Character Generation Prefferences?

Ley Line walkers, Juicers, Coalition Troops, Samas, Tolkeen, & The Federation Of Magic. Come together here to discuss all things Rifts®.

Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones

User avatar
RiftJunkie
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 227
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 12:44 pm
Location: Ft Drum / Watertown area

Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by RiftJunkie »

Just curious, how many different means others use to roll up characters. I know some want programs to generate PC's. How many made their own program? How many roll them up strictly by the book? How many deviate from the rules and by how much?

Personally, I let my gamers roll (standard 3d6 type human) 3d6 eight times, re-roll 1's & 2's and put the rolls with whatever attribute they want. Some want their best roll in IQ to be a brain, others opt for a pretty boy and go for PB.
For other races, follow ?d6 for that attribute, re-roll 1's & 2's and roll three sets of attributes picking the best they want out of the three. Yeah, it's kinda min - maxing but I don't think it's overkill. The end results that I've seen are players happier with their characters by having attributes geared towards how they want to play/see their character.

What do you do?
My apologies up front if my posts come across as argumentative or crass. It is not a personal attack on anyone, just my blunt style. I bear no ill will towards anybody that plays Palladium Games (there’s not enough of us to hold a grudge).
User avatar
Bill
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 1567
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 2:25 pm
Location: Reno, Nevada

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Bill »

I tend to follow the book for most things. I think it's important to try and follow the rules of the game when I'm running a demo, otherwise people may buy the book on an incorrect assumption. Equipment is always subject to the story I'm running though. It may be exactly what you'll find in the book, or it may be something entirely different.
User avatar
Athos
Hero
Posts: 829
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2004 3:16 pm
Comment: Free Missouri, stand up to Apartheid everywhere.
Location: Placerville, CA
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Athos »

RiftJunkie wrote:Just curious, how many different means others use to roll up characters. I know some want programs to generate PC's. How many made their own program? How many roll them up strictly by the book? How many deviate from the rules and by how much?

Personally, I let my gamers roll (standard 3d6 type human) 3d6 eight times, re-roll 1's & 2's and put the rolls with whatever attribute they want. Some want their best roll in IQ to be a brain, others opt for a pretty boy and go for PB.
For other races, follow ?d6 for that attribute, re-roll 1's & 2's and roll three sets of attributes picking the best they want out of the three. Yeah, it's kinda min - maxing but I don't think it's overkill. The end results that I've seen are players happier with their characters by having attributes geared towards how they want to play/see their character.

What do you do?


I think you nailed it, it's about having fun and people being happy. If your players are happy with the way you are generating characters, you are doing a great job running the game, IMO.

It's just a game. It isn't a religion, at least not for me. :-D You are allowed to make changes that make sense to you and your group, after all, it is YOUR game. You purchased it, you run it, go for it...

For my game, I give humans the best deal, 4d6, reroll 1's and drop the lowest die. Everyone else, I let roll their given dice and then reroll 1's. I have had players still get a 6, even with rerolling 1's, but it is rare. If the character is really bad, I will let them reroll the whole character once, and take the better of the two sets. I always let players arrange their stats if they are human, other races are kind of hard to do this since they have dice that can vary ability to ability.
User avatar
Athos
Hero
Posts: 829
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2004 3:16 pm
Comment: Free Missouri, stand up to Apartheid everywhere.
Location: Placerville, CA
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Athos »

BTW... the books says roll 3d6 for attributes in order starting with IQ. I find this a very poor choice for gaming.

I have only been in one game that used this method, and it didn't last long. The characters felt very anemic and weak, and were seldom good in the areas the player wanted them to be. Players had to choose their class based on what they could qualify for, not what they wanted to play.

I think at a minimum, allowing players to arrange their stats as they see fit is smart, at least they can play the class they want then, since they will probably be able to meet the prerequisites if they arrange. If people aren't having fun, the game won't last, so why bother?
User avatar
The Ruiner
Explorer
Posts: 129
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 8:19 pm
Comment: I am a perfectionist who is good at nothing. You can imagine my frustration.
Location: Iowa
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by The Ruiner »

I just ran the old T.M.N.T. adventure module a couple weeks ago, the one with the death traps in it. When my group rolled up their characters, I had them keep whatever they rolled, strait down the line, no picking where the number went. No re-rolling 1's. It worked out okay because of the rule in T.M.N.T. and Other Strangeness that says if your group is all the same kind of animal, everyone in the group gets the bonus for an extaordinary stat

I did go soft in one instance. Someone rolled a 5 for I.Q.. I told him he could keep it and I'd make sure to give him extra exp if he stayed in character, or he could re-roll that stat. He opted for the re-roll, so i told everyone else they could do the same to 1 stat of their choosing.

