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Point Buy is neat, but 27 points is a lotta points. Kinda makes my head spin yanno?
For the D&D style TTRPG I’m designing I tried to see if I could shrink the math down a bit:
Got it down to 12! The game doesn’t have ability scores or racial increases, but still! I quite like it.
Pfft, all these people giving their DnD characters disabilities for “representation.”
Back in my day, we gave our characters disabilities to get more build points in order to break our minmaxed munchkins clean in half.
Point Systems & Limiting Disabilities
In some communities, particularly ones with information housed on forums or Deviantart, point systems are established. These point systems mean that when a member makes art, or roleplays, or sometimes even participates in OOC events– they gain points. These points can be spent on boons of all kinds that vary wildly across different roleplays. Everything from animal companions to staff art and more.
If done well, these can be a great motivator. I find that when building a point system, it allows you to encourage the behaviors you’d like in a roleplay. You can encourage people to interact with new players or players they haven’t roleplayed with before, you can encourage OOC bonding, you can encourage character progression, and more. Point systems can also work towards communal goals, unlocking features for all characters to enjoy– which not only enhances the sense of community but keeps things on a nicely level playing field. That allows less active or disabled players who can’t be around often to still enjoy it, especially if the way to gain points isn’t only activity based.
The benefits can be fun as well, I’ve seen some very creative uses of such a system. My own opinion however is that plots should never be stuck behind a paywall– they should be accessible to each member and an inherent part of running a roleplay is working with players on what they’d like to do and see done. I mentioned an issue with this in ‘Players Should Be Participating, Not Just Watching.’
However, I do believe firmly that an objectively poor use of a point buy system is locking disabilities behind points. This also can apply to roleplays that allow limited numbers of disabled characters for ‘realism.’ All players should be able to make disabled characters, there is no such thing as ‘too many’ disabled characters, and this is only once piece of a much larger problem in the WCRP community’s treatment of disabilities.
This problem is one that does stem from the original books themselves, as the Erin’s treatment of disabled characters is uncomfortable and unfair at best. Cats being forced into a certain lifepath, whether it be retirement or the life of a healer regardless of their own wishes, is awful and sets a standard for the roleplay community that already is flawed by way of establishment. It removes the agency and choice from these characters and ignores the fact that usually cats with disabilities still navigate their lives incredibly successfully. Why would they need to be, say, forced to retire?
Sometimes warped and jaded attempts are made at trying to ensure disabilities are played respectfully– from thorough but invasive questioning, to complete regulation, and sometimes this comes in the form of completely not allowing them at all. Regulation can be done well, but this can often times feel uncomfortable and belittling to disabled players. Not allowing disabilities at all excludes disabled players from being able to play a part of themselves that they would want to see represented. I feel that a better approach would be to have few if any restrictions on this and let players take charge. If their representation truly is flawed, then speak to them about it. I can understand wanting some idea of what a player’s plan is, though I do feel that there has to be a level of trust here that allows disabled players to explore their own experiences without being forced to disclose information about themselves or being limited completely.
Disabilities are a part of the human experience, and when you limit them you hurt people who feel that they themselves are not allowed or permitted in the roleplay community you have created.
There’s a great deal to be said about disabilities, but in the efforts of preventing this from being too long I will likely split it into future posts.
Use a point buy system but each point must be purchased with real world cash.
Rolling Stats or Point Buy: Which is Better?
Ngl I love the default standard array recommendations. It feels like Wotc calling out every class stereotype
Bards, druids, warlock and wizards are all weak nerds and hippies
Clerics go clank
Fighters and paladin are dumb guy hit thing
Ranger and sorc are too edgy and cool for nerd shit
Rogue,monk and barbarian are smelly lol ( this one offends me personally every rogue I've seen is high cha low str and con)
would you use these standard arrays?
yes
no
I roll for stats/see results
I'm finally convinced to start running my games with point buy instead of rolling stats. I loved it but had to have a player reroll stats like 5 times and I rolled 10 12 and four fucking 8s the other day 😭
A point-buy calculator for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition
Now I know what you’re thinking, “I know how to use point buy already without a tool”, yeah, sure ya do. I’ve seen people make all sorts of interesting mistakes when they do it on their own. Including me! When I transitioned from 4th edition to 5th edition I actually did my point buy AFTER I applied my racial bonuses, which whacked it all up and gave me a 10 in a stat when I should’ve had a 14! Anyway, this tool is cool because you can plug in the race you’re using and adjust any variables as needed. It also allow you to do your point buy with a lower or higher designated amount of points in case your game calls for it.
At the very least, this tool is very helpful for the first timer 5th edition gamer who doesn’t want to mess up their ability scores.
