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What do you prefer for stats?

PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137
While bigger is obviously better for rolling characters, and it's always great to see those epic rolls from time to time, I must confess I generally prefer my "serious" characters to have a total in the mid 80s.

I find that this lets me have that perfect blend of having enough points to move around to suit my characters, while having few enough that it's not just Yet Another Peter Perfect.

Given the choice between a well rounded cookie cutter 18/19/16/18/18/3 and one with a modest 16/19/7/18/8/17, the second one speaks more to me as a character - gifted and charming, but fundamentally flawed, prone to impulsive decisions and with room to improve as they progress through the series and grab tomes and other boosts, while the other just gets... More perfect.

What's your approach to stats? Are you in it for the ubermensch? Or do you prefer your heroes to be gritty and flawed?
  1. What do you prefer for stats?58 votes
    1. Stick with the first roll you get, because apathy is the only appropriate response to rolls.
        0.00%
    2. Reroll until you get a decent score, then play it as it lies, because modifying is cheating.
        8.62%
    3. Ctrl-F8 / Keeper those stats. Life is too short to spend time rolling.
      15.52%
    4. Reroll until you get 100 or bust.
        6.90%
    5. 90+ is plenty.
      39.66%
    6. 80+ is all you need.
      25.86%
    7. Only posers go above 75.
        1.72%
    8. I reduce all my stats down to class minimums, because I'm a roleplayer.
        1.72%
JuliusBorisovBelgarathMTHgorgonzola
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Comments

  • EmpyrialEmpyrial Member Posts: 107
    *Basks in the feeling of being the first vote (after the poster's) in a new poll*

    But yeah I find 80+ covers the core needs well which gives me room to have imperfections while maxing the stats I feel are necessary. I typically trend towards ubermensch though.
  • craymond727craymond727 Member Posts: 208
    It really depends, and I have a tendency to play mixed-need characyers, but for pure melee types, I'm not too picky. I don't like relying on gear, so I guess I'd put the caveat like 85, 86+
  • SethDavisSethDavis Member Posts: 1,812
    huh, wasn't expecting such solidarity there
    semiticgoddess
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768
    Sort of...

    I made a spreadsheet that rolls 10 sets of stats at once (4d6 drop 1). When I start a new character, I hit calculate, then I pick the one I like best, apply racial modifiers and use ctrl-F8 to set the stats in the game.
    sarevok57JLee
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    It all depends on my setup and the particular character I'm rolling.

    For example, when I tried to beat BG1+BG2 with a solo druid, on Core, with the SCS, I went with a 75 roll. Because of the challenge and because a druid doesn't need anything else than WIS.

    In our forum MP attempt, we're aiming for something between 80-90, with flaws (not perfect 18-18-18).

    But for a duo run on Insane, with the SCS, with a monk charname and Rasaad I had to go with 18-18-18 (the latter for the Claw), because otherwise it would be redicilously hard not to die.

    Sometimes, I will roll to get the best of 20/50 results, the best result of 10/20 minutes. Sometimes, I will Ctrl-F8 and then lower stats to what I want.

    Or I may use the random method for a Bhaalspawn in a party run that I quite like, presented by @Lemernis here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/17887/create-a-random-game-optional-no-reload-speed-game-contest-included-spoilers/p1

    But generally, I try to think about NPCs' stats and make charname so that he could have both stronger and weaker sides. https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/681589/#Comment_681589 and https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/681590/#Comment_681590
    Gotural
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    It varies, really. These days I roll for 83 or higher, and stop re-rolling at 88, but I used to Keeper 90s and redistribute them. I never put my primary stats below their optimal values... it always felt like I was playing below full capacity.
    Gotural
  • RodrianRodrian Member Posts: 426
    .. and then, I lowers them to whatever I set before in my CHAR notebook :wink:
    Usually, it ends around 80+ too.. I'm a hard RP type of gamer and for example, my halfling would never score a 18/xx strenght..
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    I'm torn between 50+ and below 70.