That was an exception however. Normally on stat rolls I will let them re-roll 1's and place the results wherever they wanted. A couple of time I gave them the option of using d8's instead of d6's, with the condition that nothing could be re-rolled.
"There's only room in here for One, and I've decided it's not you."

"Open your eyes, I'm gonna horrify you into a comma!"--Master Shake
User avatar
Mechghost
Explorer
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:36 pm

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Mechghost »

I usually go with and extra die and drop the lowest (4d6 and use the 3 highest for a 3d6 stat) OR reroll 1s, the player's choice. If they want a certain character but don't qualify by a "small" difference (1 or 2 stat points) I'll give them the minimum.
"Did you find him?"
"Just the parts they didn't like..."
User avatar
Tiree
Champion
Posts: 2603
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2001 2:01 am
Comment: Token Right Wing Fascist Totalitarian
"Never hit a man while he's down. Kick them, it's easier" - The Hunt
Location: 25th Member of the "Cabal of 24"
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Tiree »

I prefer the quick roll method found in Robotech. And generally speaking I let the player choose the archetype (Brains, Strong, Quick, etc...) then let them go for it. Because of the nature of the base attribute, players do not re-roll 1's. Usually this isn't terrible since they are more than likely to have one stat over 16, and it's a stat of choice.
User avatar
Zer0 Kay
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 13730
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2004 1:59 pm
Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Zer0 Kay »

I allow my players to roll one extra stat die and eliminate the lowest roll.
All races not just humans get bonus die. My rule is if the roll is n less than n*d or more, not including bonuses if a bonus die is a max roll then an additional bonus die may be rolled, up to n bonus dice.
So humans are 3d6 n=3 d=6. Additional bonus die at n*d-n or higher 3*6=18-3=15. So humans can roll a bonus die at 15+ and can have up to 3 bonus dice. So if maxed out 36 on a stat. This may seem ridiculous but I ran the numbers and out of 6000 rolls only 2 ever reached the third bonus die.

lets say something rolls 2d10 then if it rolls 18 or higher it gets an extra d10, up to 2. So it could have a stat of 40.

If something has a multiplier then the n should be multiplied to figure out what the error is to roll another die.

I also allow stat swap at creation.

I've done this two ways the more PC method is any stat that used the same roll may be switched. The less PC is that a female character may substitute points from PS and/or PE for PB and/or PP. For humans and any other race where the sexual dimorphism tends to lean in stronger more enduring males and more attractive agile females. If the species has no sexual dimorphism then ignore it or if it's reverse, give the option to male characters.
:thwak: you some might think you're a :clown: but you're cool in book :ok: :thwak:--Mecha-Viper
BEST IDEA EVER!!! -- The Galactus Kid
Holy crapy, you're Zer0 Kay?! --TriaxTech
Zer0 Kay is my hero. --Atramentus
The Zer0 of Kay, who started this fray,
Kept us laughing until the end. -The Fifth Business (In loving Memory of the teleport thread)
User avatar
Thinyser
Knight
Posts: 4119
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:58 pm
Comment: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
~George Carlin
Location: Sioux Falls SD

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Thinyser »

-1's are 6's (I have some dice that have two sides with 6's and no 1's so we just use these), reroll 2's.

- "Exploding 6's": If an attribute is rolled within the number of dice of max (example: 11 & 12 on 2d6 or 16, 17, & 18 on 3d6 etc.) then roll 1 more d6, if that is a 6 you get one more d6. No more "exploding" after the 2nd bonus roll.

-Apply any + bonuses after exploding bonuses. So if a stat is 2d6+4 then you roll the 2d6 (and any exploding bonuses for 11 & 12) and THEN add in the +4.

-Stats have to stay where they are even if all are 3d6 & No borrowing points from one to improve another.

-I also usually max out the starting HP, SDC, and PPE/ISP.

