Generating Character Abilities

[Voltumna]

What system do you use? The standard and heroic as described in CtRPG? Anyone using other systems?

Is it common in your games to have characters with their maximum racial abilities?

Thanks,

 

[VincentDarlage]

I always use the Heroic System presented in Conan the Roleplaying Game. That is, IMO, the most Howardian method, as I argued recently in Signs and Portents.

 

[AZZA]

I let the players roll 4d6 use the best 3. Then I get them to work out what their stats would have been using the point buy method. If the rolled stats added to under 38pts they can add pts to bring their character up to this level. I thought of using the heroic method but didn't like the ease with which one character could roll disgustingly good stats while another could as easily roll something completely average.

 

[VincentDarlage]

but didn't like the ease with which one character could roll disgustingly good stats while another could as easily roll something completely average.

That is what I like about it! Give me a chance to roll up a Conan or a god and I will risk a completely average character as opposed to settling for something almost guaranteed to be just slightly above average. The chance for greatness is one of the thrills of character generation!

If a player wanted to use a point-buy or some more usual method, I would let them, but so far all my players have the hearts of gamblers and the blood of barbarians running in their veins - they won't settle for mediocre if they have a shot at something disgustingly good!

 

[Hollywood Hogan]

I hear that! My players are the same way VincentDarlage. Actually, so am I.

-Hollywood

 

[Sutek]

Here's two that I've found work pretty well:

Superhero: Players get 18, 17, 16...13 and can place them where they want.

The Usual: Players roll 4d6 6 times discarding the lowest die in each grouping. They can then re-roll one value, usually the lowest. They can subsequently place these where they like.

Both generate pretty good characters and are quite generous. The fisrt guarantees a max roll; the second might as well...lol

 

[sanseveria]

I started using 5d6, discard the 2 lowest results. Characters end up above average but that's what's kept them alive so far.

SS

 

[Padre]

I use a modified heroic system. Each player rolls 1d10 + 8 twelve times. First six rolls are "set 1" and the rest are "set 2". The player chooses one set of rolls and that's it. My players gain levels slowly, so at least I let them be powerful from the beginning.

 

[MightyCthulhu]

I use the old "best 3 of 4d6 " method, but I let my players reroll all scores under 10.