D&D 5E So 5 Intelligence Huh

[Maxperson]

But you are as it relates to 5e. 5e is not 3e, 2e, or 1e. THAC0 is not used in 5e, cantrips are unlimited in 5e, and INT does not map to IQ on an INT x 10 = IQ points basis in 5e.

It's common sense, though. A low int is a low int is low int. If you are going to play a 5 int PC as highly intelligent with a penalty you are doing it wrong. Yes, you can do it wrong, just like there is such a thing as dumb questions. The same goes if you play a 3 strength PC as a strongman, a 3 con PC as a healthy, hardy marathon runner, and so on. Stats mean things, as do the number put into them. Those things are more that just the bonus or penalty. The 5e rules even say that a low into PC has trouble reasoning.

 

[iserith]

No. It does not limit it to just the bonus or penalty. A bonus or penalty = bonus or penalty, and is not the end all, be all of the ability to reason or recall things. The bonus or penalty can help you with roleplaying the deficiency or gift, but it does not take the place of roleplaying intelligence as the rules have spelled it out.

The rules don't tell us how to roleplay intelligence. It just says what the ability score represents. You assign a lot of your personal values to what a particular score should mean. Fine at your table, but not mandated in any way by the rules.

 

[Maxperson]

The rules don't tell us how to roleplay intelligence. It just says what the ability score represents. You assign a lot of your personal values to what a particular score should mean. Fine at your table, but not mandated in any way by the rules.

The 5e rules tell you that low int is a low ability to reason. If you then roleplay a high ability to reason, but with a penalty to rolls, you are doing it wrong.

 

[MechaPilot]

It's common sense, though. A low int is a low int is low int. If you are going to play a 5 int PC as highly intelligent with a penalty you are doing it wrong. Yes, you can do it wrong, just like there is such a thing as dumb questions. The same goes if you play a 3 strength PC as a strongman, a 3 con PC as a healthy, hardy marathon runner, and so on. Stats mean things, as do the number put into them. Those things are more that just the bonus or penalty. The 5e rules even say that a low into PC has trouble reasoning.

It's common sense that a low int is lower than an average int. How much lower is certainly a valid point of contention, as illustrated by this thread.

As has been repeatedly pointed out, having a 5 INT results in failing 15% more often on Int related tasks. Those mechanics describe the way that applying your Int to Int related tasks, by the default rules, works in the worlds of D&D. Would someone with a 50 IQ fail at Int related tasks only 15% more often than someone with a 100 IQ? I would venture to say no (though I cannot say for certain because I've never known someone who has admitted to having an IQ of 50 in my presence). If your theory doesn't fit the reality of the game world, then your theory is wrong, though you are certainly within your rights to apply your theory to the games that you run.

And yes, the 5e rules may say that a low Int PC has trouble reasoning. Does it say how much trouble they have? How do they quantify it? Is it as much trouble as I have when I get up in the morning? Is it as much as somebody who's so drunk they can't remember their own name? On what page do they quantify how much trouble is had?

 

[Lanliss]

The 5e rules tell you that low int is a low ability to reason. If you then roleplay a high ability to reason, but with a penalty to rolls, you are doing it wrong.

There is a large difference between an IQ of 50 and a high ability to reason. A lot of room for variation and interpretation on what exactly looks like a 5 INT character. There is more than just your way or the wrong way.

 

[iserith]

The 5e rules tell you that low int is a low ability to reason. If you then roleplay a high ability to reason, but with a penalty to rolls, you are doing it wrong.

Where does it say that? Please quote it or you're just making it up.

 

[Maxperson]

There is a large difference between an IQ of 50 and a high ability to reason. A lot of room for variation and interpretation on what exactly looks like a 5 INT character. There is more than just your way or the wrong way.

People here are arguing that someone with a 5 int should be able to run around thinking and reasoning whatever they like with no regard for the low score. That's playing it as highly intelligent, but with a penalty.

 

[Maxperson]

Where does it say that? Please quote it or you're just making it up.

Page 177 of the PHB. It was already quoted for you.

 

[iserith]

Page 177 of the PHB. It was already quoted for you.

And yet it says nothing about how you must roleplay when you have an Intelligence score of 5, nor does it say that anyone who doesn't do it the way you envision (which is based on some other game, it seems) is roleplaying wrong.

You're totally off-base here.

 

[BoldItalic]

On a technical point, if you want to compare Int scores to IQ scores, it is not correct to multiply by 10 because although the mean comes out right, the standard deviation doesn't. A more nearly correct formula is IQ = Int x 5 + 50. On that basis, an Int of 5 corresponds to an IQ of 75.

Not that it makes much difference to the present discussion.