    As of late, I really do enjoy playing with characters that possess stats *below* the class minimums with the help of EEKeeper. This allows for a wider variety of character backgrounds as well: lower stats helped me to successfully roleplay as an run-of-the-mill Commoner for instance. Or an 11 year old human child Bhaalspawn with nyctophobia.

    It's also interesting (and much more trickier) to undergoe playthroughts with believable disabled characters. An permanently blind Bhaalspawn of mine, for instance, did manage to become one of my all-time favourites. And for my first SoD playthrough I decided to plan an permanently deaf Shaman character. I imagine it will be a rather fresh experience to suffer a 50% chance of spell failure all the time.
    sarevok57
  • doggydoggy Member Posts: 313
    Seeing I for some reason have to spend an eternity to figure out what to call my PC I just can't spend time rerolling as well. That said I prefer to keep it realistic as I don't believe there is a lot of 18/00 mages out there. Also my PC gets all the tomes and the goodies from Lum, so he/she usually ends up pretty much ok.

    Sometimes I roll until happy and lowers cha (in BG2) then goes to pick up ring of human influence. Problem solved.
  • Sam_Sam_ Member Posts: 172
    Strait 25s every time. Fear me, for I am a god amongst men!
    semiticgoddesssarevok57
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    "I reduce all my stats down to class minimums, because I'm a roleplayer."

    I would consider this to be poor roleplaying in most instances. In Icewind Dale you are, after all, an adventurer who travels to an icy wasteland. Most characters (though not all) would likely be hardier and more competent in this situation. In Baldur's Gate, you are not just a Bhaalspawn, but one of the best of them.
    semiticgoddessDaevelongorgonzola
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    Because a sorcerer with all 3s is the way to go.
    sarevok57Rodrian
  • abacusabacus Member Posts: 1,307
    87

    17 for his/her best stat
    16... next best
    And so on down to 12 for their worst

    Has to meet class requirements.
    Eg:

    Fighter
    S17, D15, C16, I12, W13, Ch14

    Mage
    S12, D16, C15, I17, W14, Ch13

    Cleric
    S15, D13, C16, I12, W17, Ch14

    Thief
    S16, D17, C15, I14, W12, Ch13

    Paladin
    S16, D13, C15, I12, W14, Ch17

    Racial modifiers applied after distribution.
    PteranJuliusBorisov[Deleted User]
  • PteranPteran Member Posts: 388
    abacus said:

    87

    17 for his/her best stat
    16... next best
    And so on down to 12 for their worst

    Has to meet class requirements.
    Eg:

    Fighter
    S17, D15, C16, I12, W13, Ch14

    Mage
    S12, D16, C15, I17, W14, Ch13

    Cleric
    S15, D13, C16, I12, W17, Ch14

    Thief
    S16, D17, C15, I14, W12, Ch13

    Paladin
    S16, D13, C15, I12, W14, Ch17

    Racial modifiers applied after distribution.

    This is a really interesting way to do it. I like it!
    JuliusBorisov[Deleted User]Gozeta
  • SouthpawSouthpaw Member Posts: 2,026
    I've got my own rule, that says - the main char is exceptional in what he does, but that's about it. Everything else must be lower. Which means - one stat can reach 17-19, but the others have to be lower and no number can be shared between stats. What that usually means ...
    My characters were usually around

    Thieves:
    S16, D18, C15, I12, W10, Ch17 (Dextrous, charming, still capable of fight)

