RPG Ability Scores, Part II: Counting Dice

As a follow-up to yesterday's post about generating ability scores that are both random and balanced, here's a system that treats all six ability scores equally, and more easily adjusts to different power levels.

Step 1: Roll 14d6

Note: For a "low-powered" campaign, use 12d6. For a "high-powered" campaign, use 16d6 (or more).

If more than 8 dice show the same result, re-roll the extra dice.

Step 2: Count the Dice

Count up all the dice showing '1'. The number of 1's determines your Strength score using the following table:

Dice	Score	Dice	Score
0	8	5	16
1	10	6	17-
2	12	7	17+
3	14	8	18
4	15

Repeat this process for all the 2's (INT), 3's (WIS), 4's (DEX), 5's (CON) and 6's (CHA).

Step 3: Tweak The Totals

If you recorded "17-" or "17+" for any of your scores, do the following:

1. If you rolled a "17-" and "17+", ignore them (they cancel each other out).

2. If you rolled a "17-", subtract one point from any ability score (not reducing any score below 8).

3. If you rolled a "17+", add one point to any ability score (not raising any score above 14).

Step 4. Re-Arrange

I prefer to simply swap any two scores at this point. It ensures that you get a variety of characters. But you can use whatever system suits your campaign.