Concentration

[Water Bob]

Let's talk about the skill Concentration for a moment.

First off, don't you think that Concentration should be based on WIS instead of CON? Keeping one's attention on a task in the face of distraction seems to be more of a mental exercise rather than a test of physical endurance.

If you're running a marathon and pushing through to get to the finish line in spite of every muscle in your body feeling like it will stop working at any moment, I can see the check be CON based.

But is that Concentration?

When I think of Concentration, I think of of a thief disabling a mechanism that allows the roof full of spikes to stop coming down on his head.

Help me understand why CON is a better choice for Concentration rather than WIS.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I'm guessing a lot of is to do with the fact that (mechanically) Concentration is disruptable by damage.
So the logic might be that a more hale and hearty person can shrug off the pain and bodily trauma to maintain focus more effectively than a sickly person.

 

[Jacob]

Concentrating on a spell comes about in the thick of combat, where in you're focusing on your defenses while being attacked, or keeping a spell in mind while you try to shrug off a blow to the head. Constitution seems like a very valid score in that regard. Disabling a trap would be an INT or DEX check to not get pierced by ceiling spikes, and if he gets hit, he doesn't need a Concentration check but has to do the Disable Device check over again.

If all else, play LARP. Try concentrating on numbers with your heart pounding while getting whacked with foam weapons repeatedly.

 

[Water Bob]

I'm guessing a lot of is to do with the fact that (mechanically) Concentration is disruptable by damage.
So the logic might be that a more hale and hearty person can shrug off the pain and bodily trauma to maintain focus more effectively than a sickly person.

That sounds reasonable.

If all else, play LARP. Try concentrating on numbers with your heart pounding while getting whacked with foam weapons repeatedly.

That still sounds like a mental thing to me...keeping your focus while you're getting whacked.





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Let's take magic off the board and look at some situations where Concentration will be used (non-magic related examples).

I've seen a Concentration check suggested as a way to figure direction in the wilderness. Use the throw to decide which way is "north" and such.

That's sounds like a Survival check to me, which is based on WIS. But, the sourcebook had this type of thing as a Concentration check.

In what other non-magical ways can Concentration be used in a game?

What if you're being taunted?

What if the "demoralize opponent" feature of Intimidate is being used against you? Doesn't opposing that roll with a Concentration roll make sense? I'm not so sure if Concentration is based on CON.

What are some other ways Concentration can be used in the game (without using magic)?

 

[Tharkon]

Help me understand why CON is a better choice for Concentration rather than WIS.

Cause it's CONcentration.

Maybe they just wanted to have at least one Con-based skill?

Usually concentration is required when you have to ignore environmental hazards or damage. I guess they want Constitution to reflect your overall resistance and not just to damage or physical harm. Wisdom would be your wit and your senses. Most effects that would disturb you purely mentally require Will saves and not Concentration checks I believe.

If all else, play LARP. Try concentrating on numbers with your heart pounding while getting whacked with foam weapons repeatedly.

No, I want a dice-activated VR-room instead.

 

[Dandu]

What are some other ways Concentration can be used in the game (without using magic)?

Mediation?

 

[slwoyach]

Maybe they just wanted to have at least one Con-based skill?

I've always assumed this.

 

[Wyvernhand]

What are some other ways Concentration can be used in the game (without using magic)?

Diamond Mind from Tome of Battle lets you use Concentration for various effects. Between Test of Wills, save replacement maneuvers, Insightful Strike (literally hitting someone with your focus), and the Gem Nightmare Blade series which allows you to focus so hard on one blow that it does multiple times more damage than normal or catch your foe off balanced. Lots of neat things to do there.

Didn't see the Conan tag...

 

[irdeggman]

3.5 DMG has a sidebar on using skills with different abilities.

I think that should help you with your logic and a way to incorporate it into a game.

I will give you an example of a skill that uses a different ability in games I run.

Gather Information.

Normally Charisma based, but if someone is looking in a library for information it is Intellegence based. No interactions, no Charisma, IMO.

 

[Tovec]

I guess that's why paizo decided to fold concentration checks into caster level checks in Pathfinder rules.

Why not Int for concentration instead of Wis

EDIT:
I too missed the Conan Tag, wtf?