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<blockquote data-quote="Mengu" data-source="post: 5829558" data-attributes="member: 65726">That is a very good question, because in my opinion, it certainly isn't fighting ability. You pit an agile and smart warrior against a strong and sturdy warrior. Which one wins? I'll put my money on the agile and smart warrior (though I'd prefer to be the little wise guy collecting the bets).I think stats might determine the flavor of how you fight, what techniques you use, what equipment you use, but they shouldn't determine how well you actually can fight. I don't like to make real world analogies for a fantasy game, but everything from natural instinct to training is ultimately going to matter more in a lethal fight, than a test of pure strength. Particularly in a heroic fantasy game, I can see tools like intimidation, knowledge, tactics, ability to read your enemy, clarity of mind would be valuable weapons in the right hands, regardless of how they translate into real life simulation of &quot;swinging a weapon&quot;. Sure, there is some level of strength required for being able to put enough force behind a blow to make melee weapons effective. Let's say that threshold is strength 13 (maybe make strength 13 a requirement to be a fighter).Once you hit that threshold, I see no reason why a fighter with 16 strength 16 con, 13 wisdom, should be better than a fighter with 13 strength 16 dex, 16 intelligence, aside from... tradition (*sigh*). They might fight very differently. The 16 strength fighter might prefer to heft a greataxe, and support full chainmail, and hurl handaxes at range, but the 16 intelligence fighter might prefer the precision and reach of a spear, mobility of piecemeal armor, deflective properties of a shield, and carry a few spears for when he needs to throw one. I don't see why one fighter should be better than the other (and I'd certainly like to try playing the latter).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mengu, post: 5829558, member: 65726"] That is a very good question, because in my opinion, it certainly isn't fighting ability. You pit an agile and smart warrior against a strong and sturdy warrior. Which one wins? I'll put my money on the agile and smart warrior (though I'd prefer to be the little wise guy collecting the bets). I think stats might determine the flavor of how you fight, what techniques you use, what equipment you use, but they shouldn't determine how well you actually can fight. I don't like to make real world analogies for a fantasy game, but everything from natural instinct to training is ultimately going to matter more in a lethal fight, than a test of pure strength. Particularly in a heroic fantasy game, I can see tools like intimidation, knowledge, tactics, ability to read your enemy, clarity of mind would be valuable weapons in the right hands, regardless of how they translate into real life simulation of "swinging a weapon". Sure, there is some level of strength required for being able to put enough force behind a blow to make melee weapons effective. Let's say that threshold is strength 13 (maybe make strength 13 a requirement to be a fighter). Once you hit that threshold, I see no reason why a fighter with 16 strength 16 con, 13 wisdom, should be better than a fighter with 13 strength 16 dex, 16 intelligence, aside from... tradition (*sigh*). They might fight very differently. The 16 strength fighter might prefer to heft a greataxe, and support full chainmail, and hurl handaxes at range, but the 16 intelligence fighter might prefer the precision and reach of a spear, mobility of piecemeal armor, deflective properties of a shield, and carry a few spears for when he needs to throw one. I don't see why one fighter should be better than the other (and I'd certainly like to try playing the latter). [/QUOTE]

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