First off, I don't want this to be a thread where everyone posts what they do with their group or for it to devolve into an argument about point-buy versus rolling for stats. There are more than enough of that sort of thing here if people want to search for it.
What I'm discovering, after more decades of playing RPGs than I care to admit, is that while I still have a fondness for some of the classic elements of generating characters, I also have an appreciation for how the game has changed over the years.
Some specifics:
1. I like using point-buy (typically 15, though I'm often tempted to use 10) because everyone has an equally "powerful" character.
2. I don't like using point-buy because you end up with "good" stats exactly where you need them for your character (I know - this is a generalization).
3. I like rolling attributes "down the line" because I don't know ahead of time where my strengths and weaknesses are. (Did you know the average elf has 12 dex? Have you ever seen an elf with <12 dex in a game? How about <14? Probably not...)
4. I don't like rolling attributes because depending on the method, you either end up with a) a great disparity between characters or b) uniformly average rolls (where the average can vary depending on the method used).
Here's what I've come up with to reconcile these points for ability score generation:
1. Choose your race (including variable stat bonus location for humans, etc).
2. Choose a array of scores based on a 20 point buy.
3. Randomly assign those scores to abilities and apply racial modifiers.
Given all this, would you play in such a game? If not, is it because we have different tastes (points 1-4) or because of the actual mechanics used. If the latter, what would you do differently?
Well, if I'm going to have to suffer random assignment, I'm not willing to have to point-buy. Just me. If I don't get to assign scores, let me roll everything.
