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1Point Build, or Point Buy, is a method of [[CharacterCustomization generating traits for characters]] in a GameSystem by allocating points from a budget, rather than randomly by [[HonestRollsCharacter rolling dice]] or picking from a menu of characters with predefined stats and abilities. In most games, Point Build methods work alongside a ClassAndLevelSystem, although there are some in which they replace it entirely.
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3In theory, this type of system promotes game balance by ensuring that characters built with similar point budgets have similar power levels, as opposed to the wildly imbalanced characters that can result from random rolling. However, it can lead to MinMaxing, where players deliberately allocate points to the "[[OneStatToRuleThemAll best]]" stats and abilities for their character concept while [[DumpStat neglecting others]], which is often frowned upon.
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5Many systems take the Point Build method beyond character creation and award additional Character Points either in addition to or in lieu of ExperiencePoints. In a hybrid system, each CharacterLevel awards additional points to spend on stats and abilities. Other common features of Point Build systems include:
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7* Different traits cost different numbers of points, theoretically putting higher costs on more desirable attributes.
8* Buying higher levels of a trait costs more points per rank than lower levels.
9* Particularly in tabletop games, assets that aren't strictly part of your character but that he or she nonetheless benefits from in some way (such as noteworthy equipment, NPC allies and the like) also frequently cost points. This may be in place of or in addition to their notional in-universe cost, be that monetary or otherwise.
10* There are multiple pools of points, each of which is spent on different types of traits. This is sometimes just done at character creation to ensure the player starts off reasonably balanced, but sometimes it carries on to gameplay by having different types of experience points that can only be used on specific attributes. (Similarly, sometimes points earned during play must be allocated to skills or abilities that the character "used" in some way, or can justify having used.)
11* You can gain extra points by lowering your attributes below the default starting level or taking ''negative'' traits that affect roleplaying or game mechanics ([[HandicappedBadass physical impairment]], [[DoesntLikeGuns inability to use guns]], [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes paralyzing fear of snakes]], [[ThatOneDisadvantage spectacular clumsiness]], etc.). There are usually limits to this to prevent [[{{Munchkin}} ridiculously powerful characters]], or characters whose flaws [[CursedWithAwesome are actually advantages]]. See MinmaxersDelight.
12** Likewise, in addition to your core stats, you can spend points to take positive traits that affect roleplaying or game mechanics (such as the capacity to acrobatically dodge attacks, Matrix-style.)
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14The concept is not limited to characters in an {{RPG}}; simulation games frequently use point allocation (or the equivalent in terms of a cash pool) to build vehicles, robots, spaceships, or other units; and strategy games usually use a point system to create armies, with units costing a variable number of points based on their presumed strength and battles rated in terms of the number of total points allocated to each side.
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16See also AnAdventurerIsYou. Also can be related to MoneyIsExperiencePoints if the game's points can also be used as currency for other purposes aside from raising stats. A form of CharacterCustomization. Can lead to players, especially beginners, creating MasterOfNone characters, as they try to buy one of everything, and end up with too little of everything.
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18!!Examples:
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20[[foldercontrol]]
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22[[folder:Action Adventure]]
23* ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'', a two-dimensional multi-directional-scrolling platforming computer game, contains a statistic system that allows the player to improve health, kicking ability, shooting damage, gun access, etc. by spending well-earned points at specific locations.
24[[/folder]]
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26[[folder:Action RPG]]
27* In ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', you choose a starting class with fixed base stats and each level is adding one point to one stat of your choosing, which is added only when you specifically choose to spend [[PracticalCurrency souls]] for leveling up. Every other functional aspect of your character depends on their equipment (including spells, technically, because they are scrolls you find and equip to use).
28* In ''VideoGame/GolfStory'', every level-up earns Skill Points, which can be spent to make skills stronger. You can also decrease your Power if you're hitting too hard.
29* Two of the games in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' and ''Battlespire'', feature this, alongside the StatGrinding and ClassAndLevelSystem seen in most of the other games of the series. In ''Daggerfall'', you could raise some of your attributes by lowering others, and also take increased HP or special advantages (such as immunity to fire or regenerating health) in exchange for leveling more slowly, or have less HP or special disadvantages (such as a phobia of certain creatures or the inability to use certain types of items) in order to level more quickly. ''Battlespire'' used a score of numerical points, which were increased by the same sort of special disadvantages and could be used to buy just about everything, including attributes, hit points, spells, and even starting equipment.