    Warriors/Monks:
    S18-19, D17, C16, I9, W13, Ch12 (Strong, capable - but not overly bright or good-looking (all the scars and stuff. But still quite wise)

    and so on... strong characters, but not munchkins.
    sarevok57JuliusBorisov[Deleted User]
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 5,975
    most of the time I just crtl+8 stats in then lower them down to what I like ( usually between 88-92) I've played enough bg over the years that I know that if I were to do it 100 % legitimately I would eventually get that, so why waste time? plus half the time I use EE keeper anyway because I like giving me guys cool colors that you cant choice on character creation and sometimes I like to make my sprites look cool, like if I make a monk or a sorcerer I sometimes give him the jon irenicus sprite, so rolling these days is for the lols, crt+8 is faster, and if I don't want an illegal ability score ( 18/xx STR for a caster for example) then I just cap them at 17 or EE keeper in what I want, time is money
    Rodrian
  • sluckerssluckers Member Posts: 280
    A mere 84 will provide you with three perfect 18 stats of your choice, 4 if you lower the others below 10. Even 76 gives you two stats to max out. Any roll is pretty much serviceable. But I try for 82-84 so that I can give my half-orc berserker a perfect charisma score. I just need charisma, I can't do without it. Do I know what it does? No. Is it terribly important? Probably not, I'm not sure. Do I need it? YES. So 84 gets me charisma and two stats of my choice.

    Unless I get an 88. I don't know what font the game uses, but I love the look of 88. I'd give up a roll of 100 just because I like 88. Otherwise, anything 80+ is fine, and I like to force myself to use the first roll over 80 I come across.
    Rodrian[Deleted User]
  • GreenWarlockGreenWarlock Member Posts: 1,354
    90+ rolls really don't matter, as most of that stats are not relevant - although which don't matter vary according to class. Despite all this, I can't help myself going for the godly roll as a badge of honor, and then personally consuming all the stat bonuses I can find in the game. I know, deep down, this makes me a bad gamer, but I can't help it - I'm hooked on hitting that button for one more roll...

    I would have picked 100+, apart from the fact I have never rolled that high, and so do have to settle for a roll in the 90s, although generally I hold out for a high 90s. For most classes, getting even a 93 is tough and can take hours though, but that patience being rewarded is part of the reason I am hooked.

    93 is also the magical number if, being the ultimate min/maxer, you want 5x18 and one 3-stat. Clearly rolls over 93 are better, and I try to find a more creative dump stat than Charisma. Paladins with 3 dev, hiding in the tin can suit of armor, for some reason amuse me. The fact that both games offer an item that can remedy that character flaw, assuming you make it that far, is also quite helpful (although it means giving up other items that would better occupy the slot with a more traditional warrior's dex).
  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    It really depends on my mood. If I want to create a powerful character, and let's be honest we all enjoy playing the strongest barbarian, or the nimblest thief, or the most tweaked mage from time to time. It is fun! I reroll until I get something satisfactory, mostly above 90+ in total stats. This is my method for rolling characters particularly for the Black Pits 2.

    For the main character of bg2 I usually role play so I try my character stats to reflect what it would be like in real life, with some artistic liberties. I am a pyschially very weak person, with a chronic illness, so I reflect it in low numbers of str, dex and especially con. My current character has a con of 6 now, with -1 to hp/lvl if I am not mistaken. I play caster types and generally give my mages 16-17 int. Very seldom 18, and that is a huge leap in artistic liberty for my char. However I don't write scrolls before gulping potions of geniuses because I play minimal reload, so the impact of the intelligence score is not much in my game.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    I wish I could settle for alot less, but 90+ is what I pretty much always aim for. Mainly this is because the implementation of stat benefits start too high IMHO, meaning even if you are significantly stronger than the average humanoid, you get no or very little benefit until you reach the strenght of a towering hulk. Same with dex and con. So if I want to roleplay a character stronger then average joe but not superhuman, I still gotta go for ~17-19 in str.
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    In general, 8-12 for 4 non-class stats, 13-17 for class stat and 13-17 for the last stat. That means that I often go below 75.
    With tomes and spells the stats go beyond 18 soon enough.
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    I have a lot of fun rolling the dice. Making up character's attributes is one of my favorite parts of the game. Its actually one thing I don't really like in IWD2. I can not stand the point-buy system.
    BillyYank
  • Son_of_ImoenSon_of_Imoen Member Posts: 1,806


    [...]
    This usually ends up taking some rerolling to end up in the mid-80's.

