Hello everyone! this is my first post here.I've enjoyed lurking until now.I've played D&D and other RPGs since Halfling was a character class.
I recently acquired the pathfinder book and I really love what they've done with it.
I do find the point spend method recommended somewhat lackluster..even w/ 25 points.So I devised my own.
IMHO it creates balanced playable characters.
Each player gets 20 pts.
The costs for scores are as follows.
8 +1 (gives bonus to spend elsewhere)
10 - (default-all scores start here)
12 -1 (negative values cost points)
13 -2
14 -4
15 -5
16 -7
17 -8
18 -10
Try it out and see how you like it.I only play tabletop..so I know nothing of online Pathfinder...but this method makes for good characters for tabletop.
Thanks for looking! Happy HoboMurdering :)
You must be running some high-powered games if you find a 25 point buy to be lackluster. With this system, you could get 18, 17, 12, 12, 12, 8 witch equates to a 34 point buy normally. Why not just give the PCs the Advanced Template?
Anyway, if you and your players are having fun and it's not too much work for you to balance encounters, I guess there's nothing wrong with it (except for the question of what happens when a PC has a 9 or 11 in a stat).
There are 104 possible attribute arrays with this system.
[14,14,14,14,14,10]
[15,14,14,14,13,12]
[15,14,14,14,14,8]
[15,15,14,13,13,13]
[15,15,14,14,12,12]
[15,15,14,14,13,10]
[15,15,15,13,13,12]
[15,15,15,14,12,10]
[15,15,15,14,13,8]
[15,15,15,15,10,10]
[15,15,15,15,12,8]
[16,14,14,13,13,12]
[16,14,14,14,12,10]
[16,14,14,14,13,8]
[16,15,13,13,13,13]
[16,15,14,13,12,12]
[16,15,14,13,13,10]
[16,15,14,14,10,10]
[16,15,14,14,12,8]
[16,15,15,12,12,12]
[16,15,15,13,12,10]
[16,15,15,13,13,8]
[16,15,15,14,10,8]
[16,15,15,15,8,8]
[16,16,13,13,12,12]
[16,16,13,13,13,10]
[16,16,14,12,12,10]
[16,16,14,13,10,10]
[16,16,14,13,12,8]
[16,16,14,14,8,8]
[16,16,15,12,10,10]
[16,16,15,12,12,8]
[16,16,15,13,10,8]
[16,16,16,10,10,8]
[16,16,16,12,8,8]
[17,14,13,13,13,13]
[17,14,14,13,12,12]
[17,14,14,13,13,10]
[17,14,14,14,10,10]
[17,14,14,14,12,8]
[17,15,13,13,13,12]
[17,15,14,12,12,12]
[17,15,14,13,12,10]
[17,15,14,13,13,8]
[17,15,14,14,10,8]
[17,15,15,12,12,10]
[17,15,15,13,10,10]
[17,15,15,13,12,8]
[17,15,15,14,8,8]
[17,16,13,12,12,12]
[17,16,13,13,12,10]
[17,16,13,13,13,8]
[17,16,14,12,10,10]
[17,16,14,12,12,8]
[17,16,14,13,10,8]
[17,16,15,10,10,10]
[17,16,15,12,10,8]
[17,16,15,13,8,8]
[17,16,16,10,8,8]
[17,17,12,12,12,12]
[17,17,13,12,12,10]
[17,17,13,13,10,10]
[17,17,13,13,12,8]
[17,17,14,10,10,10]
[17,17,14,12,10,8]
[17,17,14,13,8,8]
[17,17,15,10,10,8]
[17,17,15,12,8,8]
[17,17,16,8,8,8]
[18,13,13,13,13,13]
[18,14,13,13,12,12]
[18,14,13,13,13,10]
[18,14,14,12,12,10]
[18,14,14,13,10,10]
[18,14,14,13,12,8]
[18,14,14,14,8,8]
[18,15,13,12,12,12]
[18,15,13,13,12,10]
[18,15,13,13,13,8]
[18,15,14,12,10,10]
[18,15,14,12,12,8]
[18,15,14,13,10,8]
[18,15,15,10,10,10]
[18,15,15,12,10,8]
[18,15,15,13,8,8]
[18,16,12,12,12,10]
[18,16,13,12,10,10]
[18,16,13,12,12,8]
[18,16,13,13,10,8]
[18,16,14,10,10,8]
[18,16,14,12,8,8]
[18,16,15,10,8,8]
[18,17,12,12,10,10]
[18,17,12,12,12,8]
[18,17,13,10,10,10]
[18,17,13,12,10,8]
[18,17,13,13,8,8]
[18,17,14,10,8,8]
[18,17,15,8,8,8]
[18,18,10,10,10,10]
[18,18,12,10,10,8]
[18,18,12,12,8,8]
[18,18,13,10,8,8]
My conclusion: This system has the advantage of being very friendly to MAD classes, making it very easy to have a +3 in 3 different stats, if need be. The SAD classes get their 18 without having to sacrifice their tertiary stats. It removes the tough choices in assigning your abilities, so now you're basically choosing where you want to excel instead of choosing where you'll be crippled. It's not for everyone, but I like it.