The next time I referee Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition, Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert Set, Labyrinth Lord, or OSRIC, I will be using the following rules for generating attribute scores for player characters:
Method 1: Roll 4d6 (drop the lowest die) six times and assign to attributes as desired.
Method 2: Roll 4d6 (drop the lowest die) for each attribute in order. Choose one result to reroll and accept whichever is higher.
[Edit: The following was added 13 January 2011.]
Method 3: Roll 4d6 (drop the lowest die) seven times, drop the lowest result, and assign to attributes as desired. [I think this may be the one I'll use.]
3 Comments
I do 3d6 in order, 6 stats then money, and you can swap out any two. This lets you plut your highest stat into INT if you wanted to play a spellcaster, for example.
But that’s just short of the harshest possible method, I understand. I mean to include stat-altering things in the game world (like a magic fountain that raises one of your stats by one point, but allows only 1d6 drinks per year or something). You might want to include training from certain special NPCs that can raise a stat by 1 point if below 7 or 0.5 points if between 7 and 14. Also check out the beginning of the AD&D1 DMG for wish-related stat gains, which I suppose were common enough in Gary’s game to warrant an actual rule.
I like the training idea. Do you use any specific rules for that, such as training time, cost of training, or any special rolls to determine if training is successful?
I also like the idea of including the money roll as one of the stats that can be swapped.
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