Post by lukuz13 on Jan 28, 2012 13:56:49 GMT -5
Lesson Six: Rolling ability scores.
Just about every die roll you make is going to be modified based on your character’s abilities. A tough character has a better chance of surviving a wyvern’s poison sting. A perceptive character is more likely to notice bugbears sneaking up from behind. A stupid character is not as likely to find a secret door that leads to a hidden treasure chamber. Your ability scores tell you what your modifiers are for rolls such as these.
Your character has six abilities: Strength (abbreviated Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha). Each of your character’s above-average abilities gives you a benefit on certain die rolls, and each below-average ability gives you a disadvantage on other die rolls. When creating your character, you roll your scores randomly, assign them to the abilities as you like, and raise and lower them according to the character’s race. Later, you can increase them as your character advances in experience.
ABILITY SCORES
To create an ability score for your character, roll four six-sided dice (4d6). Disregard the lowest die roll and total the three highest ones. The result is a number between 3 (horrible) and 18 (tremendous). The average ability score for the typical commoner is 10 or 11, but your character is not typical. The most common ability scores for player characters (PCs) are 12 and 13. (That’s right, the average player character is above average.) Make this roll six times, recording each result on a piece of paper. Once you have six scores, assign each score to one of the six abilities. At this step, you need to know what kind of person your character is going to be, including his or her race and class, in order to know how best to distribute the ability scores. Choosing a race other than human or half-elf causes some of these ability scores to change.
ABILITY MODIFIERS
Each ability, after changes made because of race, has a modifier ranging from –5 to +5. It also shows bonus spells, which you’ll need to know about if your character is a spellcaster. The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that ability.
For instance, you apply your character’s Strength modifier to your roll when he or she tries to hit someone with a sword. You also use the modifier with some numbers that aren’t die rolls—for example, you apply your character’s Dexterity modifier to his or her Armor Class (AC). A positive modifier is called a bonus, and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
ABILITIES AND SPELLCASTERS
The ability that governs bonus spells depends on what type of spellcaster your character is: Intelligence for wizards; Wisdom for clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers; or Charisma for sorcerers and bards. In addition to having a high ability score, a spellcaster must be of high enough class level to be able to cast spells of a given spell level. For instance, the wizard Mialee has an Intelligence score of 15, so she’s smart enough to get one bonus 1stlevel spell and one bonus 2nd-level spell. (She will not actually get the 2nd-level spell until she is 3rd level wizard, since that’s the minimum level a wizard must be to cast 2nd-level spells.) If your character’s ability score is 9 or lower, you can’t cast spells tied to that ability. For example, if Mialee’s Intelligence score dropped to 9 because of a poison that reduces intellect, she would not be able to cast even her simplest spells until cured.
REROLLING
If your scores are too low, you may scrap them and roll all six scores again. Your scores are considered too low if the sum of your modifiers (before adjustments because of race) is 0 or lower, or if your highest score is 13 or lower. You may also consult your DM for a set of skill you aren't happy with, they may allow you to reroll if you are significantly below other players.
Just about every die roll you make is going to be modified based on your character’s abilities. A tough character has a better chance of surviving a wyvern’s poison sting. A perceptive character is more likely to notice bugbears sneaking up from behind. A stupid character is not as likely to find a secret door that leads to a hidden treasure chamber. Your ability scores tell you what your modifiers are for rolls such as these.
Your character has six abilities: Strength (abbreviated Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha). Each of your character’s above-average abilities gives you a benefit on certain die rolls, and each below-average ability gives you a disadvantage on other die rolls. When creating your character, you roll your scores randomly, assign them to the abilities as you like, and raise and lower them according to the character’s race. Later, you can increase them as your character advances in experience.
ABILITY SCORES
To create an ability score for your character, roll four six-sided dice (4d6). Disregard the lowest die roll and total the three highest ones. The result is a number between 3 (horrible) and 18 (tremendous). The average ability score for the typical commoner is 10 or 11, but your character is not typical. The most common ability scores for player characters (PCs) are 12 and 13. (That’s right, the average player character is above average.) Make this roll six times, recording each result on a piece of paper. Once you have six scores, assign each score to one of the six abilities. At this step, you need to know what kind of person your character is going to be, including his or her race and class, in order to know how best to distribute the ability scores. Choosing a race other than human or half-elf causes some of these ability scores to change.
ABILITY MODIFIERS
Each ability, after changes made because of race, has a modifier ranging from –5 to +5. It also shows bonus spells, which you’ll need to know about if your character is a spellcaster. The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that ability.
For instance, you apply your character’s Strength modifier to your roll when he or she tries to hit someone with a sword. You also use the modifier with some numbers that aren’t die rolls—for example, you apply your character’s Dexterity modifier to his or her Armor Class (AC). A positive modifier is called a bonus, and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
ABILITIES AND SPELLCASTERS
The ability that governs bonus spells depends on what type of spellcaster your character is: Intelligence for wizards; Wisdom for clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers; or Charisma for sorcerers and bards. In addition to having a high ability score, a spellcaster must be of high enough class level to be able to cast spells of a given spell level. For instance, the wizard Mialee has an Intelligence score of 15, so she’s smart enough to get one bonus 1stlevel spell and one bonus 2nd-level spell. (She will not actually get the 2nd-level spell until she is 3rd level wizard, since that’s the minimum level a wizard must be to cast 2nd-level spells.) If your character’s ability score is 9 or lower, you can’t cast spells tied to that ability. For example, if Mialee’s Intelligence score dropped to 9 because of a poison that reduces intellect, she would not be able to cast even her simplest spells until cured.
REROLLING
If your scores are too low, you may scrap them and roll all six scores again. Your scores are considered too low if the sum of your modifiers (before adjustments because of race) is 0 or lower, or if your highest score is 13 or lower. You may also consult your DM for a set of skill you aren't happy with, they may allow you to reroll if you are significantly below other players.
