I ask on TikTok and I will go ahead and ask here. What is your preferred stat generation in D&D? Standard array (which is just quick point buy).
If the group wants to roll I prefer the Bingo method (generate a 6×6 grid of scores, take any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal set).
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) April 17, 2020
whoa whoa whoa I’ve never heard of this Bingo method As far as I know my old long-time DM made it up. 😛 At least in our circles, I'm sure people have done something similar if not identical elsewhere
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) April 17, 2020
I actually used Bingo to create the Soulknife rogue I’m playtesting in an office game. I'm not sure I totally understand the Bingo method yet but it sounds very cool. 👻🗡️
— James J. Haeck (@jamesjhaeck) April 17, 2020
It amounts to protection against being screwed by a garbage roll And at this point in D&D, if you're using feats the system works MUCH better with point buy/array, I figure if you're going to roll, may as well drink from the fire hose.
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) April 17, 2020
I'm less worried about min-maxing, and more happy that:
1. You can pretty much guarantee a functional character regardless of class(es) or concept, within reason.
2. It plays well with the trade off of sacrificing Ability Score Improvement for feats.
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) April 17, 2020
Definitely prefer taking a feat over attribute increases. The only exception I make there is for a schtick. For instance, if I am playing a character whose defining trait is they are the strongest, then I might take the attribute boost for Strength, but otherwise, I prefer feats. I get that. The problem is the system starts to break if you roll well and start near-maxed, and then dump the rest of your ASI's into feats. It's less of a trade off then, and pure power boost.
Not a huge deal, but it is a thing.
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) April 17, 2020
You could go that way, but I've done it with individual sets previously
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) April 17, 2020
When you do the bingo method, do you do place the 6 scores anywhere, or you place them in order? I usually see the scores must be used in order, but can use them forwards or backwards. Personally I generate them top to bottom, and then left to right as I create sets of 6.
— Dan Dillon (@Dan_Dillon_1) April 17, 2020