30* ''VideoGame/SoaringMachinariae'': Soul Crystals can be spent to open nodes on a grid, which increase Iris's stats and sword range. Unlike most grid systems, this one doesn't grant her additional skills.
31[[/folder]]
32
33[[folder:First Person Shooter]]
34* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' has a point system to build up character traits and abilities, such as regenerating health when on a killing spree or increasing accuracy for sniper rifles. Every CharacterLevel gives you one point to spend on these traits and spending enough in some skills unlocks further skills and you can choose to empty out all the points spent to reallocate them if you desire. However, you will never be able to max out every skill since the max character level is 69[[note]]Unless one uses a save editor, but this runs the risk of having max skill points while still having room to level, resulting in accumulating more skill points than can be spent[[/note]].
35* In ''VideoGame/{{Paladins}}'' every champion has six loadout slots, three of which are default to be synergise with specific Talents. When building a Card Loadout, you have a 15 point budget, you can choose between 16 cards, with 5 card slots to fill up before it can be saved and used.
36* Your experience points in ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' can be spent to improve your skills such as weapon mastery, use of medkits, hacking, lockpicking or efficient use of protective gear. Each skill level costs more experience points than the previous one.
37[[/folder]]
38
39[[folder:Four X]]
40* Although used for building a race instead of a character, the second and third ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'' games give you a set amount of points to distribute as the player wishes, with positive and negative attributes. For the second game, a later technology, Evolutionary Mutation, allows the player to add four extra points, though there are some restrictions on what racial traits can be modified.
41* The ''VideoGame/GalacticCivilizations'' games allow you to customize your race using a similar system, although some racial benefits are hardcoded. You get 15 pts to spend on a Custom Race, but only 10 pts for the pre-made ones who have built in bonuses that can reach levels a Custom Race would need to [[CripplingOverspecialization cripple themselves to achieve]]. They also have built in penalties to balance it out.
42* In ''VideoGame/SinsOfASolarEmpire'', capital ships level up to 10. Three normal skills that can level up to 3 and a super skill with one level. Some of the super skills are game breakers; as such they're only available at level 6. [=Lvl6=] cap ships are notably more powerful than [=Lvl5=].
43* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' species and empires have separate point-build systems. Species buy traits that cost between one and four points, with the option of increasing their point pool with negative traits, later in game they can buy off negative traits or add new traits with genetic engineering. Empires have three ethos points to distribute along four ethical axes that affect their options of government type, research, policy, and diplomacy.
44[[/folder]]
45
46[[folder:Hack And Slash]]
47* ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' has a class/level system, but leveling up also awards skill and stat points which can be spent to customize the character. What ended up happening, however, is that if you want any chance in the late game you put the minimum amount of points on Strength for gear requirements, Dexterity for gear requirements and just enough accuracy plus maxed block chance for shield users, [[DumpStat nothing on Energy]], and everything else into Vitality.
48[[/folder]]
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50[[folder:MMORPG]]
51* ''VideoGame/AnarchyOnline'' has a ''very'' involved Point Build System. The basics are the same--you are awarded Improvement Points (IP) with every level you earn--but there is [[http://wiki.aodb.us/wiki/Skilltree a rather substantial list]] of skills and attributes on which characters can spend that IP. What's more, a character's [[http://www.ao-universe.com/index.php?id=14&pid=411 breed]] and [[http://wiki.aodb.us/wiki/Skills_Costs_and_Dependencies_Chart profession]] determines how much IP it takes to improve certain skills and attributes.
52* ''VideoGame/ShatteredGalaxy'', a squad-based {{MMO|RPG}}{{RTS}}
53* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars'', depending on your primary and secondary class, you have a variety of attributes on which you can spend Attribute Points, which are earned by leveling and two particular quests depending on where your starting zone was.
54* ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'' gives stat points for a Base Level up, and gives Skill Points for a Job Level Up.
55* ''VideoGame/TreeOfSavior'', as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''RO'', has a similar system in which characters are awarded Stat and Skill Points to use as they see fit with every Base or Job level they achieve.
56* In ''VideoGame/{{Rift}}'', every class has three "Talent Trees" that they may invest points in to gain new skills, specializing in certain abilities.
57* The ''VideoGame/DiscworldMUD''
58* ''VideoGame/NexusClash'' skills are bought with Character Points earned by leveling, exploring and StatGrinding. In practice there are always far more skills worth buying than Character Points available, requiring players to make choices and specialize their characters.
59* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' used to have talent trees in which the player could spend points as they gained levels. However, these only allowed very limited choice in practice, and so the system has been substantially reworked into more of a pure class/level system instead untill it was reintroduced in ''Dragonflight''.
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61[[/folder]]
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63[[folder:Puzzle Game]]
64* ''VideoGame/PuzzleQuest'' lets you buy stat points after you build the temple, primarily to keep your character levelling up after it's hit the [[{{Cap}} Level Cap]]. The Switch remaster caps points gained from it to your character's level times two, though.
65[[/folder]]
66
67[[folder:Real Time Strategy]]
68* ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' games use a point-buy system similar to many tabletop games for one-off skirmish and multiplayer battles, with units given a cost depending on their expected effectiveness. Notably, these costs can differ significantly from their cost in the single player campaign, since many units have advantages or disadvantages that are not relevant in a single battle.
69[[/folder]]
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71[[folder:Roguelike]]
72* ''VideoGame/{{Cataclysm}}: Dark Days Ahead'' has, in descending order of importance, stat points, trait points, and skill points. Points can be spent in their own category, or a "lower" one (stat points can be spent on all categories, trait points can also be spent on skills, and skill points can only be spent on skills).
73** Stat points determine your stats, of course. You have 6, and can only get more by lowering one of your 4 stats below their default value of 8. Increasing a stat beyond 14 costs 2 points. Outside of rare mutations or bionics, they are the only way to increase stats.
74** Trait points are spent on perks such as faster movement speed, less need for food, or more morale gain from certain activities. You can gain more points by giving your character negative traits. Some traits can be gained by mutating, but most can only be gotten through the creation screen.
75** Skill points are spent on increasing your starting skills. By default, you have 2, but playing with a harder scenario or weaker profession gives extra points, and an easier scenario or stronger profession costs skill points. The first point in a skill gives 2 levels, the next gives 1, and then the cost increases by 1 for each 2 levels. ''Then'', your profession's starting skills are added on top of that, so a Chef (starts with Cooking 4, but costs 1 skill point) with 2 points (3 levels) in Cooking starts with Cooking 7, which would normally cost 12 points, for only 3 points.
76[[/folder]]
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78[[folder:Role Playing Game]]
79* ''VideoGame/{{Familia}}'': Once a character unlocks their Master class by getting to level 50 in their base class, they gain 1 AP every time they level up instead of normal stat growth. AP can be spent in the Reach facility to increase any stats of the player's choosing.
80* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic''
81** Only the later ones (6 and up), and with a twist in 6 and 7: the pool of points was shared among all 4 characters. The early games (1-5) used random dice rolls.
82* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games frequently allow the protagonist to distribute stat points when leveling up (other party members have fixed stat assignments), though you can't change your starting stats. Examples include ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'', ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'', ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'', and every numbered main series game. The first took it further in that you could decide your entire party's starting stats, too.
83* Both ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' and ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' use the D&D point buy system.
84* ''VideoGame/ScienceGirls'' uses this in combination with regular level building. HP and SP still go up per level, but to strengthen your moves or other stats, you have to spend points earned with each new level.
85* ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'''s character generation system gives you five points at creation, one point per level, and an extra point every five levels. These points can be spent on eight statistics, sixteen skills, fifty-six technological disciplines, and eighty spells, or you can just dump them directly into hit points or fatigue.
86* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series' trademark SPECIAL system has separate pools of points for stats (assigned as character creation, can have limited alteration in-game) and skills (start out based on stats, increase at level up).
87* ''VideoGame/SystemShock 2'' used cyber modules, which were found in-game rather than earned through level ups, to upgrade stats and skills based on a complicated point-buy structure.
88* ''VideoGame/WarlordsBattlecry 3'' (and possibly other related games) is an RPG/RTS hybrid with a Point Build system for developing the player character.
89* ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheDrunkenPaladin'' has Brownie Points for each level up.
90* The ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' series uses a hybrid system for assigning the PC's atributes: the game does the usual 2nd Ed. [=D&D=] method of rolling [=3d6=] for each stat, but then allows the player to redistribute the points as they wish. Of course there's nothing stopping them from hitting the 'Reroll' button until they get a point buy in the high 90s, but playing an HonestRollsCharacter is a popular SelfImposedChallenge.
91* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' use a point-buy system for determining characteristics.
