As you surly well know, there are numerous methods for character stat generation and countless more blog posts on the subject. Everyone has their favorite technique, which is usually their luckiest. Some are quite simple, while others are somewhat complex, involving various quantities of dice, re-roll rules, sets of dice and/or point systems. Recently, I was told of a method that I had never encountered before.

My friend and gaming comrade, Jon, is quite the Star Wars enthusiast and GMs our campaign of the same genre. Not long ago he got a hold of the Star Wars Saga Core Rules Book and has been feverishly pouring through it’s contents, trying to learn the system. One day, as we were talking about converting our original characters to the Saga edition, I saw a light bulb suddenly appear over his head.

Curious, I asked what had popped into that brain of his. He first began by explaining that in the Star Wars universe, the Heroes (Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy, etc.) are ‘heroic’ characters, in every sense of the word. So, in the game, the PCs should be heroic as well, since they are the Heroes of their own story in that same universe.

Now, whether your characters are Heroes of the Rebellion or adventurers fighting dragons and delving into dungeons, the PCs are not your average folk. Average folk put down roots, make a living and usually a family. They keep the status quo. They don’t travel the realms looking for adventure, fame, fortune and usually a bit of trouble. It takes a certain kind of person to live that sort of life, an above average sort of person.

So, to get above average characters, use a simple ability stat generation system that guarantees the results to be excellent at best, but still at least average at worst. With this premise in mind, Jon thought why not just roll a d8 + 10, giving you a base range of 11 to 18 for each stat. No need for re-rolls. The ‘why and how’ of stat placement is still up to your own preference. Then you adjust for character background, race or whatever. When he told me about it, I was kinda taken aback. It was so simple, so fast and yet it made sense, at least it did the way he explained it to me.

This method provides for truly heroic PCs by making them above average in most respects. Some people may like the challenge of role-playing a low ability score and who am I to stop them? If they want to intentionally handicap their character (from a game mechanics stand point) to make it a more interesting character, I say more power to them. However, keep in mind, when you look at most central characters in popular stories that suffer from any sort of debilitation, it is usually due to some past event; an attack, an accident or just from old age.  Rarely does a Hero start his or her adventuring career with such handicaps.

I understand if this is not everyone’s cup of tea and I’ll admit that initially it does feel ‘wrong’, especially for those of us that have played numerous systems and have always rolled up characters the traditional way(s). But, at least in the spirit of the Star Wars universe, I can’t argue with Jon’s logic. (Besides, he’s the GM, his rules) So, if this method sounds intriguing, try it out. Let your players give it a whirl. Take it for a spin, kick the tires, see what you think and see what they think.

Good gaming to you.

-