-At level 1 I add their level bonuses (from going from 0-1) for HP, PPE/ISP as well as for skill %'s. Example if a character gets 2d6 PPE per level the get that at first level on top of their base. Same for all skills so the base of 40% +5%/level is 45% at first level. Its not a big boost but it helps a little


Alternatively I have used a "Points system" that allows them to use points to buy their attributes. They start with a Number of points depending on their race and can use these however they want. Going above racial maximum will cost 2 points to raise the attribute. Example a human would start with 128 points (to get this I figure out the max attributes {18} add them all together and subtract 16, in this case I treat humans as 18*8 then minus the 16) so if they wanted to have 16's all across the board it would use all their points. If they want a couple of 18's then they will have a couple of 14's or one 12. If they want to go above 18 then it costs 2 points for each point above 18 that they go. (Yes I know human racial max is stated to be 30 but for this points buy system I consider it the highest the score can be without any exploding so just the max of whatever the Xd6+Y per stat adds up to.)

If I want more heroic characters I will not subtract the 16 points from the max and if I want epic characters then I up the points bank by 16 (or even 32 for uber characters).

Then same as above I also usually max out the starting HP, SDC, and PPE/ISP, and at level 1 I add their level bonuses (from going from 0-1) for HP, PPE/ISP as well as for skill %'s.
Last edited by Thinyser on Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
"We live in a world where people use severed plant genitals to express affection.
Rifts is really not much weirder than that." ~~Killer Cyborg

"If we let technical problems scare us away from doing anything, humanity would still be in the trees flinging poo at each other."~~Killer Cyborg

"Everything that breeds is a threat."~~Killer Cyborg
User avatar
Thinyser
Knight
Posts: 4119
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:58 pm
Comment: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
~George Carlin
Location: Sioux Falls SD

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Thinyser »

Zer0 Kay wrote:I allow my players to roll one extra stat die and eliminate the lowest roll.
All races not just humans get bonus die. My rule is if the roll is n less than n*d or more, not including bonuses if a bonus die is a max roll then an additional bonus die may be rolled, up to n bonus dice.
So humans are 3d6 n=3 d=6. Additional bonus die at n*d-n or higher 3*6=18-3=15. So humans can roll a bonus die at 15+ and can have up to 3 bonus dice. So if maxed out 36 on a stat. This may seem ridiculous but I ran the numbers and out of 6000 rolls only 2 ever reached the third bonus die.

lets say something rolls 2d10 then if it rolls 18 or higher it gets an extra d10, up to 2. So it could have a stat of 40.

If something has a multiplier then the n should be multiplied to figure out what the error is to roll another die.

I also allow stat swap at creation.

I've done this two ways the more PC method is any stat that used the same roll may be switched. The less PC is that a female character may substitute points from PS and/or PE for PB and/or PP. For humans and any other race where the sexual dimorphism tends to lean in stronger more enduring males and more attractive agile females. If the species has no sexual dimorphism then ignore it or if it's reverse, give the option to male characters.

Nice, I really like the last part (bolded).
"We live in a world where people use severed plant genitals to express affection.
Rifts is really not much weirder than that." ~~Killer Cyborg

"If we let technical problems scare us away from doing anything, humanity would still be in the trees flinging poo at each other."~~Killer Cyborg

"Everything that breeds is a threat."~~Killer Cyborg
User avatar
grandmaster z0b
Champion
Posts: 3005
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2003 1:44 am
Location: Tech-City of Melbourne
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by grandmaster z0b »

Generally I go for 4d6, drop the lowest if they are human. If they roll over 16 then they roll again and reroll 1s. Can put the numbers to whatever stat they want.

If they are non-human I generally get them to roll the number of dice listed (eg. 4d6 for elf PP) and reroll any 1s, rather than getting them to roll 5d6 and drop the lowest. The get to roll another d6 if they roll 22 or higher on a 4d6, 28 on 5d6.
The word "THAN" is important. Something is "better than" something else, not "better then", it's "rather than" not "rather then".
User avatar
Zer0 Kay
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 13730
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2004 1:59 pm
Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Zer0 Kay »

Thinyser wrote:
Zer0 Kay wrote:I allow my players to roll one extra stat die and eliminate the lowest roll.
All races not just humans get bonus die. My rule is if the roll is n less than n*d or more, not including bonuses if a bonus die is a max roll then an additional bonus die may be rolled, up to n bonus dice.
So humans are 3d6 n=3 d=6. Additional bonus die at n*d-n or higher 3*6=18-3=15. So humans can roll a bonus die at 15+ and can have up to 3 bonus dice. So if maxed out 36 on a stat. This may seem ridiculous but I ran the numbers and out of 6000 rolls only 2 ever reached the third bonus die.

lets say something rolls 2d10 then if it rolls 18 or higher it gets an extra d10, up to 2. So it could have a stat of 40.