92* ''Franchise/DragonAge'' and ''Franchise/MassEffect'' use point buy during character generation and give additional points on level up.
93* The main character of ''VideoGame/{{Dubloon}}'' has his stat growth defined at the beginning of the game by allocating a total of 240 points to each stat.
94* When creating a character in ''VideoGame/TempleOfElementalEvil'', you can switch back and forth between rolling your ability scores or using a point-buy system. Using the latter generally results in far weaker characters; each ability starts with a score of 8 and you have 25 points to distribute, but it becomes more expensive to increase an ability score the higher that score already is; i.e. 2 points each to raise from 14 to 15 and from 15 to 16, and three points each to raise it from 16 to 17 and from 17 to 18.
95* ''VideoGame/Wasteland2'' uses full point-buy for attributes and skills. As is typical for the trope, trying to diversify your character can easily result in MasterOfNone. The game discourages you from having multiple characters with the same skills, and encourages you to use all specialists instead. Unfortunately, it tells you this [[GuideDangIt AFTER you have created your characters]]. Also unfortunately, you have to create characters with specific skills BEFORE you know which skills will be useful immediately (or at all) and/or which [=NPCs=] will be available to join you. Granted, the points you spent at the beginning won't be too expensive later in the game, which has the upside of letting you correct early mistakes and the downside of making the beginning of the game EarlyGameHell.
96* The only thing level ups give in ''VideoGame/{{Aground}}'' (other than a LevelUpFillUp) are more skill points, with what areas your character gets stronger in linked purely to where you invested your skill points.
97* Skills in ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'' are learned by spending Job Points, earned in combat the same way as experience points. This gives you freedom in what order you wish to acquire your skills. Also note that regardless of what skill you plan on learning, the JP requirement is the same and only goes up as you learn more skills; so if you're planning on learning either Lightning Bolt (a single hit lightning area attack) or Lightning Blast (a double hit lightning area attack) as a third Scholar skill, it will cost 30 JP.
98* ''VideoGame/{{Parameters}}'': When your CharacterLevel increases, a number of points can be allocated to recovery, attack, or defense.
99* ''VideoGame/TrailsOfColdSteel I'' has a Points Build system for the NewGamePlus: players get a points budget for what they want to carry over from the old game to the new game. Gear and game mechanics are cheap. Swimsuits are expensive.
100* ''VideoGame/SolastaCrownOfTheMagister'' allows you to create your character with three methods with one of them being point build system just like the tabletop. The other one is random rolls of your attributes and distribute them to your liking. You're allowed to keep the rolls and recall them at anytime. The third one is manually set the value of each attributes with no restrictions and create [[PhysicalGod an absolutely all-powerful game breaking character]].
101[[/folder]]
102
103[[folder:Shoot Em Up]]
104* ''VideoGame/HeavyWeapon'' gives you an upgrade point after each completed level, which you can distribute among your weapons and equipment. You are able to freely move points from one weapon to another, however, you ''must'' use all your upgrade points before you can do the next level.
105* The NES version of ''[[VideoGame/NineteenFortyTwo 1943: The Battle of Midway]]'' gives your [[CoolPlane P-38 Lightning]] five different aspects to put points into. You start with one point in each category and three points to distribute as you need. As you play the game and discover special power-ups, you can add more points to these aspects.[[note]]The original arcade version is just a straightforward shoot-em up.[[/note]]
106[[/folder]]
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108[[folder:Simulation Game]]
109* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', in both its Fortress Mode and Adventure Mode. A fortress mode player must purchase skills for his starting seven dwarves, as well as equipment and pets. An adventurer just has to allocate points for skills and physical attributes, and is automatically assigned fixed gear based on highest weapon skill. After that, all attributes and skills are only increased by using them.
110* The disc-based version of ''VideoGame/CrushCrumbleAndChomp'' allows you to build your own monster with "Monster Points". The number of points available and the cost for each ability varies based on the body form you choose to start with.
111* ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' does this for creating personalities for individual Sims, with the twist that each personality trait is on a continuum between two extremes. You spend the points to move one trait or another toward the "positive" extreme.
