POLL: Is how you Roleplay influenced by your character’s mental stats?

[kenada]

No. A lower than average ability score means you are less likely to succeed at related tasks on average. The difference from being proficient in a skill is greater than the difference between the modifier on a 10 and an 8 (and equal to the difference on a 6). The difference between higher level characters is even more extreme. Yet, one rarely (if ever) sees suggestions that 1st level characters should be role-played as incompetent, foolish, or awkward.

 

[The Shadow]

I find low stats lead to "It's just what my character would do" moments, in the bad sense.

I get what you're saying, but it can be in a good sense too. I was in a light-hearted OSR one-shot recently, and I rolled a 6 Int and had fun with it. So did everyone else, which is the important thing!

As @Lanefan said in another thread, if the players are laughing even though their characters want to kill yours, you're doing fine.

 

[HectorsNemesis]

If my character has low INT, I play dumb.
If my character has high INT (like 18), I just play myself.

 

[Lanefan]

Voted "Partially" but with a different meaning to how the poll phrases it.

Were there a "partially" option that rephrased the "Yes" option to read "My character's personality is determined in part by the numbers on the sheet", that's what I'd have voted for.

Put another way, I think it's flat-out bad faith play to ignore the stats completely; but also think that a low stat can be roleplayed and reflected in many different ways without dice ever entering into it.

 

[JohnSnow]

Voted "Partially" but with a different meaning to how the poll phrases it.

Were there a "partially" option that rephrased the "Yes" option to read "My character's personality is determined in part by the numbers on the sheet", that's what I'd have voted for.

Put another way, I think it's flat-out bad faith play to ignore the stats completely; but also think that a low stat can be roleplayed and reflected in many different ways without dice ever entering into it.

That’s why there’s an “Other - please explain” option.

But I’m equally cool with “Partially, please explain.” There’s only so much complexity you can build into a 2-line poll answer.

 

[JohnSnow]

And, Marketing 101: never provide an odd number of options on a scale of responses. Because most people are indecisive or want to be seen as reasonable and will pick the middle one.

 

[Irlo]

Other.

I'd say my role-play is influenced by the ability scores, but that might not be recognizable or acknowledged as valid by those that have well-defined ideas about what the stats mean.

I mostly play D&D these days. In 5e, it's the mechanical effects that matter.

D&D ability scores are so abstract and purport to measure a wide array of unrelated characteristics that anyone who would claim that someone is roleplaying wrong based on the stats wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

 

[JohnSnow]

Other.

I'd say my role-play is influenced by the ability scores, but that might not be recognizable or acknowledged as valid by those that have well-defined ideas about what the stats mean.

I mostly play D&D these days. In 5e, it's the mechanical effects that matter.

D&D ability scores are so abstract and purport to measure a wide array of unrelated characteristics that anyone who would claim that someone is roleplaying wrong based on the stats wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

5e characters also usually have high enough “low scores” that if a player puts a 10 in INT it’s hard to say, “Sorry Bob, someone with average intelligence wouldn’t think of that,” without the risk of insulting one of your friends.

 

[Perambulator]

I chose the last option, because I expect my fellow players would provide advice. 'Course, how the advice is offered...

 

[Lanefan]

And, Marketing 101: never provide an odd number of options on a scale of responses. Because most people are indecisive or want to be seen as reasonable and will pick the middle one.

Your poll's results thus far - in order 3-14-0-4-3 - would suggest otherwise...