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<blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 9494629" data-attributes="member: 7026594">This is an oversimplified and not very useful conversion, and it's pretty clear that Brian Blume didn't mean for it to be taken seriously when he tongue in cheek suggested it in Dragon #8, July 1977. As folks have pointed out, it's obviously not the case that 16.2% of the population has an IQ of 140 or above (it's .48%).And single digit ability scores were never intended to be so debilitating.&nbsp; The game rules wouldn't have allowed you to have a 3 Int if a 6 was meant to be non-functional as an adventurer.Obviously ability scores have gotten more important in later editions, especially as bonuses have become more expected and necessary in the designed math.&nbsp; We're a long way from 1974 when the only ability scores which gave a mathematical bonus to rolls were Dex and Con (missile attacks and HP only), and those capped out at a +1 bonus or -1 penalty.&nbsp; But even still, in most editions a character can still be playable while having one or two very low stats.[ATTACH=full]384319[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mannahnin, post: 9494629, member: 7026594"] This is an oversimplified and not very useful conversion, and it's pretty clear that Brian Blume didn't mean for it to be taken seriously when he tongue in cheek suggested it in Dragon #8, July 1977. As folks have pointed out, it's obviously not the case that 16.2% of the population has an IQ of 140 or above (it's .48%). And single digit ability scores were never intended to be so debilitating. The game rules wouldn't have allowed you to have a 3 Int if a 6 was meant to be non-functional as an adventurer. Obviously ability scores have gotten more important in later editions, especially as bonuses have become more expected and necessary in the designed math. We're a long way from 1974 when the only ability scores which gave a mathematical bonus to rolls were Dex and Con (missile attacks and HP only), and those capped out at a +1 bonus or -1 penalty. But even still, in most editions a character can still be playable while having one or two very low stats. [ATTACH type="full" alt="Your own D&D stats Dragon #8 1977.JPG"]384319[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]

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