Ability Score Rating

[IcyCool]

Reading through this thread is quite surreal. How old are you Bartman?

Have you not read his other threads? "Godzilla vs. the Three Dragon Gods" and "Favorite 1,000 level character"?

 

[Odhanan]

These are exceptional stats indeed, Bartmanhomer. The first thing to do when you want to create a character for a game someone else is running as Dungeon Master is to ask them about their specific rules for generating attributes, what level your character would start at, which equipment is available to your character and which isn't, that kind of thing.

The rules specify rolling 4d6 six times, each time, discard the lowest die result of the four dice (or one of the lowest if you have more than one) and add the three remaining dice. Note that number down. Repeat five more times. Then attribute each of these number to an ability score. That's the standard, but nothing stops your DM from having another opinion (or options) on the matter. So talk to him first.

Another tip I can give you is that if your character ends up with a weakness (like for instance having a result of 6 on one of these dice rolls I was talking about, that you choose to put in Constitution, which means your character is not very endurant/resistant to diseases, poisons, long walks and doesn't have an incredible amount of hit points-health), that doesn't mean your character sucks. Actually, most of the greatest heroes had a weakness of some sort, and that makes them more interesting on the long run. Think about Achilles' eel for instance. This weakness doesn't have to be a low ability score, but that's one of the possibilities available to you.

 

[Bartmanhomer]

These are exceptional stats indeed, Bartmanhomer. The first thing to do when you want to create a character for a game someone else is running as Dungeon Master is to ask them about their specific rules for generating attributes, what level your character would start at, which equipment is available to your character and which isn't, that kind of thing.

The rules specify rolling 4d6 six times, each time, discard the lowest die result of the four dice (or one of the lowest if you have more than one) and add the three remaining dice. Note that number down. Repeat five more times. Then attribute each of these number to an ability score. That's the standard, but nothing stops your DM from having another opinion (or options) on the matter. So talk to him first.

Another tip I can give you is that if your character ends up with a weakness (like for instance having a result of 6 on one of these dice rolls I was talking about, that you choose to put in Constitution, which means your character is not very endurant/resistant to diseases, poisons, long walks and doesn't have an incredible amount of hit points-health), that doesn't mean your character sucks. Actually, most of the greatest heroes had a weakness of some sort, and that makes them more interesting on the long run. Think about Achilles' eel for instance. This weakness doesn't have to be a low ability score, but that's one of the possibilities available to you.

Thanks Odharan!

 

[Bartmanhomer]

Just what other possible weaknesses that a characther with a very good status got?

 

[Hodgie]

Just what other possible weaknesses that a characther with a very good status got?

Are you asking what other types of weaknesses a character can have outside of poor statistics? Assuming yes, these will generally be found out during RP. Someone will play choose to RP a phobia, a short temper, or whatever.

Regardless, I think what people are trying to say is that you are coming across as 'hung up' on stats. Stats are not the be-all-end-all of your character. They are important, no doubt, but the lows are just as important as the highs. If all of your stats are exceptional you will undoubtedly defeat a lot of foes, but it'll be monotonous. Every character has strengths, but the joy comes in embracing your flaws.

 

[Hodgie]

Any yes- this thread is like a strange IM

 

[Bartmanhomer]

What is so strange about this thread?

 

[Odhanan]

Just what other possible weaknesses that a characther with a very good status got?

For instance, you choose to play a war veteran with an arm missing who was forced by circumstances after his time in the army to become an adventurer.

Or a wizard who was trained early in a coven of witches, saw them participate in human sacrifices, escaped somehow to become who he is now, but still is haunted by the voices of the dead that only him can hear. They taunt him, sometimes push him to do things.

Or maybe your character has an addiction of some sort. Maybe that's a drug like the Black Lotus, or alcohol, or women (like James Bond for instance).

For stats: maybe your character is the nicest guy in the world (high Wis and/or Cha maybe) but the biggest cluts in the world (low Dex). Or maybe he is a great warrior (high Str and/or Dex) but the most obnoxious veteran (speaking down to people and bossing around, sergeant style) you'd ever meet (low Cha). Or someone who has an uncanny ability to understand people and what they need (high Wis and maybe Int) but is absoluty incapable of expressing his/her own feelings to help these people (low Cha). Or someone so smart and "out there" (high Int) that he is introspective and doesn't pay attention to others and the world surrounding him (low Wis).

It all depends on the character you want to play, and the way your DM chooses to use your background or not. See: a character is made of stats yeah, but he also has a personality (a way he acts and "is" in the game) and a background or backstory (what he lived through prior to the game). All three should combine and reflect each other so that your character feels coherent when you play.

No one is perfect. When people seem or act as if they were perfect, they are boring and/or annoying to other people. Weaknesses makes us what we are: people with experiences that make us grow. The best RPG characters I've seen reflect that in some way or another. Not only in deep immersion roleplaying sessions mind you, but also in hack'n'slash, since these two styles are not exclusive of each other (you can have a great character for a dungeon crawling hack'n'slash session or be min/maxed to the nose and have the most amazing immersive role-play of all time - I've seen both situations come up in my gaming experience).

 

[Bartmanhomer]

What if the characther doesn't have any weakness at all? Say if a fighter/rogue have a Str: 18, Dex: 18, Con: 18, Int: 18, Wis: 18, Cha: 18

 

[LeifVignirsson]

Actually I would say that these were terrible only because it seems that you are just slamming them together without any thought or care. They are just numbers and classes (A rogue 1/bg 1? Yeah, that is not caring about the character) so if I were your DM, I wouldn't allow it unless you gave me like a novel of background/character motivation. Then again, that is just me.