If something has a multiplier then the n should be multiplied to figure out what the error is to roll another die.

I also allow stat swap at creation.

I've done this two ways the more PC method is any stat that used the same roll may be switched. The less PC is that a female character may substitute points from PS and/or PE for PB and/or PP. For humans and any other race where the sexual dimorphism tends to lean in stronger more enduring males and more attractive agile females. If the species has no sexual dimorphism then ignore it or if it's reverse, give the option to male characters.

Nice, I really like the last part (bolded).


Yeah, even though it's a choice and given (for humans) on the female side, some would still choose to see this as sexist regardless of the fact that every species including humans have sexual dimorphism. What I find funny is that the people who would find it such, normally claim to believe in evolution (which would more support sexual dimorphism) over creation (which simply says it doesn't matter rather than it doesn't exist). But... meh, whatever. :)
Last edited by Zer0 Kay on Tue Sep 23, 2014 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
:thwak: you some might think you're a :clown: but you're cool in book :ok: :thwak:--Mecha-Viper
BEST IDEA EVER!!! -- The Galactus Kid
Holy crapy, you're Zer0 Kay?! --TriaxTech
Zer0 Kay is my hero. --Atramentus
The Zer0 of Kay, who started this fray,
Kept us laughing until the end. -The Fifth Business (In loving Memory of the teleport thread)
User avatar
thedrunk
Explorer
Posts: 131
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:52 am
Comment: Friendly Fire™
"Combat With a Smile"
A Ensite Para-Military Corperation
Location: Skynet™

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by thedrunk »

take your stats write them going down, then roll each die 3d6 for humans other races will have more or less die ( im using human for this) then take a numbers you rolled and apply up to the maximum of allowed die per stat and place which stat you want to have XXX number. cross off each number as you choose it. you add the bonus d6 roll on attributes that qualify.
IQ 334
ME 551
MA 666
PS 614
PP 544 16 (6+6+4)
PE 664
PB 244 16 ( 5+5+6)
SPD 566 7 (2+1+4)


Do not reroll 1's, this is kinda fun because you can take a crappy roll and make a decent character.
"when in doubt, do it. It's much easier to appolige than to get permission."
- Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and im not shure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
User avatar
Thinyser
Knight
Posts: 4119
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:58 pm
Comment: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
~George Carlin
Location: Sioux Falls SD

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Thinyser »

thedrunk wrote:take your stats write them going down, then roll each die 3d6 for humans other races will have more or less die ( im using human for this) then take a numbers you rolled and apply up to the maximum of allowed die per stat and place which stat you want to have XXX number. cross off each number as you choose it. you add the bonus d6 roll on attributes that qualify.
IQ 334
ME 551
MA 666
PS 614
PP 544 16 (6+6+4)
PE 664
PB 244 16 ( 5+5+6)
SPD 566 7 (2+1+4)


Do not reroll 1's, this is kinda fun because you can take a crappy roll and make a decent character.
I'm totally lost... am I the only one that cant make heads or tails of this?
"We live in a world where people use severed plant genitals to express affection.
Rifts is really not much weirder than that." ~~Killer Cyborg

"If we let technical problems scare us away from doing anything, humanity would still be in the trees flinging poo at each other."~~Killer Cyborg

"Everything that breeds is a threat."~~Killer Cyborg
User avatar
The Ruiner
Explorer
Posts: 129
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 8:19 pm
Comment: I am a perfectionist who is good at nothing. You can imagine my frustration.
Location: Iowa
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by The Ruiner »

He's basically saying instead of rolling 3d6 and putting the total on whatever stat you want, take each individual number and put it where you want. The limit being that you can't put more numbers into a stat than that stat allows.

Ex. no putting 7d6 into a stat rolled for a normal human.

Edit: words
"There's only room in here for One, and I've decided it's not you."

"Open your eyes, I'm gonna horrify you into a comma!"--Master Shake
User avatar
Zer0 Kay
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 13730
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2004 1:59 pm
Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Zer0 Kay »

The Ruiner wrote:He's basically saying instead of rolling 3d6 and putting the total on whatever stat you want, take each individual number and put it where you want. The limit being that you can't put more numbers into a stat than that stat allows.

Ex. no putting 7d6 into a stat rolled for a normal human.

