D&D 5E Don't play "stupid" characters. It is ableist.

[Geoff Thirlwell]

Having an Imaginary character who is proud of their 18 Strength, Dex, Con and Charisma is obviously body shaming the real life players so I guess we can’t have that either

 

[Geoff Thirlwell]

Going back to what the discussion was originally about, I‘d argue that Wisdom is more the “stupid” stat than Intelligence. While someone with a high Intelligence seems very knowledgeable, if they have a 3 Wisdom, they are unable to apply that knowledge to real life and will make “stupid” decisions

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

if they have a 3 Wisdom, they are unable to apply that knowledge to real life and will make “stupid” decisions

Wisdom is more your physical senses in D&D (sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing), not actual real world "Wisdom".

 

[Geoff Thirlwell]

Looking at 5e it says Wisdom is “Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and represents perceptiveness and intuition.” While AD&D says “Wisdom is a composite term for the character’s enlightenment, judgement, wile, will power, and (to a certain extent) intuitiveness.” So maybe a slight shift in the definition.

 

[clearstream]

Having an Imaginary character who is proud of their 18 Strength, Dex, Con and Charisma is obviously body shaming the real life players so I guess we can’t have that either

Acknowledging the sensitivities of this area of discussion and my own advantages, and thinking over discussions on ability scores of this kind, I would say that generally there are greater moral hazards around the cognitive and social scores, than the physical.

That noted, it seems to me that if you played a character with 8 or lower strength as handicapped in a mocking or denigrating way (and sadly, I have seen this) then you are doing something it would be better not to do. That is what I believe the OP is calling out. I don't see why anyone would defend the position that its fine to play a low score on any attribute in a way that mocks or denigrates people who have no choice in the matter, and ignores the real world multifaceted nature of human capabilities.

 

[opacitizen]

denigrating way

As an aside, here's the etymology of "denigrate", FYI: denigrate | Etymology, origin and meaning of denigrate by etymonline

 

[MGibster]

Wisdom is more your physical senses in D&D (sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing), not actual real world "Wisdom".

Wisdom is also used to getting some Insight into another person's intentions and personality by interpreting their body language, the inflection of their voice, and other mannerisms. But you're right. For the most part, none of the D&D stats really reflect the real world and trying to fit them into that mold is just madness.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

There are no stupid people at my table, so nobody to possibly be offended over how any of us roleplay "stupid" characters.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Isn't the point of a forum to have discussions?

That seems a little extreme.

 

[AnotherGuy]

But I do care that the hobby as a whole is welcoming to diverse people, which means fostering a culture that does not tolerate intolerance.

This issue could be expanded on, in that we all have our own quirks, likes and dislikes, so while we may be welcoming to a diverse people, we select who we game with for a multitude of reasons.