No Intelligence score = can't learn

[Li Shenron]

Having no Intelligence score, golems, skeletons, zombies, etc. can't learn. They will fall for the same trick over and over again.

I don't really have anything more to say about this -- I just thought it an interesting (and perhaps humorous) concept.

Quasqueton

What I find even more interesting is tha fact that the designers gave all Vermin Int=0, IIRC. I am not a biologist, but from what I know RL insects are only evolved to the "repetitive" kind of intelligence (that is, they behave on a simple stimulation->reaction basis), as opposed to "inherited" intelligence (that of greater animals, which allows to learn from experience) and "creative" intelligence (that of humans and highest primate, which allows to go further experience, or at least it looks like). Please forgive me if this is an obsolete distinction, or wrong naming

I was however pleased when I first read this in 3ed D&D, that designers actually made a choice which fits well with the real thing

 

[Thanee]

Reacting to stimuli, which even the most basic of life forms do, would fall under Wisdom, the natural intuition of a thing to survive.

...

A construct won't just go walking into something that's obviously dangerous though. Outsmarted easily, but not suicidal.

I don't think a construct has this kind of natural intuition. It does what it has been told to do, regardless of consequences. Same for mindless undead and similar creatures.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I think it's a pretty funny concept!

I like the idea of mindless undead left performing their last task until they fall apart. There was a thread about that recently. Inspired me to write a short adventure, based around some long forgotten skeletons programmed as miners, some city foundations and some stuff that was best left very undisturbed.


One explanation I've seen was that the spells used to animate the dead contain a certain level of 'common sense' programming - to do with not falling into chasms, walking into walls, etc.

I don't think it's as much fun so don't use it, but it's not an unreasonable idea.

 

[MarauderX]

Yes, like Bart trying to get the electrify cake

That's from good ol' Clockwork Orange, camera angle and all. That episode has a few other references to the movie, but the character in the movie did learn because he became ill ... and the movie character kept going back because those weren't cupcakes he wanted to get his hands on.

 

[Darklone]

I think it's a pretty funny concept!

I like the idea of mindless undead left performing their last task until they fall apart. There was a thread about that recently. Inspired me to write a short adventure, based around some long forgotten skeletons programmed as miners, some city foundations and some stuff that was best left very undisturbed.

Spoiler of Root of all Evil:

Spoiler

In a Kalamar adventure, a cleric survives at sea by eating a zombie that hacks pieces from itself off... purify food and water rocks.