working on a sorcerer build

[N'raac]

Yeah, people draw the line in different places, I guess.

One of the players in my Pathfinder game turned up with a 20 point buy elf wizard with stats (after racial adjustments) of Str 7 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 20 Wis 7 Cha 7

I'd never seen anyone do that before, and to my mind that was taking it too far. I still accepted the character into the game, but next camapaign I am going to have to set some limits.

Among other things, it isn't much fun as a DM to role-play encounters with a PC with Wis 7 and Cha 7. The player is trying to role-play those stats fairly, so the character usually comes across as rude, reckless and insensitive - not much fun to interact with!

To me, this is fine so long as he accepts his limitations. His Will saves aren't great for a Wizard (+0 at L1). The encumbrance rules should be enforced (a mule is handy - but you don't have those objects readily available), and he sucks on ice in melee. And he has difficulty with interactions. He should not be allowed to huddle behind the party face - people should talk to HIM sometimes. For example, perhaps persuading the Baron requires both a successful interaction roll AND success in a specific knowledge skill. Or perhaps you must succeed with the Knowledge skill to know the issue to discuss, but your Knowledge skill gets a bonus/penalty of +1 for every 2 points your diplomacy (or Bluff, or Intimidate) roll succeeds/fails by. There's a reason litigators are good public speakers, not just skilled researchers. You may have ben technically right, but your presentation did not get that across to the listener - or you just ticked him off, so he's not listening to how "right" you are.

 

[ggeilman]

Yeah, people draw the line in different places, I guess.

One of the players in my Pathfinder game turned up with a 20 point buy elf wizard with stats (after racial adjustments) of Str 7 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 20 Wis 7 Cha 7

I'd never seen anyone do that before, and to my mind that was taking it too far. I still accepted the character into the game, but next camapaign I am going to have to set some limits.

Among other things, it isn't much fun as a DM to role-play encounters with a PC with Wis 7 and Cha 7. The player is trying to role-play those stats fairly, so the character usually comes across as rude, reckless and insensitive - not much fun to interact with!

Sounds like a dwarf fighter I have in my game called Toast, 7 INT, 6 CHR even though I told him no initial stat below 10. So far he has been ok with it and it has been a good role playing experience for him. We will see what happens when he gets above 6-7th level though when the skill points start to matter in that game. Rude and insensitive, now I sometimes resemble that remark! I try and keep character stats to at least 8 in my games and don't recommend any below 10. As for the spike gauntlet, he uses a cestus which works even better. High Str and he uses a d4 weapon, go figure.