112* In the TournamentPlay for ''[[Videogame/MechWarrior MechWarrior Living Legends]]'', teams are generally assigned either an vehicle tonnage or asset price limit to build their roster of equipment. Price limits are more common, and are generally set so that each player on a team can afford a medium [[HumongousMecha BattleMech]]; players are encouraged to shift money around so that some players can pilot heavier assets at the cost of having another player in a cheaper one. In Puretech mode[[note]]each team can only use equipment made by their faction[[/note]], tonnage limits are more arbitrary owing to the performance gap between Inner Sphere and Clan equipment of the same tonnage, so the IS often receives bonus tons to play with. Like price, tonnage is often setup so that every player can afford at least a medium mech.
113* The spaceships you control in ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'' come with several systems which can be upgraded at increasing costs using scrap collected during your travel. ''Just'' upgrading those systems gives you little unless you pump power into them from your reactor, which is also upgraded with scrap at increasing costs. Subsystems on the other hand don't need reactor power.
114[[/folder]]
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116[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
117* ''TabletopGame/AscendantRPG'': How characters are made. Known to be a bit overwhelming to new players due to the sheer variety of (actually useful) choice in the book, but the community has made automated character building spreadsheets. This includes attributes, skills, powers, drawbacks and perks. There are several different example "levels" of points, which allow game masters and players to choose how gritty or fantastic their game is going to be.
118* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' with its ''TabletopGame/HEROSystem'' was the first {{RPG}} to use a fully-developed point build system; virtually all other [=RPGs=] at the time used predefined characters or dice rolls, being directly inspired by ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.
119* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' is probably the best-supported full-on point buy system to date in terms of supplemental material, with no or minimal class-and-level elements. Note that ''VideoGame/{{Fallout|1}}'' was originally planned to be a computer adaptation of this system, but latter turned into the [[FunWithAcronyms SPECIAL]] system.
120%%* ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds''
121%%* ''TabletopGame/SeventhSea''
122%%* ''TabletopGame/CarWars''
123%%* The ''[=Tri-Stat=]'' system, used for ''TabletopGame/BigEyesSmallMouth'', ''TabletopGame/SilverAgeSentinels'', and various other games.
124* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}''
125** Editions one through three had you assign "Priority" to each of 5 categories: attributes, skills, resources, magic, and race. Each priority had a different amount of points (or money and spell-only skill-points, in the case of resources) to spend on that particular category. ''The Shadowrun Companion'' featured an optional character build system that was entirely point-based.
126** In Fourth Edition the tiers are gone. Character creation is based on total build points, and there are only limits on how many points can be spent in a few categories that apply across the board.
127** Fifth Edition returns to the priority tiers.
128* [[Creator/WhiteWolf Storyteller System games]]:
129** In ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'', every game has characters built with a slightly different set of rules, right down to what skills are available. In ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' all characters are built first as though they were normal mortals. Then, if they are ''not'' normal humans, they have a character template attached from the specific system.
130** ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has a point-buy system in which you get a certain number of points to spend on each section and a number of bonus points to spend anywhere you like. One of the awkward points of the Exalted system is that it has flat cost charges and a variable cost experience system, meaning that someone who buys all their traits at 0, 1 or 5 can leave someone who went for a more well-rounded build [[CantCatchUp sitting behind]] [[OvershadowedByAwesome in the dust]].
131%%* ''TabletopGame/FadingSuns''
132%%* ''TabletopGame/LegendOfTheFiveRings'' (although eventually the points will result in gaining a rank and hence a new skill, the speed of this depends on where you put them).
133* Fudge, a tabletop system has a point based system as one character generation method. The other is a totally subjective system, and there are no levels.
134* The ''UsefulNotes/{{Fate}}'' system, based on ''UsefulNotes/{{FUDGE}}'' though having since evolved into its own direction, uses an essentially simple point-buy-ish system that basically involves choosing this many aspects, that many stunts, and usually filling out the slots in an already pre-arranged skill "pyramid" or "column" (such as e.g. one peak skill at maximum, two of the next lower rank, three of the one below ''that''...); there is no one point pool to be split between the different categories here, and some FATE games complicate things in various ways.
135* The UsefulNotes/{{Unisystem}}, used for games like ''TabletopGame/AllFleshMustBeEaten'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayer2002'', ''TabletopGame/ConspiracyX'', ''TabletopGame/{{Witchcraft}}'', and various others.
136* ''TabletopGame/SavageWorlds'': though it's a mix of several things. An optional rule (thanks to the ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' inclusion) is to determine your starting stats and skill points by drawing a hand of cards and assigning them to each.
137* ''TabletopGame/HeavyGear 2'' had a limit for number of points in a single gear, and for the whole team.