    Actually, that's only recently true. I did a small research, comparing my own characters from the years I played BG Tutu with my current BG:EE characters.

    Characters I finished TUTU with, noting their start dates, starting stats and highest stats:
    Kheltick (half-elven blade), July 27th 2008: 95 points (18 STR, 18 CON)
    Faihra (half-elven cleric/ranger), November 27th 2008: 91 points (18/75 STR)
    Zulecha (half-orc barbarian), March 7th 2010: 90 points (19 STR, 19 CON)
    Ihrene (half-elven conjuror), June 14th 2010: 89 points (18 INT, 18 WIS)
    R'am (human berserker dualed to cleric), July 9th 2010: 89 points (18/88 STR)
    Ohrlinka (gnome cleric/illusionist), August 23rd 2010: 91 (18 INT)

    Characters I started BG:EE with:
    Carl (gnome illusionist/thief), February 14th 2015: 83 points (18 INT)
    Sakhmet (human avenger), February 26th 2015: 84 points (17 WIS)
    Deirdre Bookchild (gnome illusionist), July 5th 2015: 79 (17 DEX, 17 INT)
    Cecilia Swiftfoot (halfling bounthunter), January 23rd 2016: 86 (19 DEX)
    Fannie Thumbwhistle (gnome illusionist thief), January 30th 2016: 76 (17 DEX, 17 INT)

    So it's only recently true I end up choosing points in the mid 80's or upper 70's. With a new development in me creating characters that I'll name "17 is exceptionally good as well".
    JuliusBorisovSkatan
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768

    I have a lot of fun rolling the dice. Making up character's attributes is one of my favorite parts of the game. Its actually one thing I don't really like in IWD2. I can not stand the point-buy system.

    Totally agree. IWD2's character creation system is the reason I made my own stat generator.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    edited February 2016
    I like to keep the main stats high. For melee characters, I like to have 18 in STR and CON. I'll accept a lower DEX with no AC bonus and no ranged weapons bonus, because that fits me in real life. I feel a bit phony to play a character with 18-18-18 in the physical stats, because that seems outlandishly unrealistic, though I occasionally allow it with a "jackpot" dice roll and justify it as supernatural god-gifted ability.

    I won't lower any stat below ten, because I think that going into penalty range represents an impairment or disability of some kind.
    Post edited by BelgarathMTH on
  • abacusabacus Member Posts: 1,307
    @BelgarathMTH
    It might be worth revising that last paragraph... it could be construed as suggesting that people with disabilities should only appear in stories if their condition is some sort of plot device.

    *I* know that's not what you mean... but this is the internet...
    Kamigoroshisemiticgoddess
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,211
    edited February 2016
    I usually go with 80 on party members and 85 for CHARNAME (being a god-spawn and all). I set the values manually with EEkeeper to add up to the right total.

    I min-max, though, and ignore class-specific minimums (otherwise Paladins have a real problem).
  • OtherguyOtherguy Member Posts: 157
    I usually reroll til I get a high 80 low 90 score. I don't really mind the rolling though, I kinda like numbers, guess I am odd that way. Gets tedious after a while which is why I settle. Latest was actually 94 FMT with a really good str score too. But that is by the highest toon I've played. I never put any attribute below 10, I like to have a high int independant of class. Thankfully I really like FMT or FM hybrids. I tend to max str/dex/con if I can or have at least 14 or 16 in con if the roll isnt good enough. I am playing as the most powerful bhaalspawn after all.
  • GemHoundGemHound Member Posts: 801
    edited February 2016
    Umm I'm not going to vote as I randomly generate a number between zero and nine and reroll that many times, using the highest roll.
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