Flyncorm Gorm's page

Personally, I love everything almost everyone has talked about here:

I love the unpredictability and variance of randomly rolled stats, and the control and fairness of point-buy. I understand the game-balance and "cheating" concerns of rolled characters, but also think that straight point-buy can be too unrealistic and sterile. The most fun I have had was playing characters who were rolled, with scores that seem out of place compared to point-buy characters (such as a fighter with 14 charisma), and playing a character with one or more horrible scores (as in 6 or lower), can be fun, challenging, and really give your character some personality.

The thing that I love the most is choices. As a GM, I like to give my players as much freedom and as many options as possible. Therefore I have designed a system where each player decides for their self what method they will use. I give each player "Character Points" (CPs) to build their character. These points are spent on Ability Scores, feats, and other abilities.

So, if a player wants to roll for their stats, they spend x amount of points depending on the rolling method they choose. Rolling 5d6, keep the best 3, costs more than the standard method of 4d6. Rolling 6d6 will cost even more. A lot more. Or if they would rather do point-buy, they just spend as many CPs as they want buying each ability score.

All kinds of options are available, including arrays, dice pools, rolling multiple characters (keep the best), and strange methods such as using playing cards or combination methods.

Using this approach, you could plan out a detailed method something like: Roll 7d6 for strength (keep the best 3), then 3d6 for each other score, plus two d20's rolled on the side which may substitute for any other score I choose, with insurance guaranteeing I can reroll all scores over again if I don't net a total of at least +3 in ability score bonuses. Each of these specifics cost CPs.

CPs not spent on ability scores can be used later to gain extra skills, feats, racial abilities, etc. For example, elves may purchase innate magical abilities, or you may spend CPs to play an unusual race (taking the place of level adjustment).

At the extremes, you may play a character with super-hero ability scores, but at the cost of not even having a feat at first level! Or settle for rolling 3d6 for all stats (in order), but use your CPs to purchase the ability to play a "gestalt" character, or have several extra feats and skills, (or play a dragon)!

I also allow players to reroll any die roll for 1 CP, but this is really "wasting" CPs for a one-time effect (one which might save your life).

Removed a post. Accusing people of trolling doesn't help, even if you're using a funny sockpuppet to do it.

True freedom of speach should be allowed in ALL forms of speech - including internet blogs. We may not like what someone has to say, but even if they are rude, removing their posts is just wrong! I would like to see a blog with no moderators. Everyone should be free to say anything they please. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to say whatever you want UNLESS it offends someone. If someone else can block you from commenting or remove your posts then your speech is NOT free! Moderators should be to keep out bots and spammers only - not real people posting their opinions!