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<blockquote data-quote="Ariosto" data-source="post: 4979092" data-attributes="member: 80487">If the 3d6 spread approximates the normal population, then about 1 person in 20 has an intelligence score of 5 or lower. Maybe that's not the assumption in 3e or 4e, but based on old D&amp;D I find the severely handicapped characterization bizarre. It's even more so in Original and Basic+, in which 3d6 is the range for adventurers.Every version of the game has given the mental scores specific game-mechanical effects -- just like the physical ones. I think charisma was given such importance in the original game as to make it not a &quot;dump stat&quot; but the second most critical after hit points.I am inclined to think those specific factors generally enough. That's how they seem to be treated in relation to the physical scores; I have not seen insistence that because of a low number there a player must be prevented from having a character act with alacrity, determination or courage.Stats by and large should, in my opinion, be left to inform adjudication of the effects of a course of action -- not to say, &quot;You can't even think of that.&quot;The spirit of another game might demand certain limitations. Call of Cthulhu is different from Champions; and both are different from D&amp;D.I don't come to the table to play &quot;the Game of &amp;&quot;; the mysteries, puzzles, tricks, traps and negotiations have always been as definitively significant as the fights. In &quot;realistic simulation&quot;, the characters would probably have stayed home rather than venturing into the dungeons in the first place! This is first and foremost a game, and a lot of &quot;compromises&quot; and &quot;metagaming&quot; have gone on well before one notices that some runes happen to look like KEEPOUT in English.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ariosto, post: 4979092, member: 80487"] If the 3d6 spread approximates the normal population, then about 1 person in 20 has an intelligence score of 5 [i]or lower[/i]. Maybe that's not the assumption in 3e or 4e, but based on old D&D I find the severely handicapped characterization bizarre. It's even more so in Original and Basic+, in which 3d6 is the range for [i]adventurers[/i]. Every version of the game has given the mental scores specific game-mechanical effects -- [i]just like the physical ones[/i]. I think charisma was given such importance in the original game as to make it not a "dump stat" but the second most critical after hit points. I am inclined to think those specific factors generally enough. That's how they seem to be treated in relation to the physical scores; I have not seen insistence that because of a low number there a player must be prevented from having a character act with alacrity, determination or courage. Stats by and large should, in my opinion, be left to inform adjudication of the effects of a course of action -- not to say, "You can't even think of that." The [i]spirit of[/i] another game might demand certain limitations. [i]Call of Cthulhu[/i] is different from [i]Champions[/i]; and both are different from D&D. I don't come to the table to play "the Game of &"; the mysteries, puzzles, tricks, traps and negotiations have always been as definitively significant as the fights. In "realistic simulation", the characters would probably have stayed home rather than venturing into the dungeons in the first place! This is first and foremost a game, and a lot of "compromises" and "metagaming" have gone on well before one notices that some runes happen to look like KEEPOUT [i]in English[/i]. [/QUOTE]

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