My Rerollitis Isn't Working Well with Picking of Stats

Jorkan

I'm having feelings of guilt playing new characters. I've been rerolling until I get all 18's in any stats I need. However, after playing my new characters for an hour or so I delete them because I feel like a dirty cheater for maxing out all my stats and making the game too easy.

How do you go about creating characters, picking stats and justifying to yourself what you're doing.

CutlassJack

I don't feel too guilty about it in this game. Because its 2nd edition rules, which means stats have almost no value when they're lower than 16. Also given who your father is, having rediculous stats makes sense.

3rd edition games I play more fairly. Because they usually have a flat point buy system and stats start providing benefits at much lower ratings.

Schneidend

I try to keep things more or less reasonable. I go with an 18 in Strength, a 15 in Dex, and a 15 Con for CHARNAMEs that can wear plate and will be on the front lines.

LordRumfish

Depends on the character. I tend towards the high end of stats, but I sometimes put them with a less-than-powergamed class like jester, or wild mage, or barbarian (not that those aren't good, mind you). If I'm playing a class that doesn't require good stats sometimes I don't bother. I made a mad sorcerer recently with fairly bad stats but it didn't matter much because he was a sorcerer.

Exceptional stats on a jester or swashbuckler can let you hold the line in melee in your own half-assed way and makes up for not being able to wear heavy armor or use a helmet. I realize those classes have other things to offer besides straight combat but I like having the option available in a playable way. I also agree with @CutlassJack about Bhaal's blood giving you greater power. Compare your stats with Imoen or Sarevok, your half-siblings, and see how your point total matches up.

If I was rolling up dual-class kensai/mages and kensai/thieves, THAT would make me feel like a dirty cheater and a sellout. Good stats can make a so-so class or race choice palatable, and the flavor feels right for a story about a god's child. A powerful CHARNAME can also make up for a ridiculous party build (the all-neutral party, yaaay!).

nano

No 3 point stats, that's for sure. I try to have every stat at 10 or higher. Charisma is important too, if you want to justify being a leader.

Other than that, I limit the number of times I reroll and just go with the first decent one.

Kilivitz

I never min-max, but I'm not ashamed of spending a few more minutes rolling until I get a bunch of high stats.

With that said, I don't think the whole Bhaal essence has to be be an argument for high stats all across the board. A story about a character who beats the odds is just as interesting as a story about Mr./Mrs. Awesome By Default.

CutlassJack

Kilivitz said:

With that said, I don't think the whole Bhaal essence has to be be an argument for high stats all across the board. A story about a character who beats the odds is just as interesting as a story about Mr./Mrs. Awesome By Default.

I don't disagree. The Bhaal thing is more why I don't stress out about overly good stats than purposely trying to get them as high as possible. With my swashbuckler I'm happy with High Dex/Charisma (17-18), Decent Str/Con (not higher than 16), and somewhere in the 10 range for Int/Wis.

nano

Kilivitz said:

With that said, I don't think the whole Bhaal essence has to be be an argument for high stats all across the board. A story about a character who beats the odds is just as interesting as a story about Mr./Mrs. Awesome By Default.

I like that too. There's something poetic about being the suckiest Bhaalspawn but prevailing anyways through sheer force of will.

Wilbur

nano said:

I like that too. There's something poetic about being the suckiest Bhaalspawn but prevailing anyways through sheer force of will.

Or mind numbing abuse of quick load

nano

Wilbur said:

nano said:

I like that too. There's something poetic about being the suckiest Bhaalspawn but prevailing anyways through sheer force of will.

Or mind numbing abuse of quick load

Well, if that's what you want the bards to remember you for, I won't judge...

Okay, I'll judge, but I'll do it quietly

And to be fair, sitting through all those reloads takes great determination as well

Chaotic_Good

Bro no worries its not cheating the if your using the roll system the mod program that's cheating. The total on the lower part of the screen is so nice I spent 3 days rolling two weeks ago on vanilla then switched to back to ee when I found out there were new classes. I will say for sure the rolls are higher in bgee. I have played bg for more than a year never have finished it had 2 hd crash and a cooling unit go out. Now they nerfed shadow dancer so I have to start over again because my play was "cheating"/"unintended" I guess. Oh well dueling beastmaster/cleric I just hope I can make it to the end of the game by the 15th maybe I'll have better luck with bg 2. It is almost become a chore. For the ranger he rolled 95 after like 4 rolls and I do min max so I have all 18s except 5int. After I finally finish the game I might do some hc runs.