138%%* ''TabletopGame/UnknownArmies''.
139%%* ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase''
140* Most newer ClassAndLevelSystem games tend to compensate for their weaknesses by adopting a point buy method for various parts.
141** One option in ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' at the GM's discretion. Required in the official "Pathfinder Society Organized Play".
142** ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', originally the TropeCodifier of dice-based character creation, adopted a Point Buy system as an alternative (and frequently preferred) method in 3rd Edition onward. Even in 2nd Edition, they added player chosen 'proficiencies' that allowed [=PCs=] the option of becoming craftsmen, etc. In 3rd Edition, this became a point-buy skill system. 4th edition finally went fully point-buy with that method becoming the default for attributes and the skill system pared down to a simpler version ("trained" or "untrained" vs. counting ranks, paid for with initial class skill choices and optionally feats rather than from a dedicated "skill point" pool).
143* Used for game balance and regulating battle size/length in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''. Each unit in an army costs a certain number of points, and before the game the players agree on the number of points available per side. The armies must also fit a designated minimum and maximum number of units in each category and models in each unit. The more points, the more numerous and/or powerful the units in each army will be. Also, the more units in each army, the longer the game tends to go on, because they take longer to move and determine attack. 500 points is probably the lowest playable total (that's maybe a squad or two, depending on the race), 1,000 is the average game and 4,000 is usually as high as most players will go outside of a multi-player "megabattle"; much more than that and the game would take all day. Also, CrackIsCheaper than ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}}'', so it's hard to get past that even when if you want to.
144** Spin-off games such as ''Epic 40,000'' in its various incarnations and ''Battlefleet Gothic'' also use the same basic system, although obviously points cost differ somewhat in games that feature entire armies rather than just a few squads.
145** 40k roleplay games (''TabletopGame/DarkHeresy'', ''TabletopGame/RogueTrader'', ''TabletopGame/{{Deathwatch}}'', ''TabletopGame/BlackCrusade'', ''TabletopGame/OnlyWar'') default to dice rolls, but allow point build as an "alternate" character creation. Points actually advantage the players besides the minmaxing, because they're allotted 100 points while dice averages total 99. In addition, character progression is also done by buying upgrades with XP.
146** ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' unsurprisingly uses a similar system to 40K, since the latter was originally just Warhammer RecycledInSpace.
147** ''TabletopGame/BloodBowl'' effectively has a points system, with every team starting out with the same amount of gold with which to purchase players and benefits. In a bit of a variation, although income from playing games continues to be spent in the same way, team value is also determined by the level of players on the team, and their upgrades are determined partially randomly and with no points involved. Long-term injuries can also have an effect, so while team value plays a similar role in comparing team effectiveness as in other Warhammer games, it's not solely determined by the points that have been spent. A team that gets lucky with upgrade rolls could be much stronger than another with the same team value, while one with several injuries could have a much lower team value than a team that has spent exactly the same amount of gold.
148* ''TabletopGame/CartoonActionHour'' does this in both editions. The first season points are called "Character Points", while the second season points are called "Proof of Purchase Points".
149%%* ''TabletopGame/{{Battlemachines}}''
150* ''TabletopGame/NewHorizon'' is exclusively pointbased, although some traits cost geodites (the setting's currency).
151* Some versions of ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'', though not all.
152* The already unusual ''TabletopGame/AmberDicelessRolePlaying'' had an unusual twist to this. Purchasing allies, artifacts, personal universes, and cosmic powers used a set scale, but your attributes were purchased in a competitive auction with the other players. Since this is a game where scheming against the other people at the table is only slightly less encouraged than in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'', this provided much of the drama and entertainment to get the game's plotting started.
153* ''TabletopGame/{{Nobilis}}'': you get eight points of Skills and Passions, 13 points of Bonds and Afflictions, and then 25 character points to spend on stats, miracle points, Gifts and extra skills/passions.
154* ''TabletopGame/{{Ironclaw}}'', which also has species and careers that act like a fusion of {{Splat}}s and ability scores. Though the default character creation method in the 2nd edition simplifies it to 2d8, 3d6, and 1d4 to assign to abilities, 13 skill marks, and three Gifts in addition to those from species and career.
155* ''[[TabletopGame/{{PoniesAndParasprites}} Ponies and Parasprites]]'' uses a point buy system. At character creation, characters gain a number of points to raise their Attribute and Skills scores based on their Age.
