I consider the notion of making a character purposefully inept to be in fundamental opposition to the co-operative nature of the game and also to the inherent concepts of heroism within the fantasy trope. To me, it's rude and inconsiderate to bring a character into a game that is incompetent and doesn't pull their weight as a team player.
Some people seem to think that this comes from a basis of focusing on the combat aspects of D&D and that by doing so I am somehow a traitor to the roleplaying aspects. This supposes a disconnect between the two and that there is no room for both at a table. What bothers me most about this sort of accusatory stance is that it assumes a lack of imagination and creativity on the part of the optimiser. And yet, this is not only far from the truth, but I believe in opposition to it. Give me the exact same statistics and abilities and I can make two characters that play radically differently at the table due to creativity and imagination. Further, I think it takes a distinct lack of creativity and imagination to be beholden to statistics and abilities so much that they dictate the form and shape of the character.
And this, I believe, is because the character, whilst it may be informed by the statistics and abilities it has, is specifically not the sum total of those statistics and abilities. It is a character, not an algorithm.
Discuss.
Some people seem to think that this comes from a basis of focusing on the combat aspects of D&D and that by doing so I am somehow a traitor to the roleplaying aspects. This supposes a disconnect between the two and that there is no room for both at a table. What bothers me most about this sort of accusatory stance is that it assumes a lack of imagination and creativity on the part of the optimiser. And yet, this is not only far from the truth, but I believe in opposition to it. Give me the exact same statistics and abilities and I can make two characters that play radically differently at the table due to creativity and imagination. Further, I think it takes a distinct lack of creativity and imagination to be beholden to statistics and abilities so much that they dictate the form and shape of the character.
And this, I believe, is because the character, whilst it may be informed by the statistics and abilities it has, is specifically not the sum total of those statistics and abilities. It is a character, not an algorithm.
Discuss.