Edit: words


but it also allows for abuses like min maxing and get bonus die. With multiple bonus die like my system and artificially setting up multiple 15+ and rolling for those, unless the switch is just limited to initial roll there'd be a lot of tripple bonus die occurring throughout the game not per person.
:thwak: you some might think you're a :clown: but you're cool in book :ok: :thwak:--Mecha-Viper
BEST IDEA EVER!!! -- The Galactus Kid
Holy crapy, you're Zer0 Kay?! --TriaxTech
Zer0 Kay is my hero. --Atramentus
The Zer0 of Kay, who started this fray,
Kept us laughing until the end. -The Fifth Business (In loving Memory of the teleport thread)
User avatar
Slight001
Hero
Posts: 856
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 5:52 pm

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Slight001 »

Roll dice in sequence IQ, ME...
Reroll 1's, Rerolls not subject to bonus rolls and a second roll of 1 is to be retained...
Bonus roll on a max dice roll, 4 on a d4, 6 on a d6...
Max Attributes are double dice rolls... 3d6 can become 6d6, 12+2d6 can become 12+4d6...

There are a number of other mods, but they apply only to my campaign and my custom exp tables.

edit: added rule for rerolling of 1's. Thought I had included that.
Last edited by Slight001 on Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"If your plan relies upon chance to succeed, then you've already failed."
"Sometimes to achieve the greatest good, one must commit great evil."
User avatar
runebeo
Champion
Posts: 2064
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:07 am
Comment: I hope Odin allows me to stand with him at the time of Ragnarök!
Location: kingston, on

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by runebeo »

Our group don't reroll 1's or 2's we just add 1 to it, and to keep the score around average 8-14 usually
I will be 125 living in Rio de Janeiro when the Great Cataclysm comes, I will not survive long but I will be cloned threw the Achilles project and my clones will be Achilles Neo-Humans that will start a new Jedi order in Psyscape. So You May Strike Me Down & I Will Become More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine. Let the Clone Wars begin!
User avatar
Thinyser
Knight
Posts: 4119
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:58 pm
Comment: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
~George Carlin
Location: Sioux Falls SD

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Thinyser »

The Ruiner wrote:He's basically saying instead of rolling 3d6 and putting the total on whatever stat you want, take each individual number and put it where you want. The limit being that you can't put more numbers into a stat than that stat allows.

Ex. no putting 7d6 into a stat rolled for a normal human.

Edit: words
Ok that makes more sense. I thought that was the deal, but the added chart thing he put in just confused the issue for me because he didn't indicate where he was pulling numbers from to make those stats. It would have made more sense just to say you get to roll all the dice and then assign each individual di roll wherever you want and if the total qualifies then you add bonus rolls as normal.

Zer0 Kay wrote:but it also allows for abuses like min maxing and get bonus die. With multiple bonus die like my system and artificially setting up multiple 15+ and rolling for those, unless the switch is just limited to initial roll there'd be a lot of tripple bonus die occurring throughout the game not per person.

Yes it certainly does allow for some min maxing but rereading it with the understanding that its just a pool of individual dice rolls I believe it would be the base stat that is manipulated and the resulting bonus rolls are straight rolls.
"We live in a world where people use severed plant genitals to express affection.
Rifts is really not much weirder than that." ~~Killer Cyborg

"If we let technical problems scare us away from doing anything, humanity would still be in the trees flinging poo at each other."~~Killer Cyborg

"Everything that breeds is a threat."~~Killer Cyborg
User avatar
Grell
Republican
Posts: 1306
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:34 pm
Comment: We are the hope for the future and we will not fail in that duty.
Location: Sacramento, CA
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Grell »

I have my players roll for each attribute in order, regardless of chosen character race.

I allow bonus die for exceptional rolls on all attributes that DON'T have a static modifier, regardless of race. The formula is based on the human standard with eligible bonus die rolls for attributes that are equal to the top results for the number of dice being rolled (rolls of 3d6 get bonus on top 3 results, rolls of 2d6 get bonus on top 2 results, rolls of 5d4 get bonus on top 5 results, and so on). I also apply the additional bonus die for a max result on the first across all races.

If a character doesn't qualify for a desired O.C.C., I will allow them to bump up the required attribute(s) but they must subtract the difference from a different attribute elsewhere (needs 2 in P.P. so player decides to take if from M.E., for example).
"He who commands the kitchen commands the ship." -C. Magewind, Ley Line Rifter and self proclaimed "Best Cook in the Three Galaxies"

"The question is not why the mechanoids kill the humanoids, but only why nobody did it sooner." -Killer Cyborg
User avatar
RiftJunkie
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 227
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 12:44 pm
Location: Ft Drum / Watertown area

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by RiftJunkie »

Athos wrote:
RiftJunkie wrote:Just curious, how many different means others use to roll up characters. I know some want programs to generate PC's. How many made their own program? How many roll them up strictly by the book? How many deviate from the rules and by how much?