156* ''TabletopGame/TheSingularitySystem'' utilizes a point-build system for its characters. Attributes are bough with attribute points, perks are bought by taking weaknesses, and everything else, including skills, combat maneuvers, gear, cyberware augmentations, psionic talents, spells, vehicles, starships, etc. is bought with Skill Points.
157* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' uses a point-buy system with its Battle Value system, assigning a BV rating to everything in order to (roughly) define the power levels of the thousands of different unit types that could be brought to the field. Players agree on a BV rating beforehand, as well as a threshold to meet, and build their forces accordingly. Therefore, if the game has a threshold of 4000 BV per player and your first unit deployed is an ''Atlas'' [[MightyGlacier Assault 'Mech]], you've already spent around half of your points and have to do the best you can with what's left. ''Mechwarrior Dark Age'' did something similar with its point base system, assigning point values to units and having players build armies within a certain point limit.
158* ''Mechwarrior'', ''TabletopGame/BattleTech's'' roleplaying game spinoff, used a point buy system for the first couple of editions... which very quickly led to chronic MinMaxing as players allocated specific distributions of points for maximum benefit with minimal downsides. The "4-3-2-1-0 priority" system asked players to allocate each point value to attributes, skills, race (a valid entry due to Clan genetic manipulation), perks, and vehicle. Many players dumped their largest point pools into attributes and skills, since those two areas dictated the vast majority of rolls in the game. This led to the development of the 'path' system in 3rd edition and beyond, which simulates the character's past history and how that might affect their attributes, skills, and personality traits.
159* ''TabletopGame/BleakWorld'' uses a version, you can only buy skills designated by class and organization though, with all other attributes being nulled for the character creation process.
160* ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' uses a point buy system which the entire character creation process runs off. Want attributes and skills? One point for each advancement. Want good traits? However many points that trait costs. Want more points? Well then you'd better start looking at the bad traits...
161* ''TabletopGame/PlanetMercenary'' uses a combination of player choices and point buy to build characters. The only random roll is a cosmetic one, determining the number of eyes a Carbosilicate Amorph has.
162* ''TabletopGame/TheOneRing'' uses two parallel point build systems: Advancement Points are earned by performing well on skill rolls (e.g.: Stealth) and are spent on training in skills, while Experience Points are gained on a session-by-session basis and are spent on training in weapons proficiencies, {{Equipment Upgrade}}s, and unique personal abilities called "Virtues".
163* ''TabletopGame/{{Everway}}'' has a simple but flexible system; it gives players twenty points to distribute between character stats, special powers, and style of magic as they choose.
164* ''TabletopGame/TheUnofficialHollowKnightRPG'': At character creation the players can choose from a variety of traits, both physical ones (such as flight, extra legs, or blindness) and mental ones (such as a phobia or skill), as well as a few magical traits. Positive traits increase the character's Hunger score (up to a maximum depending on the bug's size), while negative ones decrease the bug's Hunger. Having a higher Hunger causes the bug to require more food with each rest, and to starve more quickly if they are unable to eat. The system exists in large part so that players can play as almost any species of bug they can think of by combining relevant traits, such as combining the Pincers, Stinger, and Prehensile Tail traits to make a scorpion; or the Bloodsucker, Itsy-Bitsy, and Leaping traits to make a flea.
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167[[folder:Tower Defense]]
168%%* ''VideoGame/CursedTreasure''.
169* ''Deathtrap'', spin-off from ''VideoGame/TheIncredibleAdventuresOfVanHelsing'', adds an RPG system in between levels, with the player earning points from levelling up to spend on improving traps (ie. towers) as well as their own abilities.
170%%* ''VideoGame/GemCraft''.
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173[[folder:Turn Based Strategy]]
174* Certain games in the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' series follow this method of character growth with a few examples being the Original Generation games and MX. You use points from leveling a pilot up to increase their stats or buy new special abilities. The mechs, however, are upgraded with money and plot-based events.
175* Creator/IdeaFactory is fond of this. You can easily think ''VideoGame/AgarestSenki'', but they did this to their flagship ''Spectral'' frachise too, ''VideoGame/BlazingSouls'' being the most known example.
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178[[folder:Web Games]]
179* ''VideoGame/MafiaWars'' has players allocate points earned with each CharacterLevel among five stats: Energy (allowing more jobs to be performed), Stamina and Health (allowing more [=PvP=] battles), and Attack/Defense (making the character more effective at [=PvP=]).
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