What do you recommend? I hate the "let's start at below normal 8 per stat scenario of this and Arcanum", but is ad nauseum rolling for stats worth it?

Doesn't that rolling give you much better stats than spending points. I'd go for it, but if that ironman mode gives you only one chance to roll stats then I'd go for points spending. Sometimes I try to copy myself and give my character about the same stats that I have. Of course I can't say if my strenght is 10 or 13 but some general guidelines.

Buying points is idiotic. You get crappy scores.
I´ve rolled many scores with two 18´s and two 17´s and then the other two above 10. Didn´t take more than 300 rolls any of the times.

Buying points you can personlize your PCs more than with the rolling. That's probably the only advantage.

ROTKU, are you sure? I found it utter crap. Rolled perhaps between 1 or an extreme 100 times for some characters and they were way better. Anyway, the point buy is crap since you barely manage more than 2 16s, whereas the rolls allow 18s 17s and 16s.

So called "advanced" stat making is utter crap and a waste of time, rolling is light years ahead.

@ Khazraj:
It's just about what you want. If you want those really high scores, you can always have an editor and edit all your stats to 18, or you can make personalized characters, perhaps to reflect your own strenghts and weaknesses. That's why there are both point buying and rolling, because there are different styles to play RPG's. And that's why RPG's are great, you can always have your own way.

You're right, but I wouldn't whinge if the stats started at 10 like in IWD2 rather than permapenalty 8. It should be fair since to get all the stats to 10 = no penalty you only have 13 points left from the 25. That's a rip off.

8's...that's Point Buy in PnP (I'd prefer starting at 9's, as that seems a bit closer to average) and ToEE is supposed to be the latest DnD PC game that resembles PnP as close as possible....dude. And IMHO it does a damn good job.

Point Buy is there for more of a challenge in normal mode. I'm going with Point Buy my 2nd time through. I used 'The Roll' my 1st time and it's been a cake walk. Of the 5 PC's I rolled two took 19 tries, my highest, my lowest being my rogue at 8 and all 5 have sick stats... I'm in the burbs, the boonies, so I'll post stats once I'm back home in the city.

You can't choose point buy in Ironman.

So if you want a challenge in normal mode, go point buy or use a smaller party. If that doesn't get you off, go with Ironman.

Didn´t take more than 300 rolls any of the times. :eek: You're actually gonna say that is not much? Boy! I don't dare to roll over a 15 times...

It seems I'm doomed to this rolling system. If I'd like to buy my stats, I can't create a char with a 5 for intelligence. They probably did this so we could not max out our char's stats, but I'd like to have a char with some stats lower than 8.

I´m used to rolling, I always spend hours rolling for bg scores. Once I rolled 1351 rolls before I got a good enough score for a mage I created for fun. Didn´t even play with him.

I know, I have to much time...

I'm playing ironman and when i rolled and i didn't like it i cancelled it then hit create again. Ididn't have to do this more than 10 times or there about.I'm running a monk, rouge, wizard,
cleric, and a dual welding ranger.

Thorongil, not against you but PnP can shove it if it reckons that 8s is an alright start in all stats. It's crap to have to start below the mark in all stats. Why not make it start at 3 and give 25 points? so much easier....