Ability score of 18

[was]

I'd choose Dexterity...just because I can.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Why would I want to lower any of my stats to 18?

The Auld Grump, he's lying you know...

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Wisdom. If I could realize things better, I could think them through more. Like being on here when math homework and laundry needs a doing. I swear I have a 7 IRL.

Exactly my problem. I feel your pain, Caine.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Charisma, and anyone who's worked in the corporate world would know why. That stat trumps all others.

Strength? Eh, you'd just get asked to help people move furniture a lot. Charisma will help you talk others into helping you.

Dexterity will make me a better driver I guess, but a high charisma means I'll always be able to talk someone else into driving, as well as guarantee I ride shotgun.

Constitution might be nice with a high Charisma, what with the STD factor and all (oh, and all the people who said a high CON will help them live longer, remember that in D&D lifespan is a random roll and a high CON won't help you).

Intelligence? Look, most people in the world today are a 10 or 11 (well, maybe lower), so it stands that most D&D players are too. I'm gonna go off on a rant here, but all you people who claim to be 14 or 15 INT are lying to yourselves. Real people with INTs that high are too busy constructing macroeconomic models on petroleum futures for the Rand Corporation or teaching supercomputers how to beat Bobby Fischer to play an RPG. Even an uber-nerd like Bill Gates isn't even an 18. You think it was a high INT score that let him talk IBM into that DOS contract? Pure CHA baby, haircut notwithstanding.

Wisdom is everyone's drop stat. Wisdom's overrated. I'd never have done half the cool, fun, off-the-wall crap I've done in my life if I'd been wise enough to know better at the time. Besides, millions of people listen to Dr. Laura for advice everyday, and she's about as wise as swimming during a thunderstorm.

 

[Gorilla726]

Three little letters. S... T... R... Str. Strength! I would love to be a super hero with super strength. It's one of my dreams. I could help lots of people if I was super strong.

Gorilla

 

[Pielorinho]

Moderator's notes:

Since we've had a couple reports about it, I'm going to be clear about something: post #8 in this thread is an inappropriate injection of religion into the discussion. We mods didn't respond to it earlier because it appears to be resolved in the meta forum. But I didn't want folks to think that we were ignoring the problem.

I want to thank everyone for not veering off into the Forbidden Territory in this thread, and instead bringing the matter to our attention .

Me? I'd go for the 18 Cha: I'm always amazed at what people can accomplish with sheer force of personality.

Daniel

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Truth be told, an 18 strength or dex is probably yer best bet for making a living since that makes you an automatic Olympic level athelete. Easiest route to milking an extreme attribute for yer livelihood. 18 cha is probably on par, though I don't know that it's as reliable a stat.

I went with wisdom, in the long run it's the most generally useful, being able to percieve opportunities and threats is the prerequisite to everything else. Not too mention, being able to make it in religion, or self help, is the only way to get made.

Plus, I always have a little voice in my head saying: spot check spot check spot check.

Though, if I at all believed that it would work this way in the real world, four free languages is a huge bribe.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Moderator's notes:

Me? I'd go for the 18 Cha: I'm always amazed at what people can accomplish with sheer force of personality.

Daniel

And then loose through sheer lack of anything like sense. Oh Michael, we hardly know ye.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

Plus, I always have a little voice in my head saying: spot check spot check spot check.

That's weird; I always have a little voice in my head saying: Sneak attack Dr. Strangemonkey! Sneak attack Dr. Strangemonkey!

I wint with Int.

Spoiler

Yes I meant to do that.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Wisdom. Is it more important that you have great abilities or that you know what to do with them? That's wisdom. Intelligence is the next mosy impotant.

I see that everyone realizes that physical abilities are unimportant in the 21st century. In D&D, there would probably be more dexterity votes. And less wisdom. Wonder if that's a sign of the times or a criticism of D&D.

That's silly. Physical abilities aren't "unimportant" in the 21st century, and never will be unimportant so long as humans have bodies.

The strength of the world's greatest weightlifter "unimportant"? The natural dexterity of Jackie Chan "unimportant"? Hardly.

Truthfully, an 18 in any score is going to be important and useful.

The many votes for the mental stats is more reflective of the biases and priorities of gamers and internet culture in general than anything else.

For me? Constitution - I don't like the idea of being old and frail, and even with aging penalties, an 18 constitution leaves you fit and strong to the end of your life. Not worrying about the infirmities of old age is a great thing.

Plus, an 18 con means you'll probably live to accumulate all the bonuses to the mental stats anyway - point optimization, baby.

Patrick Y.