A... spectrum.
D&D 5E (2014) Aspurgers/autism effects?
- Thread starter abe ray
- Start date
Andvari
Hero
Octarine.
GreyLord
Legend
This would probably be a controversial take, but it's 11 pages in so not as many people will see it to tell me how evil I am on this.
Autism does not necessarily mean you are smarter or better at something, but it can mean that it may be harder for someone to express it socially or for others to see it in a social situation if someone is extremely smart and/or brilliant.
It is a different way of seeing or understanding social cues and situations from what I have seen at times.
I am one of those who feel that numerical representations perhaps do a better job of showing something than someone trying to act something out.
For example, if someone has asthma, it will affect their ability to do certain things. It doesn't mean they can't overcome such things, but it will make it more difficult. So, a -2 (depending on how bad their asthma is, if it is REALLY bad to the point it could kill them, perhaps a -4 or more even) to their Constitution would make it appropriate I think.
So, someone could feasibly start off with a Constitution of 16 if they wanted to really spend an 18 on it. Now, with 5e one can actually add points to their ability scores, so someone who really wanted to focus and increase their Constitution could eventually even have a 20 Constitution if they REALLY wanted it. It is harder for them to get their as they start off with a disadvantage in that arena, but it IS possible for them to overcome this and be better than many others!
The REASON I do this is that it can be HARD to play someone with a disability and remember it. This is even harder if you have never had it, but want to experience what it may be like to have to deal with something like that and/or overcome it or become better at what it affects than others. A simple modifier makes it so that you are at a disadvantage with the areas it affects in a way that is subtle enough that it affects everything that you do with that ability score, but at the same time you don't have to account for it constantly in a way that actually may not truly be how it affects someone with that ability (for example, I've known those who have asthma who have become cross country runners, marathon runners, and more. However, they still had challenges to get to that point, and at times people who didn't have to worry about using inhalers or other medications may not realize what those challenges were).
In that same light, I'd probably give someone who wanted to play a character with Autism a -2 (or -4 or more for extremely challenging cases) to their Charisma. Charisma is more of a social ability and from that come many of our social skills in D&D. Someone with Autism could still be quite Charismatic, but it will be tougher for them to over come other things which some who do not have the difficulties of social interactions may face.
This reflects the difficulties one may have in facing the challenges of social interactions that some may have with this. It's not necessarily a handicap, but a different way of dealing with social cues and interactions.
Probably something others will hate on me for, but I think this would be my solution to the question. It's simple and yet does what it is set out to accomplish. It's a reflection of a difficulty one may face, but not something that cannot be overcome or even be an area one can excel at if they so choose to focus on that area.
Autism does not necessarily mean you are smarter or better at something, but it can mean that it may be harder for someone to express it socially or for others to see it in a social situation if someone is extremely smart and/or brilliant.
It is a different way of seeing or understanding social cues and situations from what I have seen at times.
I am one of those who feel that numerical representations perhaps do a better job of showing something than someone trying to act something out.
For example, if someone has asthma, it will affect their ability to do certain things. It doesn't mean they can't overcome such things, but it will make it more difficult. So, a -2 (depending on how bad their asthma is, if it is REALLY bad to the point it could kill them, perhaps a -4 or more even) to their Constitution would make it appropriate I think.
So, someone could feasibly start off with a Constitution of 16 if they wanted to really spend an 18 on it. Now, with 5e one can actually add points to their ability scores, so someone who really wanted to focus and increase their Constitution could eventually even have a 20 Constitution if they REALLY wanted it. It is harder for them to get their as they start off with a disadvantage in that arena, but it IS possible for them to overcome this and be better than many others!
The REASON I do this is that it can be HARD to play someone with a disability and remember it. This is even harder if you have never had it, but want to experience what it may be like to have to deal with something like that and/or overcome it or become better at what it affects than others. A simple modifier makes it so that you are at a disadvantage with the areas it affects in a way that is subtle enough that it affects everything that you do with that ability score, but at the same time you don't have to account for it constantly in a way that actually may not truly be how it affects someone with that ability (for example, I've known those who have asthma who have become cross country runners, marathon runners, and more. However, they still had challenges to get to that point, and at times people who didn't have to worry about using inhalers or other medications may not realize what those challenges were).
In that same light, I'd probably give someone who wanted to play a character with Autism a -2 (or -4 or more for extremely challenging cases) to their Charisma. Charisma is more of a social ability and from that come many of our social skills in D&D. Someone with Autism could still be quite Charismatic, but it will be tougher for them to over come other things which some who do not have the difficulties of social interactions may face.
This reflects the difficulties one may have in facing the challenges of social interactions that some may have with this. It's not necessarily a handicap, but a different way of dealing with social cues and interactions.
Probably something others will hate on me for, but I think this would be my solution to the question. It's simple and yet does what it is set out to accomplish. It's a reflection of a difficulty one may face, but not something that cannot be overcome or even be an area one can excel at if they so choose to focus on that area.
LordEntrails
Legend
I like the spectrum answer. But I think you (or someone with autism) would know better than me. Perhaps the color depends on how comfortable they are at the moment. Bright blue when they are confident and dull grey when they are struggling. I guess it could even ben tied to the spells associate attack/save roll and how well that roll is.
Faolyn
(she/her)
As an autistic person... I don't think any of them. Remember, "when you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person." There's no single color that can define a person based solely on whether or not they're neurotypical.
jgsugden
Legend
No wrong answer here, but I'd look to ideas from the real world.
Autism Colors & Symbols: What They Mean
In this article, we'll explore the meanings behind very popular autism symbols and colors.
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www.thetreetop.com
Libertad
Legend
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this, as this isn't really a game mechanic in 5e unless you're talking about spells such as Color Spray or Prismatic Spray. Are you referring to something close to Magic the Gathering, where major divisions of magic are separated by theme into colors?
Andvari
Hero
I am undiagnosed, but as I strongly suspect I am autistic, I will comment on this. I think a negative Charisma modifier can work as a representation of the social handicap autism can be. I can pass for normal during limited interactions, and even be charismatic, but that comes from many years of "training Charisma-related skills." If I misstep in keeping up the pretense of normalcy in front of strangers, I usually learn of my this immediately due to the odd looks suddenly being sent my way.
Interestingly, I have GMed for a guy who, when creating his character, told me he wanted to play an autistic PC. I commented "sounds dangerous" but didn't object, as I was intrigued. It well kind of as well as I had expected (his character was a "lawful autistic" caricature), but I found it curious rather than offensive. Maybe because he was a decent guy who meant no harm.
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