D&D 5E Don't play "stupid" characters. It is ableist.

[ad_hoc]

An insulting way to do so. You could even say xenophobic.

I thought you were trying to avoid insulting portrayals.

I have no idea how it is insulting to play a character who isn't from Faerun or whatever. People can come from different places.

 

[Faolyn]

OK, @ad_hoc , lets start with this: can you give us an example of a PC being percieved as "stupid," which turned them into an insult and a punching bag?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Just to be clear, I think this is a really really bad idea:

Again, I reiterate: bad bad idea. Don't try this at home kids.

 

[Faolyn]

Maybe they just aren't very intelligent.


(to be clear I think intelligence is a load of nonsense. It's a joke made to make fun of someone who is insistent that I'm not making sense because there are lots of pages arguing over the OP).

Joke or not, maybe instead of saying "they aren't very intelligent," go back and see if you were as clear as you thought you were.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Pretty sure himbo is derived from bimbo…

Yep, explicitly. And I’ve only ever seen it used as gender inclusive. Nearly all discussion I’ve seen of the new She-Ra, for instance, talks about Adora being a himbo.

 

[Charlaquin]

It's truth though.

And it would be a good exploration of what it means be considered 'intelligent'.

I'm talking fictionally. I don't think it's a good idea to take an actual real life culture that isn't yours and imitate it. That's terrible.

You should try to consider the optics of your arguments a bit more. Yes, it is (unfortunately) true that a lot of people think foreigners are stupid. Suggesting that if someone wants to play a character who is perceived as stupid they ought to play a foreigner makes it look like you are one of those people. I understand that you aren’t, but that might not be as clear to all readers, and people will be less inclined to take your argument charitably if they get the impression that you’re a xenophobe. Moreover, people arguing in bad faith will absolutely not hesitate to take advantage of this potential misunderstanding, painting you as the bigoted one.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Not what I said. I said the attitudes fostered and normalized therein.

I should hope reasonable and mature adults would take responsibility for what they are promoting while playing their children's pretend game.

I think you are misunderstanding me a bit.
There is a stark difference between:
"LOL! Stupid characters are hilarious!"
..and...
"LOL! Stupid people are hilarious!"

That's my point. A game is not 'reality' and people that think something in a game (or book, movie, comic, etc) is somehow directly congruent to reality are the ones with the "problem", not the person or people writing/enjoying the portrayal. Does that make more sense? (and no, I'm not singling out anyone as "no...you are!"; I'm trying to express why I don't think there's any problem with playing a stereotypical [insert stereotype] 'thing' in a game).

You are just 100% missing the point here.

Apparently I am. And just blurting out "you are 100% missing the point here" isn't doing anything to help me grasp "the point". I thought "the point" was "if you play a stupid PC because you have a low Int/Wis, then you are doing something bad"...and my point is, "No, it isn't, because it's an RPG and not real".

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Voadam]

Int covers the ability to memorize facts.

All that other stuff is also not covered by Int either.

Narratively in D&D intelligence is more than memorizing facts.

5e PH page 12

Intelligence
Measures: Mental acuity, information recall, analytical skill
Important for: Wizard

Page 177
INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and the ability to reason.
INTELLIGENCE CHECKS
An Intelligence check comes into play when you need to draw on logic, education, memory, or deductive reasoning. The Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Intelligence checks.

 

[ad_hoc]

Okay look.

Lots of people want to play illiterate characters who don't know things and call them 'stupid'.

Now to that I say don't play stupid characters. If you want that experience there are lots of different ways to do it through traits and behaviours.

One of those is to play as a foreigner.

Imagine you've lived in one country your whole life and only know the language you're from. Now move to another country where no one knows your language and you don't know theirs and there is a bunch of magic you've never seen before.

You're going to have a tough time but it isn't because you're 'stupid'.

Maybe this will accomplish achieving the experience you wanted when you set out to play a 'stupid' character and maybe it won't. If it won't pick another trait or behaviour.

I'm going to say it once more for those in the back and then I'm not repeating it any more.

Don't play 'stupid' characters.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

xenophobe

Ha! Stupid people don't know the meaning of the word!