Personally, I let my gamers roll (standard 3d6 type human) 3d6 eight times, re-roll 1's & 2's and put the rolls with whatever attribute they want. Some want their best roll in IQ to be a brain, others opt for a pretty boy and go for PB.
For other races, follow ?d6 for that attribute, re-roll 1's & 2's and roll three sets of attributes picking the best they want out of the three. Yeah, it's kinda min - maxing but I don't think it's overkill. The end results that I've seen are players happier with their characters by having attributes geared towards how they want to play/see their character.

What do you do?


I think you nailed it, it's about having fun and people being happy. If your players are happy with the way you are generating characters, you are doing a great job running the game, IMO.

It's just a game. It isn't a religion, at least not for me. :-D You are allowed to make changes that make sense to you and your group, after all, it is YOUR game. You purchased it, you run it, go for it...

For my game, I give humans the best deal, 4d6, reroll 1's and drop the lowest die. Everyone else, I let roll their given dice and then reroll 1's. I have had players still get a 6, even with rerolling 1's, but it is rare. If the character is really bad, I will let them reroll the whole character once, and take the better of the two sets. I always let players arrange their stats if they are human, other races are kind of hard to do this since they have dice that can vary ability to ability.


Thanks. I went with 4d6, reroll 1's and drop the lowest from time to time too.
My apologies up front if my posts come across as argumentative or crass. It is not a personal attack on anyone, just my blunt style. I bear no ill will towards anybody that plays Palladium Games (there’s not enough of us to hold a grudge).
User avatar
RiftJunkie
Dungeon Crawler
Posts: 227
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 12:44 pm
Location: Ft Drum / Watertown area

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by RiftJunkie »

So far, it's interesting how some are very similar and some are off the beaten path. I personally don't have the time/skill/patience to work up something like "thedrunk" or "Thinyser" posted or delved into differences between sexes like "Zer0 Kay".

I'm isolated, so it's nice to see how the rest of the Megaverse does it.
My apologies up front if my posts come across as argumentative or crass. It is not a personal attack on anyone, just my blunt style. I bear no ill will towards anybody that plays Palladium Games (there’s not enough of us to hold a grudge).
User avatar
Zer0 Kay
Megaversal® Ambassador
Posts: 13730
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2004 1:59 pm
Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by Zer0 Kay »

RiftJunkie wrote:So far, it's interesting how some are very similar and some are off the beaten path. I personally don't have the time/skill/patience to work up something like "thedrunk" or "Thinyser" posted or delved into differences between sexes like "Zer0 Kay".

I'm isolated, so it's nice to see how the rest of the Megaverse does it.


Thanks its cuz I don't like the beaten path, I find it cruelty to paths. :fool:

What you didn't find my +bonus d if randbetween(n,(n*d))>(n*d)-n, +d if bonus d = max up to a max bonus d equal to n, off the abused path? :) so 3d6 gets a bonus die on 15 plus and if that bonus die is max (6) then roll another bonus die up to 3 bonus die so a human can be from a 3 to a 36 and if you reroll 1s from 6 to 36 and if you roll an extra die and discard the lowest then it increases the chance for higher rolls. Too much?
Last edited by Zer0 Kay on Tue Sep 30, 2014 3:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
:thwak: you some might think you're a :clown: but you're cool in book :ok: :thwak:--Mecha-Viper
BEST IDEA EVER!!! -- The Galactus Kid
Holy crapy, you're Zer0 Kay?! --TriaxTech
Zer0 Kay is my hero. --Atramentus
The Zer0 of Kay, who started this fray,
Kept us laughing until the end. -The Fifth Business (In loving Memory of the teleport thread)
User avatar
drewkitty ~..~
Monk
Posts: 17737
Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2000 1:01 am
Location: Eastvale, calif
Contact:

Re: Character Generation Prefferences?

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

pencil, paper and dice, reroll 1&2 for the base set of die rolls. (extra die rolls as is).
May you be blessed with the ability to change course when you are off the mark.
Each question should be give the canon answer 1st, then you can proclaim your house rules.
Reading and writing (literacy) is how people on BBS interact.
Post Reply

Return to “Rifts®”