Low ability score examples?

[PnPgamer]

I just started just pondering what would be good examples of a character who has a really low ability score. What would a guy with charisma 3 look like? Strength 5? How would a guy with 4 wisdom act?

If you can just find FICTIONAL examples, pictures, videos, anything that might represent these. I might also need this for roleplay reasons. But that is a completely another thing. Let the... linkage (?) commence!

 

[Celebrim]

Most of these are probably things you are personally familiar with.

Strength 5: Slightly below average non-athletic adult woman. Average 9 year old. Average octogenarian.

Charisma 3: As one example, severe and usually untreated Asperger's syndrome. The sort of person who, regardless of their other merits, make you cringe every time they open their mouth. If near them, you'll instinctively want to flee the room. They can provoke an irrational rage in even patient people by their persistent officious personal habits and annoying speech. With practice, a person like this might compensate with points in diplomacy. Remember we are talking about raw natural aptitude.

Wisdom 4: Average Hollywood child star. Many athletes and celebrities. Personal life is an on going train wreck of bad decisions, poor choices of friends, failed ill-advised marriages, reckless behavior, irresponsibility, lack of self-control, lack of inhibitions, and apparent complete disregard of consequences or ability to connect outcomes to their own choices.

I hesitate to list names, in part because I don't actually get "a laugh" out of this and in part because it would likely get mean spirited not only toward the person's involved, but toward other posters. Fictional examples would probably be better, but off the top of my head I'm having trouble thinking of good examples because in fiction usually protagonists have heroic virtue that means they are seldom consistently presented as weak in any regard. More often, a hero will presented as having high innate ability, but some sort of limiting flaw or disadvantage that paralyzes them in some situation ('in front of a girl', is common). Eventually, as we follow the hero they inevitable 'level up' and demonstrate heroic ability or overcome the flaw or so forth.

I'm having trouble thinking of a fictional protagonist character that retains considerable real weakness in the long run. Inspector Clouseau might be a good example of Wisdom 3, but again this is played for humor so Clouseau situationally shows some wisdom and understanding when it is necessary for the scene or plot and then plummets to Wisdom -10 when failing to see what is literally in front of his face would be funny. Silmarily, several of the characters of Big Bang Theory are portrayed as having Charisma 3 (or less!), but only for laughs. In order to keep up our sympathy for the characters, they are portrayed as being quite charismatic at other times. Let's not forget that the real Kunal Nayyar who plays Raj is married to Miss India, and as an actor is paid to bring charisma to the stage even when pretending to lack it. There is a very big difference between actually lacking charisma and portraying someone that lacks charisma.

 

[PnPgamer]

Most of these are probably things you are personally familiar with.

Strength 5: Slightly below average non-athletic adult woman. Average 9 year old. Average octogenarian.

Charisma 3: As one example, severe and usually untreated Asperger's syndrome. The sort of person who, regardless of their other merits, make you cringe every time they open their mouth. If near them, you'll instinctively want to flee the room. They can provoke an irrational rage in even patient people by their persistent officious personal habits and annoying speech. With practice, a person like this might compensate with points in diplomacy. Remember we are talking about raw natural aptitude.

Wisdom 4: Average Hollywood child star. Many athletes and celebrities. Personal life is an on going train wreck of bad decisions, poor choices of friends, failed ill-advised marriages, reckless behavior, irresponsibility, lack of self-control, lack of inhibitions, and apparent complete disregard of consequences or ability to connect outcomes to their own choices.

I hesitate to list names, in part because I don't actually get "a laugh" out of this and in part because it would likely get mean spirited not only toward the person's involved, but toward other posters. Fictional examples would probably be better, but off the top of my head I'm having trouble thinking of good examples because in fiction usually protagonists have heroic virtue that means they are seldom consistently presented as weak in any regard. More often, a hero will presented as having high innate ability, but some sort of limiting flaw or disadvantage that paralyzes them in some situation ('in front of a girl', is common). Eventually, as we follow the hero they inevitable 'level up' and demonstrate heroic ability or overcome the flaw or so forth.

I'm having trouble thinking of a fictional protagonist character that retains considerable real weakness in the long run. Inspector Clouseau might be a good example of Wisdom 3, but again this is played for humor so Clouseau situationally shows some wisdom and understanding when it is necessary for the scene or plot and then plummets to Wisdom -10 when failing to see what is literally in front of his face would be funny. Silmarily, several of the characters of Big Bang Theory are portrayed as having Charisma 3 (or less!), but only for laughs. In order to keep up our sympathy for the characters, they are portrayed as being quite charismatic at other times. Let's not forget that the real Kunal Nayyar who plays Raj is married to Miss India, and as an actor is paid to bring charisma to the stage even when pretending to lack it. There is a very big difference between actually lacking charisma and portraying someone that lacks charisma.

now I feel bad. Of course I meant fictional, I do not want anyone get offended! One example I thought of would be Patrick from spongebob cartoons, for low wisdom.

I also edited original post to emphasize it.

 

[Bleys Icefalcon]

My Cleric has a constitution of 9. The rest of the poeple in the party keep razzing his wimpiness.....=(

 

[S'mon]

now I feel bad. Of course I meant fictional, I do not want anyone get offended! One example I thought of would be Patrick from spongebob cartoons, for low wisdom.

I also edited original post to emphasize it.

Patrick: Low INT, Low WIS, decent CHA.
Spongebob: Low INT, good WIS, good CHA.
Squidwort Tentacles: High INT, low WIS, low CHA.
Plankton: High INT, very low WIS, highish CHA.
Captain Crabs: good INT, average WIS, high CHA.
Sandy Squirrel: high INT, average WIS, high CHA.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Homer Simpson has obviously low Int, and high Con and Charisma. Homer's stupidity and toughness are legendary, and people listen to him (even when they shouldn't). I think Peter Griffin is pretty similar (if you want proof he has high Charisma, just look at him showboating).

Mr. Burns has low Con, and seems to have to roll it each day, with a -6 penalty. On some days his health is almost normal (usually right after a blood transfusion).

 

[Bleys Icefalcon]

IN the David Eddings "Belgariad" series, one of the Sorcerers was named Beldin. He was also called "The Troll" by many. He had a big heart, but he was hunchbacked, and his face was "twisted and deformed". He was one of the good guys, and very powerful - but also hideously ugly, rarely bathed, and had a very crass, brusque and rude attitude.

CHA: 4
CMS: 2

 

[Dioltach]

Low CHA: Arnold J. Rimmer, from Red Dwarf. This is very much apparent when he's contrasted with his parallel universe counterpart, Ace Rimmer.

 

[Zhaleskra]

Because of a lack of communication on both my part and the GM's, I randomly rolled a character for d20 Modern. His worst roll was a 5, which I put into charisma. I chose to have it represent scarring instead of being a poor leader/speaker. The character's other rolls were good enough that re-rolling wouldn't have been allowed. It was okay to play as him, and the campaign ended because a lot of the plot required the character of one player to be present. Low ability score could have been avoided by knowing that the GM was using point-buy. Problem caused by lack of asking causing lack of telling.

 

[Bleys Icefalcon]

And who could forget Raistlin Majere... didn't he have like a 6 con?