc 4 роки тому +2

      I think that snuck in because it started as a house rule in prior editions and got adopted into the official sources for 5e. I think it might have been in 4e also, but I don't really care to remember details about 4e anymore.
      This is one rule I follow as written. The default is statistically slightly better than average, and I see this as a design choice. Rolling for HP is deprecated. You can do it if you like, but it will most likely work to your slight disadvantage if you do.

    • @kev_whatev
      @kev_whatev 4 роки тому +1

      I use “roll up to 3 times, but you can’t go back”

    • @jacksteppenwolf6975
      @jacksteppenwolf6975 4 роки тому

      what would be nice is "you can either take the average rounded up or roll, and if the roll is low, take the average rounded down" That still makes you take a risk for rolling, and wont make people constantly take the average rounded up.

  • @cattrucker8257
    @cattrucker8257 4 роки тому

    I have to make a particular note of what you mention regarding playing a small party without dedicated support/healer characters. It's perhaps the most important thing about your homebrewed variant, and the most useful - because it's something that makes the way you play D&D, the way it plays and feels, distinct from baseline.
    Core rulebooks often state that the game is mostly designed and balanced for a party of 4-5 PCs; furthermore, most module designs seem to further presuppose there will be one or two "support"/healer characters among that number, and their encounters are balanced accordingly. Going under that number, and using no dedicated "support" characters, skews the balance in favour of the monsters, effectively heightens the challenge rating of every encounter. Thus, having slightly more generous stats is a great idea in this regard - it enables the table to keep playing the game mostly "as designed", compensating to some extent for the lack of healers and fewer character to pump the damage out with.
    Now, of course, Monty's actual DMing helps with that a lot as well - he clearly tunes his encounters to match the party quite well. But even just as a basic idea, it works great - since the game is mostly designed with the idea of playing with 4+ characters and at least one support build, having 3 players at the table (which seems to be more common than it might seem!) and no healers should be compensated for with buffing them a little bit, to enable them to keep up with play "as normal".
    Also, further note on the way you play - I really find it pleasantly different from seeing normal play elsewhere. Having no healer or supporter to rely on makes the entire dynamic of combat - and oftentimes roleplay and noncombat action as well - work quite differently, the game shifts in tone and becomes a lot more intense and less "tanky". Effectively, it becomes more adrenaline-rich and higher-stakes - and that is almost always fun to see. Another reason why I follow your campaign here, that different feel of its action.

  • @malonemalo
    @malonemalo 3 роки тому +6

    The "take half" house rule isn't a house rule at all. It is a rule imported from 3.5.

  • @Carlphish
    @Carlphish 3 роки тому

    I love rolling, in order, to create characters. It really feels the character is being born rather than created. I, as a DM, usually allow rolling scores with 2d6+2d4 which tends to trend above average on the rolls, without giving a super-score. I then make sure that either a magic item or boon that will help "correct" the weaker score(s) becomes available in the game (to that character only) fairly quickly into the game.

  • @TaberIV
    @TaberIV 4 роки тому +3

    One method of ability score generation I saw on reddit recently that I thought was interesting was 4d6d1, but every player uses the same set of rolls and puts them in their own stats however they choose. Haven't tried it, and I think I prefer point buy, but it's definitely interesting.
    I think your standard array is interesting, but I think I'd prefer point buy with a free feat at level 1. Accomplishes a lot of the same things, and I think everyone starting with an 18 sounds like a lot for me. You might let this include a dwarf playing a keen mind so they can start with a 16 in intelligence!

    • @Tzarkaan
      @Tzarkaan 4 роки тому +2

      Taber McFarlin I did this for a game I play in. There's only three of us so we each rolled a set of numbers and picked the one we like best. As a DM as well, I would prefer my players all used one rolled set, or a point buy to avoid having the one op character.

    • @TaberIV
      @TaberIV 4 роки тому +1

      @@TzarkaanThis sounds like a really great method if you like having randomness of the dice but not the imbalance. If my players want to roll next time I start a campaign I'll definitely recommend this!
      The thing I like about point buy for making my own characters is I can figure out how to handle odd numbers based on my race lol

    • @elijahculper5522
      @elijahculper5522 4 роки тому +1

      Taber McFarlin
      In past games, I’ve done something similar where the players could use the spread that someone else rolled if they wanted.

  • @ARCADEAVERY
    @ARCADEAVERY 3 роки тому

    My group has started using a rule similar to the Floating Ability Scores rule, but its much more generous. What we do is completely ignore the ability score increases from race and instead gain 3 points that you can put wherever is appropriate for your character's class/background; either 2 points in one stat and 1 point in another, or 1 point in three different stats.

  • @greenhawk3796
    @greenhawk3796 4 роки тому +12

    Things we've been trying on "one shots"
    1: Standard Stat Array or Standard Point Buy
    2: Free 1st lvl feat.
    3: All current Unearthed Arcana is allowed.
    Something i do is that all stats start with a 6. you roll 3, take highest 2. we plan to make it so your primary 2 stats can start with an 8 or something.

    • @darkmantlestudios
      @darkmantlestudios 4 роки тому +3

      Try 2d6+6

    • @greenhawk3796
      @greenhawk3796 4 роки тому +1

      @@darkmantlestudios thats basically what it is, but rolling 2 1s for 3 stats is still complete shit lol

    • @darkmantlestudios
      @darkmantlestudios 4 роки тому +2

      @@greenhawk3796 it gives you an 8 as a minimum, if you get 3 8s, toss the set bro :p

    • @greenhawk3796
      @greenhawk3796 4 роки тому

      @@darkmantlestudios its happened before. When we used to roll 4 take the highest 3 i literally rolled 3 1s & a 2.