But I also have a pretty long list of games I would like to play after bg 2 I will prolly finish the eob series just need to beat 3. I didn't sleep for like a week and killed the first 2 ... well I think it was a week.

karnor00

I prefer to have my character as powerful as possible and instead try and make the game harder by using SCS, not pre-buffing for fights, not resting too often and not reloading too often.

onan

The game kind of factors in the Bhaal essence with the minimum 75 roll. It looks ridiculously low but a total of 75 is normally pretty good. That being said I don't look a gift horse in the mouth if I roll something exceptional. Like @karnor00 above, I try to make the game more challenging.

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Chaotic_Good

"I can't see why anyone would follow a dumb person with no charisma." You don't spend much time in the states I take it. Weapons of mass destruction was right... too bad we were the ones crazy enough to use them...

LordRumfish

Chaotic_Good said:

"I can't see why anyone would follow a dumb person with no charisma." You don't spend much time in the states I take it. Weapons of mass destruction was right... too bad we were the ones crazy enough to use them...

Hey, the dumb people we follow are generally quite charismatic! ^_~

Time4Tiddy

I pretty much try for anything 90+ and settle for 88-89. I won't go lower than a 10 in any stat because I hate the idea of "penalties" from 3e. Once I have my roll and set everything at 10, then I distribute the rest so that it feels "natural" - usually just one 18 in my primary stat, maybe one 17 in the secondary stat, then 15 and 16 in other things with 10 or 11 in the "dump stats". All 18s is beyond even Bhaalspawn - Sarevok is a 95, and probably collected about as many tomes as you did, so more likely started as a high 80s.

JLee

Try the 75 roll, no reload challenge a few times. It's very cathartic!! Bathe in its purifying waters!

Here

Time4Tiddy

Um, yes, that 75 roll. Why does it seem like you get four or five 75 rolls for every roll over 80?

LordRumfish

I think it's a new standard minimum. In the old days, I think there was no minimum aside from meeting class minimum stats... you could roll as low as the dice felt like rolling.

meagloth

Does anyone know what the "average" stat is? I assume it is 9 because that is halfway to 18, but that is certainly not represented by the NPC's.

elminster

LordRumfish said:

I think it's a new standard minimum. In the old days, I think there was no minimum aside from meeting class minimum stats... you could roll as low as the dice felt like rolling.

Its always been the minimum in the game. You couldn't get lower than it in BG1.

LordRumfish

You mean, the Joe Schmoe of NPCs average stat? 10. In 3rd edition dead-average was a set of three 10's and three 11's. "Special" average NPCs got the average array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.

On a roll of 3d6, the average roll is 10.5, so this makes sense when you think about it.

JLee

The average roll is 10.5, not taking into account race/class minimums. But, every roll under 75 is discarded.

Radwulf

I always choose 87 points for my character, no more or less. My line of logic is that Sarevok should be the main point of comparison, being the only 'peer' Bhaalspawn you meet who's stats you know. He has 95 points. 87 + 8 tomes = 95. With 87 he is better than you at the start, as he should be, and your peer by the end. By the end of BG2 he is noticeably weaker, again as he should be. Imoen also starts with 87 points but is not a 'peer' but a follower so should be weaker.

In practical terms 87 has the advantages that it is high enough for a good focussed character, but forces compromises on a multi or dual class. Given that I also only play with SCS I consider it a good balance between roleplaying and gameplay.

Messi

I usually roll my characters IWD2 way. Ie. give them stat total of 86 and then assign the stats with save game editor the way i see fit. Also I never go under 10 in any stat. Thanks to all the stat boost tomes, and what not, available in the BG saga I always end with very powerful characters in the end.

Kaltzor

I have pretty much given up on rerolling stats over and over and usually just Ctrl + 8 the stats and lower the non-essential stats to not have 18s in everything...

zerckan

I accept rolls 80-85 and distribute.