Pregame Discussions

[dmw71]

Alright, aside from a superficial detail or two that may change as we settle in, I believe my character is complete and campaign-compliant!

Great. I'll be checking into the character sheets on D&D Beyond later today to check out where everyone is in terms of progress.

[Rex]

Mine is ready for review as well. I also have a post up in the private forum with a question from my background.

[Scott308]

Alright... so then how key are high stats?

Dunno if we're rolling or doing point buy, but in the case of point buying, does it make more sense to spread things around, get a bunch of 14s to start and be a jack of all trades (it looks like a human can have lots of 14s with the point buy mechanic, say), or to go for something more focused, at the cost of having more stats you are bad at? If I went "pretty good across the board" would I likely regret that immediately, regret it later, or maybe just be "well rounded"?

Playing AL, I get to play with lots of different people, and pretty much unanimously, people put higher stats in one or two areas, and have a couple lower. It is very common (almost everyone, except maybe Humans) to see low level characters (or higher level, even) with an 8 and at least one 10. Think about it- most characters (and people in real life) play to their strengths. If the character is really strong, a fighter type, etc. Yes, you could play a character who is mediocre in everything, but then you aren't really good at anything, and most likely there will always be someone better at whatever you want to do. And yes, you always have a chance of rolling really high, so your bonus may not even matter, but it is fairly important to be pretty good at the things you are going to rely upon often to keep yourself (and others) alive. Besides, if you have a low stat or two, it makes for a more interesting character. And when a character with a low stat needs to use it for something, it makes for a more intense incident. For instance, my 9th level Wizard has 20 INT, but only 8 STR. You can make a running long jump of a distance in feet up to your strength score. Most of the time, pit traps or chasms are 10' across. Guess who has to get help, taking up time and potentially resources, when this comes into play? Or the character with low CHA who stays behind when there is some important social encounter he doesn't want to mess up, who then ends up looking suspicious and has to talk to the local law enforcement with none of the smooth talkers in the group to help him out?

When using point buy to create a character, I don't see any reason NOT to excel at one stat. If we would have been rolling, then you are at the mercy of the dice, but here I say absolutely be very good in one area, pretty good in another, and weak in a third.

[Pulpatoon]

It's also worth pointing out that 5e does a pretty good job of targeting all the stats. There is no dump stat, because somebody can make you roll to Save vs. it.

[Computer +1]

Are we doing feats?

[drpete]

Thanks, Scott. So would the AL community consider 14 in your primary stat "bad" or "mediocre"?

Looking at how things are progressing, I see...

2 rogues
1 warlock, 1 sorcerer
1 monk, 1 barbarian, 1 fighter, 1 ranger

In terms of groups, it seems logical to split the rogues and the spell casters. Any feelings about how to split up the others? Is this it, or are there more in the works?

[Rex]

There is another request to join outstanding. I went opposite of Scott's advice I guess, my highest stat is 14. Seemed to fit how I envisioned my ranger.

Looking at the warriors, I think the Barbarian will be strongest in combat. The other 3 should be about equal? With no clerics I can see the Ranger having to pick up some healing when she gets higher level.

[Computer +1]

We may have difficulties with so many exotic character types if we need to deal with people.
A bugbear, a dragonborn and a tabaxi are uncommon and would meet with distrust, no?

[Pulpatoon]

We may have difficulties with so many exotic character types if we need to deal with people.
A bugbear, a dragonborn and a tabaxi are uncommon and would meet with distrust, no?

My character, while a dwarf, is clearly foreign-looking, too. Enough so that it's a background feature.

Maybe we're an itinerant circus troupe?

[Gerrin]

Plus my elf. A half orc and a bugbear, going to have to come up with a backstory as to why I'm not attacking them on sight.

[Rex]

We could do the split so that 1 group are all outcasts, forced together by circumstance/calling. Dragonborn, Tabaxi, Bugbear and Half-Orc. Still splits the rouges and magic-users.

[BearSiren817]

I’d say 16 is ideal for your main stat. 14 plus two from your racial bonus. Or 15 and +1 from racial bonus. Of course that is using standard points.

[GreyWolfVT]

My thoughts are since my only two characters in 5e have been a rogue, monk and a ranger that I'd likely stick with what i already know. I'd prefer not to stray too far into something i have no idea what I am doing. However it all depends on if my current character is able to move into this game after the Yawning Portal is over if the answer is no that is all well as I can fairly quickly make a character on DnD Beyond (which i am very much loving).

[dmw71]

You'll need a new character for this one, Ed. Kelben will continue on in the other game.

[GreyWolfVT]

You'll need a new character for this one, Ed. Kelben will continue on in the other game.

No worries making a Hill Dwarf Ranger then. From a Mercenary background.

[BearSiren817]

Just want to note we have a lot of squishy players and no tanks. At least it seems. My real only experience comes with rogues but my first 5e character was a fighter so I do have those mechanics down. Really like playing rogues though...

[Scott308]

The barbarian can be a tank- a big, hairy, rage-filled, murder-machine of a tank. He has reach, so he doesn't need to get up close and personal, but it looks like that is going to end up happening. Having said that, I can switch out for a cleric since that is a glaring weakness of the combined groups- unless we want to go without.

[Scott308]

Thanks, Scott. So would the AL community consider 14 in your primary stat "bad" or "mediocre"?

I think with most AL players, they are going to have their characters start with a higher primary stat. 14 is a +2, which is decent. Maybe I shouldn't have said mediocre. It is definitely not bad, it's the same bonus you'd get if you had a 15 in the stat. It isn't a great stat, but you can have an accomplished character depending on where you put the other points and how you plan on playing it. I have definitely seen characters that for role-playing purposes have set themselves up with a non-ideal build. If you have a character concept you want to play and it makes sense to have a lower stat in your primary ability, then go for it. It's really all about having fun, and if min/maxing your character is going to make it a run-of-the-mill character with no personality, then it isn't worth playing that way, especially if you could potentially be playing it for 15 levels. I'd just be afraid of never quite having the opportunities to shine. I have played characters at conventions that are multiclassed, and I felt like I really couldn't do much, as I was a few levels behind the pure fighter types in my combat ability, and a few levels behind the pure casters in spells, so I never really got the sense I was contributing much when we were fighting.

Everyone here has enough experience playing various systems, they should have a pretty good idea of what they want to do. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to build their character, and I hope nobody interpreted my comments that way. Because you only get an opportunity every 4 levels in a class to add two points to stats, sometimes it can put you behind the power curve if you start by not maxing out your primary stat, and I am afraid people with little experience in this system may not realize how a decision in character creation may affect them 5 or 6 levels later. I see feats the same way. Sometimes I'll take a feat at 4th level, but then other times I really want those 2 points on my stat. This is one of the things I really like about 5e that I grew really tired of in 1e. You can play the same class multiple times, and end up with pretty different approaches based on archetypes and feats.

[Rex]

I will switch my character to a druid, it has minimal effect on my concept and backstory.

[dmw71]

Are we doing feats?

Sure.

If you're a variant human you get to start with one. If not, you can select a feat at 4th level instead of taking the ability score increase.