[RPG] faster way to do character creation

I think the hat of disguise is a wonderful heirloom to start the game with. It promotes roleplaying and fascinating non-combat interactions. In my games I would expect characters to take one of five routes:

1. All characters can get an equivalent non-combat magic item of about that cost given a backstory. Then, if they want an item, they can go to equivalent effort and their choice is respected.

2. You may want to allow each player to nominate a book to involve in the game. In this player's choice, it should be the Tome of Magic. I've played a social binder (equivalent to a gent with a hat of disguise) at early levels for precisely this reason. The character may want to dip into Binder, because at level 1, he gets access to Naberius, which gives benefit to social skills as well as the ability to disguise self at will. It sounds like it fits his intentions perfectly, and there are a number of other capabilities that would benefit him neatly.

3. House rule a feat (due to the paucity of sources. Otherwise I'd use one of the extant ones) to provide disguise self once or three times per day, as per a caster level of the character's level. There are plenty of better things to do with a feat, but disguise self could be worth it to a sufficiently motivated character.

4. Invest heavily in the disguise skill, and some masterwork elves ears. While it's not as exciting as a full on disguise spell, bluff, forgery, and disguise do form the basis of the Rogue's repertoire for good reason. Disguising oneself as another race is a -2 on the check, which can be easily countered by the underwhelming deceitful feat.

5. The character starts out as a sorcerer, knowing disguise self and silent image. Using the fluff that "the magic's in the blood" it's quite plausible that he was casting spells in the crib. The rest of his levels can be rogue, flavoured with just that hint of the "alien, uncontrolled magic that is his heritage"

This answer includes a frame challenge.

0. Let go of the fallacy of perfect balance

What I am looking for is a good resolution, or compromise, so that my players don't feel slighted and no one ends up with very high or very low numbers, creating overshadowing or spotlighting issues.

Oddly enough, over the years that I played "roll 'em up" since 1975, we somehow managed to have fun without point buy. For decades. Loads of fun, with some characters a bit stronger than others. (Heck, even with point buy, please see "tiers" in 3.5 to see how "balance" can still be an issue).

Current experience: we rolled our characters in the 5e campaign I am in now. No point buy. I've known all of these guys since high school, except my nephew and the DM. That's since about mid 1970's. Differing personalities. Rolling is no obstacle to fun and success.

If all of you attend this game with "let's have fun" as the goal, then let's get to addressing your problem.

As stated, your problem isn't dice rolling or not, per the email extract you provided us. Your problem is the relationship between players and DM.

What problem should you solve first? "Player versus DM attitude."

1. Find Common Ground

   Before session one, you need a face to face session with everybody who will play to iron out what you expect from the game, and what they expect. Listen, and then share what you expect and why you think point buy is a good idea. Then, as a full table of people, come to a consensus.

2. Rolling Doesn't Hurt

   Rolling for stats is a 40 year old feature of RPG games that works well enough. If that is what all of your players want, where's the harm in letting them do that? Your forecasting drama and problems is not giving anyone, yourself included, the benefit of the doubt. You will all be able to have fun, regardless. Anyone griping later on gets "the look" and the following response: "you all agreed to roll for stats, let's press on with the game, make the best of the tools you have." Since you mentioned that this is the gaming group you've been with for 2.5 years, and you've been friends with some of them for about 15 years, you all already know how to have fun together. Have some faith in that already established track record.

   If the opinion is divided among the players on this point, go back to point one and the pre-meeting to iron out expectations before character creation. Until you reach consensus, the game is at risk.

3. Play!

   Once expectations are more or less aligned, play and have fun.

4. Have Fun!

   If you aren't having fun, you are doing something wrong (as a group). That would be the topic of an entirely different question, after you all begin. I see this question as "an ounce of prevention" effort (a good idea as you know this group). Given that you've known each other a while, up to a long while, I'd be very surprised if you don't have fun if you start on the right foot. Consensus building is a means to that end that's pretty effective.

On a mechanical note, since this is 5e, an ASI (later) or a racial bonus (at start) can take the hard edge off of a low number.